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Show During the time that this Commission has been making its review, the appropriate committees of Congress undertook consideration of legislation designed to settle the land claims asserted by the Alaskan natives. Accordingly, this Commission, in anticipating an early legislative resolution, has not duplicated the work of the congressional committees, even though we recognize that, until this matter is settled, it will, at best, be difficult for the State of Alaska to complete its selection program and that many other land actions will be adversely affected. We strongly recommend the early enactment of legislation to resolve the problem of native claims and end the current impasse. Identification of Retained Lands in Alaska Recommendation 107: The satisfaction of Federal land grants to Alaska should be expedited with the aim of completing selection by 1984 in accordance with the Statehood Act, and selections of land under the Alaska Statehood Act should have priority over any land classification program of the Bureau of Land Management. Certain withdrawn and reserved public lands in Alaska were excluded by Congress from lands subject to selection at the time of statehood.14 Since then, other lands have been withdrawn by both Congress and the Executive. These are said to be lands which serve a significant national purpose by various Federal agencies and, as the Commission has recommended in connection with public land withdrawals, should be set aside by an Act of Congress. The important facet, in connection with Alaska, is that impediments to state selection be removed and that no further obstructions be emplaced by the Federal Government. The first step to minimize 14 University of Wisconsin, Federal Land Laws and Policies in Alaska, Ch. II. PLLRC Study Report, 1970. The Statehood Act also required approval of the President, because of national defense needs, for any selections in the northern part of the state and in the part of the state bordering on the Bering Sea. However, all selections in this area have been approved to date. the effect on state selection policy is for the public land management agencies to identify and recommend to Congress as soon as possible, the lands considered to have national significance warranting retention by the Federal Government. Although the selection process should and will continue while this identification is being made, a reasonable time limit must be imposed for the completion of this action beyond which lands not proposed to Congress for retention will be available without question for state selection. The significance of this suggestion is underlined by the fact that at least one Bureau of Land Management classification decision has precluded general state selections under the Statehood Act, despite the fact that there were areas that might well have been attractive to the state. The exensive use of such classifications which preclude state selection could frustrate the objectives of the Statehood Act and the recommendation of the Commission to the effect that the Act should be implemented as expeditiously as possible. Additionally, the cadastral survey program in Alaska should be strengthened through increased funding to allow survey work to be performed at a faster rate. There is an immediate need for such survey work; it should not be delayed further. As a corollary to the foregoing, there is an urgent requirement to fulfill the grant of national forests lands for community expansion on an orderly schedule. The 400,000 acres of national forest land should be selected and turned over the state on a basis that will assure completion of this grant, too, by 1984. Controversies between the state and the Forest Service as to the need for expansion of existing communities, including recreation areas, must be resolved. We believe that the Statehood Act must be viewed liberally in order to achieve the legislative intent and permit completion of selection by 1984. In the same manner that we said earlier that states should be bound by their contractual commitments with the Federal Government, the Federal Government must likewise be bound. Federal agency reviews cannot be allowed to stand in the way of fulfilling the commitment of the United States to give these lands to the state. 249 |