Back in 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Alaska's Prince William Sound, devastating the coastline and wildlife. Exxon paid $900 million in settlement money, which was used to buy up land in the affected region to protect it from development. However, this created a complicated problem: the federal government bought the surface rights to about 241,000 acres of land, but a Native Alaskan corporation called Chugach Alaska still owned the rights to develop what's underneath the surface on most of that land. This split ownership made it nearly impossible for Chugach Alaska to actually use their subsurface rights, while also conflicting with the conservation goals of the oil spill recovery program.

This bill solves that problem through a land swap. Chugach Alaska will give up their subsurface rights to about 231,000 acres of protected land to the federal government. In return, the federal government will give Chugach Alaska about 65,000 acres of federal land in Alaska that they can own and develop freely. This includes parcels in various locations like near Drier Bay, Kushtaka Lake, and the Martin River area. The swap is designed to be fair to both sides: it lets the federal government fully protect the oil spill recovery lands without conflicting subsurface claims, while giving Chugach Alaska land they can actually use for economic development to benefit their Native shareholders. The exchange must be completed within one year of the law taking effect.

Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025

Murkowski, Lisa

Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025This bill authorizes a land exchange&nbsp;between the Chugach Alaska Corporation (also known as Chugach, an Alaska Native regional corporation in&nbsp;southcentral Alaska) and the federal government.Specifically, if Chugach offers to convey to the Department of the Interior all rights, title, and interest of Chugach in and to approximately 231,000 acres of subsurface estate within one year of the bill's enactment, then Interior must accept the offer and convey in exchange all rights, title, and interest of the federal government in and to approximately 65,374 acres of fee simple land located in the Chugach region. (The Chugach region includes portions of land on the Kenai Peninsula and the coast of Prince William Sound in Alaska.)The bill directs Chugach to exclude from its conveyance to Interior all rights, title, and interest in any land, not to exceed a total of 209 acres, for which a village&nbsp;corporation has retained development rights (other than timber development rights) or that has been designated for a shareholder&nbsp;homesite program.