Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025

Summary

Requires a negotiated land exchange between Chugach Alaska Corporation and the United States that swaps subsurface interests (about 231,000 acres) currently held by Chugach Alaska for roughly 65,374 acres of Federal land (mostly National Forest System land and some BLM/NPS parcels). The swap aims to consolidate Federal surface and subsurface ownership in areas acquired under the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council habitat‑protection program, resolving split estates that complicate conservation and ANCSA obligations. The Secretary of Agriculture (with Interior where applicable) must accept conveyances from Chugach Alaska if offered within one year of enactment; conveyances are subject to existing third‑party rights and allow limited map/acreage corrections by mutual agreement.

• Directs a land exchange: Chugach Alaska conveys ~231,000 acres of subsurface interests to the U.S. in return for ~65,374 acres of Federal surface lands.
• Exchange must be offered and accepted within one year of enactment; titles must be acceptable to the Secretary.
• Lands acquired by the U.S. become part of the applicable Federal unit and are administered accordingly.
• Conveyed lands to Chugach Alaska are treated as ANCSA conveyances, allowing ANCSA rights and uses.
• Conveyances remain subject to existing third‑party rights, reservations, rights‑of‑way, and encumbrances.
• Up to 209 acres may be excluded by Chugach Alaska for village development or shareholder homesites.
• Secretary and Chugach Alaska can mutually correct minor map, acreage, or description errors; maps control in conflicts absent agreement.
• Purpose is to resolve split estates created when EVOSTC used settlement funds to buy surface interests while Native corporation retained subsurface rights.