Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025
Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025 - Summary **What the bill does:** This legislation would allow the Cape Fox Corporation, an Alaska Native village corporation representing the village of Saxman in Southeast Alaska, to receive land in a different location than previously required by law. Instead of receiving approximately 185 acres within their home township, Cape Fox could select about 180 acres from the Tongass National Forest elsewhere in Alaska. The bill gives Cape Fox 90 days after passage to notify the Department of Interior of their new land selection, after which the federal government must transfer the chosen land to them. **Who it affects:** The Cape Fox Corporation and its shareholders (Alaska Natives from the Saxman village) are the primary beneficiaries.
The bill also affects federal land management, as it transfers Tongass National Forest land to private Alaska Native ownership. The change allows Cape Fox to fulfill its original land entitlement—a benefit promised to Alaska Native corporations under existing law—in a way that works better for the corporation's interests. **Current status:** The bill was introduced in the 119th Congress by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and has not yet been voted on or passed. It remains in the early stages of the legislative process.
CRS Official Summary
Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025This bill waives a statutory core township selection requirement for the Cape Fox Corporation and allows Cape Fox to receive other lands to fulfill its remaining land entitlement. Cape Fox is an Alaska Native village corporation for the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska.Specifically, the bill states that Cape Fox shall not be required to receive its previously selected land of approximately 185 acres located within the township in which the Alaska Native village of Saxman, Alaska, is located. Instead, the bill allows Cape Fox to receive land outside of Cape Fox's current exterior selection boundary upon written notice of the new selection to the Department of the Interior. In particular, if Cape Fox submits written notice of its selection of approximately 180 acres of surface land within the Tongass National Forest in Alaska to Interior within 90 days of the bill's enactment, then Interior must convey the federal land to Cape Fox. Upon conveyance of the surface estate of the federal land to Cape Fox, Interior must convey the subsurface estate of the federal land to Sealaska Corporation (the Alaska Native regional corporation representing southeastern Alaska).The bill reserves a public access easement on the federal land conveyed to Cape Fox and Sealaska.
Latest Action
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 28.