Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025
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The law resolves a long-pending Alaska Native land claim by letting Cape Fox Village Corporation forgo a 185-acre parcel near Saxman, Alaska, and instead receive about 180 acres of Tongass National Forest land it selected.
It also directs the subsurface rights to that land to Sealaska Corporation, the regional Native corporation, finalizing Cape Fox's outstanding entitlement under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
What this law does
What it does
The law waives a requirement that Cape Fox Village Corporation, the Alaska Native village corporation for Saxman, Alaska, select or receive about 185 acres of land within its home township under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Instead, if Cape Fox notifies the Department of the Interior within 90 days of enactment that it selects roughly 180 acres of surface land within the Tongass National Forest, Interior must convey that surface land to Cape Fox. Once that happens, Interior must convey the subsurface estate of the same land to Sealaska Corporation, the regional Native corporation for southeastern Alaska. The conveyances are meant to fully satisfy Cape Fox's and Sealaska's remaining land entitlements under the Act. The law reserves a public access easement across the conveyed land to allow continued access to national forest land further inland, and it preserves any valid existing third-party rights on the land as of enactment.
Key provisions
- 1Waives the requirement that Cape Fox select or receive about 185 acres within the Saxman township under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
- 2Requires Interior to convey about 180 acres of Tongass National Forest surface land to Cape Fox if it submits written selection notice within 90 days of enactment
- 3Requires Interior to convey the subsurface estate of that land to Sealaska Corporation once the surface is conveyed to Cape Fox
- 4Declares the conveyances fulfill Cape Fox's and Sealaska's remaining land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
- 5Reserves a public access easement across the conveyed land to reach national forest land further inland from George Inlet
- 6Subjects the conveyances to any valid existing third-party rights and encumbrances as of enactment
Who is affected
Cape Fox Village Corporation and the Native Village of Saxman it represents, Sealaska Corporation as the regional Native corporation receiving subsurface rights, the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service (within Agriculture) managing the affected Tongass National Forest land, and members of the public who use the reserved access easement.
Why it matters
The law finalizes a decades-old unfulfilled land entitlement for Cape Fox under federal Alaska Native land claims law, giving the corporation usable forest land instead of a parcel it did not want, while giving Sealaska mineral rights it is separately entitled to. It also locks in public access to surrounding forest land.
What changed
Changes to existing law
Amends Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sec. 16(b) (43 U.S.C. 1615(b)) (Sec. 3)
Waives Cape Fox's requirement to select or receive about 185 acres within the Saxman township core township area.
Amends Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sec. 16 (43 U.S.C. 1615) (Sec. 4(d))
Deems Cape Fox's remaining land entitlement fulfilled upon conveyance of the Tongass National Forest surface land.
Amends Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sec. 14(f) (43 U.S.C. 1613(f)) (Sec. 4(d))
Deems Sealaska Corporation's subsurface entitlement fulfilled upon conveyance of the subsurface estate.
Amends Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, Sec. 17(b) (43 U.S.C. 1616(b)) (Sec. 5)
Reserves a public access easement on the conveyed land for access to inland National Forest System land.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Deadline for Cape Fox to submit written notice selecting the Tongass National Forest land
- Intended completion of conveyances to Cape Fox and Sealaska after Interior receives selection notice
How it works
Cape Fox must submit written notice to the Secretary of the Interior selecting the approximately 180-acre Tongass National Forest parcel within 90 days of enactment. Upon receiving that notice, Interior must convey the surface estate to Cape Fox, then convey the subsurface estate of the same land to Sealaska Corporation. Congress intends these conveyances be completed within 180 days of the notice, though this timing is expressed as intent rather than a hard deadline. The conveyances remain subject to a reserved public access easement and any pre-existing third-party rights.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Became Public Law No: 119-93.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This act 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 act 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 act 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 act'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 act reserves a public access easement on the federal land conveyed to Cape Fox and Sealaska.
Legislative subjects
Alaska; Alaska Natives and Hawaiians; Federal-Indian relations; Land transfers; Native Americans
Committee report
H. Rept. 119-354