Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3903, a bill to address the longstanding split-estate challenges in the Chugach region of Alaska.

Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Alaska Native corporations, including the Chugach Alaska Corporation, were promised lands of cultural and economic importance. However, Chugach only received a fraction of their traditional lands along with the subsurface rights beneath lands conveyed to the village corporations.

Following the devastating Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, which released more than 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska's coastline, the Federal Government established the Trustee Council to manage settlement funds. These funds were used to purchase surface lands from the village corporations for conservation purposes.

While the Federal Government acquired surface rights, the Chugach retained the subsurface rights for approximately 230,000 acres, creating a split estate that has complicated land management and restricted Chugach's ability to manage their resources and land.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3903 would authorize a land exchange between Chugach and the United States, allowing Chugach to exchange their current subsurface rights for surface and subsurface rights to approximately 65,000 acres of Federal lands within the region.

The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act was enacted to resolve Alaska Native land claims and support self-determination. This bill would advance these goals by consolidating land ownership, improving conservation management, and providing Chugach greater control over their lands and resources.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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