[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3048 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 343
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3048
[Report No. 107-573]
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands adjacent to
the Russian River in the State of Alaska.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 4, 2001
Mr. Young of Alaska introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Resources
July 15, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on October
4, 2001]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands adjacent to
the Russian River in the State of Alaska.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Russian River Land Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Certain lands adjacent to the Russian River in the area
of its confluence with the Kenai River contain abundant
archaeological resources of significance to the Native people
of the Cook Inlet Region, the Kenaitze Indian Tribe, and the
citizens of the United States.
(2) Those lands at the confluence of the Russian River and
Kenai River contain abundant fisheries resources of great
significance to the citizens of Alaska.
(3) Cook Inlet Region, Inc., an Alaska Native Regional
Corporation formed under the provisions of the Alaska Native
Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (43 U.S.C. 1601 et. seq.)
(hereinafter in this Act referred to as ``ANCSA''), has
selected lands in the area pursuant to section 14(h)(1) of such
Act (43 U.S.C. 1613(h)(1)), for their values as historic and
cemetery sites.
(4) The United States Bureau of Land Management, the
Federal agency responsible for the adjudication of ANCSA
selections has not finished adjudicating Cook Inlet Region,
Inc.'s selections under section 14(h)(1) of that Act as of the
date of the enactment of this Act.
(5) The Bureau of Indian Affairs has certified a portion of
Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s selections under section 14(h)(1) of
ANCSA as containing prehistoric and historic cultural
artifacts, and meeting the requirements of section 14(h)(1) of
that Act.
(6) A portion of the selections under section 14(h)(1) of
ANCSA made by Cook Inlet Region, Inc., and certified by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs lies within the Chugach National
Forest over which the United States Forest Service is the
agency currently responsible for the administration of public
activities, archaeological features, and natural resources.
(7) A portion of the selections under section 14(h)(1) of
ANCSA and the lands certified by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
lies within the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge over which the
United States Fish and Wildlife Service is the land managing
agency currently responsible for the administration of public
activities, archaeological features, and natural resources.
(8) The area addressed by this Act lies within the
Sqilantnu Archaeological District which was determined eligible
for the National Register of Historic Places on December 31,
1981.
(9) Both the Forest Service and the Fish and Wildlife
Service dispute the validity and timeliness of Cook Inlet
Region, Inc.'s selections under section 14(h)(1) of ANCSA.
(10) The Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and
Cook Inlet Region, Inc., determined that it was in the interest
of the United States and Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to--
(A) protect and preserve the outstanding historic,
cultural, and natural resources of the area;
(B) resolve their disputes concerning the validity
of Cook Inlet Region, Inc.'s selections under section
14(h)(1) of ANCSA without litigation; and
(C) provide for the management of public use of the
area and protection of the cultural resources within
the Sqilantnu Archaeological District, particularly the
management of the area at the confluence of the Russian
and Kenai Rivers.
(11) Legislation is required to enact the resolution
reached by the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service,
and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this Act to ratify an agreement
between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior,
and Cook Inlet Region, Inc.
SEC. 3. RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES FOREST
SERVICE, UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, AND
COOK INLET REGION, INC.
(a) Ratification of Agreement.--
(1) In general.--The terms, conditions, covenants, and
procedures set forth in the document entitled ``Russian River
Section 14(h)(1) Selection Agreement'', which was executed by
Cook Inlet Region, Inc., the United States Department of
Agriculture, and the United States Department of the Interior
on July 26, 2001, (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
``Agreement''), are hereby incorporated in this section, and
are ratified, as to the duties and obligations of the United
States and the Cook Inlet Region, Inc., as a matter of Federal
law.
(2) Section 5.--The ratification of section 5 of the
Agreement is subject to the following conditions:
(A) The Fish and Wildlife Service shall consult
with interested parties when developing an exchange
under section 5 of the Agreement.
(B) The Secretary of the Interior shall submit to
the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate a copy of the agreement
implementing any exchange under section 5 of the
Agreement not less than 30 days before the exchange
becomes effective.
(3) Agreement controls.--In the event any of the terms of
the Agreement conflict with any other provision of law, the
terms of the Agreement shall be controlling.
(b) Authorization of Actions.--The Secretaries of Agriculture and
the Interior are authorized to take all actions required under the
terms of the Agreement.
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.
(a) In General.--There is authorized to be appropriated to the
Department of Agriculture, Office of State and Private Forestry,
$13,800,000, to remain available until expended, for Cook Inlet Region,
Inc., for the following:
(1) Costs for the planning and design of the Joint
Visitor's Interpretive Center.
(2) Planning and design of the Sqilantnu Archaeological
Research Center.
(3) Construction of these facilities to be established in
accordance with and for the purposes set forth in the
Agreement.
(b) Limitation on Use of Funds.--Of the amount appropriated under
this section, not more than 1 percent may be used to reimburse the
Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Kenaitze Indian
Tribe for the costs they incur in assisting Cook Inlet Region, Inc. in
the planning and design of the Joint Visitor's Interpretive Center and
the Sqilantnu Archaeological Research Center.
Union Calendar No. 343
107th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 3048
[Report No. 107-573]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To resolve the claims of Cook Inlet Region, Inc., to lands adjacent to
the Russian River in the State of Alaska.
_______________________________________________________________________
July 15, 2002
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed