S 2016119th CongressIn Committee

Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025

Introduced: Jun 10, 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK] (R-Alaska)

Environment & Climate

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025 would authorize a large land deal in the Chugach region: Chugach Alaska Corporation would convey to the Secretary of the Interior all rights to certain non-Federal subsurface lands (about 231,000 acres) underlying surface lands that are part of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Habitat Protection and Acquisition Program. In return, the United States would convey to Chugach Alaska about 65,374 acres of Federal land (surface) consisting mostly of National Forest System lands, with additional parcels from the Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. The goal is to consolidate surface and subsurface ownership to improve habitat protection and program administration while addressing conflicts between conservation and subsurface development rights created by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) and EVOSTC acquisitions. The exchange would be completed within about a year after enactment and would be conducted under specific maps and parcel descriptions included in the bill, with protections for existing rights and certain development rights retained by Village Corporations or shareholder sites. In short, the bill uses a negotiated swap: CHG Alaska would gain new Federal surface lands, and the federal government would gain CHG Alaska’s subsurface rights under lands already part of the EVOSTC conservation program, plus ensure these lands fit into federal management units and ANCSA framework. The exchange is framed as advancing habitat conservation and more efficient Federal land management in the wake of the Exxon Valdez spill cleanup program.

Key Points

1Land exchange framework and timeline
2- Not later than 1 year after enactment, if Chugach Alaska offers to convey all rights to the non-Federal land, the Secretary must accept and complete the exchange of all rights to the Federal exchange land (Section 4(a)).
3- Title to the non-Federal land conveyed to the Secretary must be acceptable to the Secretary (Section 4(b)).
4- Land conveyed to Chugach Alaska under the exchange is treated as land conveyed under ANCSA for purposes of entitlement to Native lands (Section 4(c)).
5What is being exchanged
6- Federal land to be conveyed to Chugach Alaska (Federal exchange land): approximately 65,374 acres of fee simple land, including specific parcels from the National Forest System and additional lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service (Section 4(e)).
7- Non-Federal land to be conveyed to the Secretary (Chugach Alaska’s subsurface land): approximately 231,000 subsurface acres underlying surface lands held by EVOSTC and/or the State, plus related surface protections under the EVOSTC program (Section 4(f)).
8- A provision excludes up to 209 acres of the non-Federal land from conveyance if a Village Corporation retains certain development rights or has designated land for a shareholder homesite program (Section 4(f)(3)).
9Management and unit integration
10- Land acquired by the Secretary under the non-Federal land portion will become part of the Federal land unit in which it lies and will be administered according to that unit (Section 4(f)(2)).
11- This aims to align surface and subsurface estates under a single management framework, improving conservation outcomes and program efficiency (as described in the findings and purposes).
12Specific parcels and scope
13- The bill lists numerous, precisely described parcels of Federal land to be conveyed, including multiple National Forest System parcels and specific BLM/NPS parcels (Section 4(e)).
14- It also lists a substantial set of subsurface acres to be conveyed to the Secretary, with detailed township and range descriptions (Section 4(f)).
15Findings and policy justifications
16- The bill builds on past Exxon Valdez spill recovery efforts (EVOSTC) and the 1113 study required by law to identify lands suitable for exchange to balance cultural significance with potential economic value, and to consolidate surface and subsurface ownership for better land management and conservation (Section 2).
17Administrative and technical details
18- Minor corrections to maps, acreage estimates, or land descriptions can be made by mutual agreement (Section 5(a)).
19- In case of conflicts between maps and descriptions, the map controls unless both parties agree otherwise (Section 5(b)).

Impact Areas

Primary affected group/area- Chugach Alaska Corporation and its Alaska Native shareholders and Village Corporations (Chenega, English Bay, Eyak, Tatitlek) who hold surface or subsurface interests and development rights under ANCSA.- Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council and beneficiary communities relying on the EVOSTC habitat protection program.- Federal land-managing agencies (Forest Service, BLM, National Park Service) and the Department of the Interior, which would acquire subsurface interests and administer the exchanged lands within appropriate units.Secondary affected groups/areas- Local Alaska communities and industries dependent on coastal habitat and fisheries, which could be affected by changes in land ownership patterns and how surface protections are harmonized with subsurface rights.- State of Alaska, given the mixed federal-state land interests and the potential for shifts in land control and management responsibilities.Additional impacts- Potential simplification of land management in the Chugach region by aligning surface and subsurface ownership under a single framework, potentially reducing regulatory complexity and facilitating habitat conservation and oil spill recovery programs.- Possible long-term effects on subsurface development rights and permitting processes in the exchanged lands, depending on how the subsurface rights are managed by the Secretary within federal units.- The bill reinforces existing ANCSA provisions about land entitlements and split estates, which could affect governance, cultural heritage considerations, and the distribution of land titles among Native corporations and their shareholders.Fee simple: full ownership of land, including surface and mineral rights, with the broadest set of rights of use and disposal.Subsurface estate: ownership of minerals and resources beneath the surface of a parcel; in ANCSA regions, surface and subsurface can be owned by different entities (split estates).Conservation easement: a voluntary legal agreement that restricts certain types of development or use of land to protect conservation values, held by a party such as the government or a conservation organization.EVOSTC: Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, which administers funds from the Exxon Valdez civil settlement for habitat protection and acquisition programs in the spill area.ANCSA: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which governs land selections and title transfers among Native corporations and villages in Alaska.

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