CHUGACH ALASKA LAND EXCHANGE OIL SPILL RECOVERY ACT OF 2025

CHUGACH ALASKA LAND EXCHANGE OIL SPILL RECOVERY ACT OF 2025

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 3, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2349-H2352] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] CHUGACH ALASKA LAND EXCHANGE OIL SPILL RECOVERY ACT OF 2025 Mr. WESTERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3903) to exchange non-Federal land held by the Chugach Alaska Corporation for certain Federal Land in the Chugach Region, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 3903 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 ``Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. PURPOSES. The purposes of this Act are-- (1) to authorize, direct, and expedite the exchange of land and interests in land between Chugach Alaska and the United States; and (2) to consolidate Federal ownership of the surface and subsurface estate of Federal land and interests acquired under the Program. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) ANSCA terms.--The terms ``Native Corporation'', ``Regional Corporation'', and ``Village Corporation'' have the meanings given those terms in section 3 of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1602). (2) Chugach alaska.--The term ``Chugach Alaska'' means the Chugach Alaska Corporation, a Regional Corporation. (3) Chugach region land study report.--The term ``Chugach Region Land Study Report'' means the report and recommendations submitted to Congress by the Secretary pursuant to section 1113 of the John D. Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act (Public Law 116- 9; 133 Stat. 614). (4) Federal exchange land.--The term ``Federal exchange land'' means the approximately 65,374 acres of fee simple land located in the Chugach Region as described in section 4(e). (5) Non-federal land.--The term ``non-Federal land'' means the parcels of subsurface land comprising approximately 231,000 acres-- (A) owned by Chugach Alaska and conveyed to Chugach Alaska pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.); (B) described in section 4(f); and (C) for which-- (i) the United States has acquired fee title to the surface estate or a conservation easement on the surface estate pursuant to the Program; or (ii) the State has acquired fee title to, and the United States has acquired a conservation easement in, the surface estate pursuant to the Program. (6) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Habitat Protection and Acquisition Program of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. (7) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior. (8) State.--The term ``State'' means the State of Alaska. SEC. 4. LAND EXCHANGE. (a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, if Chugach Alaska offers to convey to the Secretary all right, title, and interest in and to the non-Federal land, the Secretary shall accept the offer and convey, pursuant to section 22(j)(1) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1621(j)(1)), all right, title, and interest of the Federal Government in and to the Federal exchange land subject to the reservation of public easements required under section 17(b) of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1616(b)). (b) Condition on Acceptance.--Title to the non-Federal land exchanged in subsection (a) shall be in a form that is acceptable to the Secretary. (c) Treatment of Land Conveyed.--Except as otherwise provided, any land conveyed to Chugach Alaska under subsection (a) shall be considered to be land conveyed by the Secretary under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.). (d) Valid Existing Rights.--The conveyances under subsection (a) shall be subject to any valid existing rights, reservations, rights-of-way, or other encumbrances of third parties in, to, or on the Federal exchange land or the non- Federal land as of the date of enactment of this Act. (e) Conveyance of Federal Exchange Land.--The Secretary shall, as soon as practicable after the date of enactment of this Act, convey to Chugach Alaska-- (1) all right, title, and interest in and to the National Forest System land of the Forest Service identified in the Chugach Regional Land Study and Report, comprising approximately 63,414 total acres, comprising-- (A) T. 3 N., R. 10 E., Seward Meridian, Drier Bay Parcel, comprising approximately 2,996 acres of surface estate; (B) T. 17 and 18 S., R. 7 and 8 E., Copper River Meridian, Kushtaka Lake Parcel, comprising approximately 7,876 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (C) T. 2 N., R. 1 and 2 E., Seward Meridian, Snow River Parcel, comprising approximately 11,462 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (D) T. 17 and 18 S., R. 8 W., Copper River Meridian, Hinchinbrook Island Parcel, comprising approximately 2,617 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (E) T. 17 S., R. 7 E., secs. 5, 8, 18, 19, and 30 through 33, Copper