On the recordJune 5, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 292, a bill that ratifies an agreement between the United States, the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of Alaska by transferring certain Federal lands to the Bering Straits Native Corporation and the State of Alaska. S. 292 is the result of years of negotiations between the parties regarding overlapping land selections made by the Bering Straits Native Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and the State of Alaska under its Statehood Act. The bill reasonably and sensibly finalizes each party's interests in the land around Salmon Lake, an area of great importance to the people of the Bering Straits region. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