River Meridian, Kushtaka Lake Parcel, comprising approximately 6,375 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (F) T. 18 S., R. 7 E., secs. 6 and 7, Copper River Meridian, Kushtaka Lake Parcel, comprising approximately 1,280 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (G) T. 16 S., R. 5 E., secs. 24 through 26 and 36, Copper River Meridian, Martin River Parcel, comprising approximately 2,240 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (H) T. 16, S., R. 6 E., secs. 16, 19 through 21, and 25 through 36, Copper River Meridian, Martin River Parcel, comprising approximately 8,305 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (I) T. 17 S., R. 6 E., secs. 1 through 4, and 10, Copper River Meridian, Martin River Parcel, comprising approximately 3,170 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (J) T. 16 S., R. 4 E., secs. 1 through 4, 9 through 13, and 24, Copper River Meridian, Johnson River Parcel, comprising approximately 5,200 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (K) T. 16 S., R. 5 E., secs. 5 through 9, and 15 through 22, Copper River Meridian, Johnson River Parcel, comprising approximately 6,165 acres of surface and subsurface estate; and (L) T. 19 S., R. 15 E., secs. 12 through 14, 23, 24, 26, 27, 33, and 34, Copper River Meridian, Robinson Mountains Parcel, comprising approximately 5,728 acres of surface and subsurface estate; and (2) all right, title, and interest in and to the Federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service identified in the Chugach Regional Land Study and Report, comprising approximately 1,960 total acres, comprising-- (A) T. 21 S., R. 24 E., Copper River Meridian, Taan Fjord Parcel, comprising approximately 450 acres of surface and subsurface estate; (B) T. 21 and 22 S., R. 24 E., Copper River Meridian, Kageet Point Parcel, comprising approximately 310 acres of surface and subsurface estate; and (C) T. 9 S., R. 2 W., secs. 5 and 6, Copper River Meridian, Thompson Pass Parcel, comprising 1,200 acres of surface and subsurface estate. (f) Conveyance of Non-Federal Land.-- [[Page H2350]] (1) Conveyance.--The non-Federal land to which Chugach Alaska may convey to the Secretary all right, title, and interest, that the Secretary determines to be applicable, includes-- (A) the approximately 130,469.93 subsurface acres, which comprises-- (i) T. 13 S., R. 1 W., sec. 19, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 467 acres; (ii) T. 13 S., R. 2 W., secs. 23 through 27, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 2,627 acres; (iii) T. 15 S., R. 2 W., secs. 3 through 9, 17 through 19, and 29 through 33, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 8,277.36 acres; (iv) T. 16 S., R. 2 W., secs. 1 through 4, and 6, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 2,373.34 acres; (v) T. 14 S., R. 3 W., secs. 32 and 33, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 240 acres; (vi) T. 15 S., R. 3 W., secs. 3 through 7, portions of secs. 8 and 9, and secs. 12, 13, 18, 19, 24, 25, 35, and 36, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 3,486.36 acres; (vii) T. 16 S., R. 3 W., secs. 1, 11, and 15, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 962 acres; (viii) T. 13 S., R. 4 W., secs. 26, 27, and 32 through 34, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 2,494.05 acres; (ix) T. 14 S., R. 4 W., secs. 1 through 11, 15 through 21, 25, 30, and 31, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 6,750.98 acres; (x) T. 15 S., R. 4 W., secs. 8 through 12, 16 through 22, and 24, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 5,839.15 acres; (xi) T. 13 S., R. 5 W., secs. 3, 9 through 11, 14 through 20, a portion of sec. 21, and secs. 31 and 36, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 4,216.36 acres; (xii) T. 14 S., R. 5 W., sec. 1, a portion of sec. 2, secs. 6 through 12, 14 through 21, 29, and 30, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 9,057.6 acres; (xiii) T. 15 S., R. 5 W., secs. 23 and 24, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 292.97 acres; (xiv) T. 12 S., R. 6 W., secs. 11, 13, 14, 23, and 24, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 1,980.69 acres; (xv) T. 12 S., R. 7 W., secs. 32, 34, 35, and 36, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 343 acres; (xvi) T. 13 S., R. 7 W., secs. 1 through 22, 24, 25, and 27 through 36, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 17,234.88 acres; (xvii) T. 14 S., R. 7 W., secs. 2, 3, and 6, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 203 acres; (xviii) T. 13 S., R. 8 W., secs. 1, 9 through 11, 13 through 29, and 32 through 36, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 9,282.25 acres; (xix) T. 14 S., R. 8 W., secs. 1 through 5, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 629.25 acres; (xx) T. 13 S., R. 9 W., sec. 24, Copper River Meridian, comprising approximately 10 acres; (xxi) T. 10 S., R. 

Referenced legislation: HR3903, HR3903