Alaska village swaps unwanted acres for Tongass forest
4 min read·Last updated June 18, 2026··
Why it matters
About 180 acres of Tongass National Forest go to an Alaska Native village corporation that has waited decades to close out the last piece of its land claim. The bill cleared both the House and Senate, so the choice now sits with the corporation and the clock starts the moment it says yes.
This is a small bill that closes a long-open file. It doesn't spend money or build anything. It moves a land title and settles a decades-old debt under the 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
Here's the problem it fixes. Under that law, Cape Fox was generally supposed to take its remaining land from the township where Saxman sits. But the acres left there — roughly 185 of them across two stranded parcels — weren't what the corporation needed. H.R. 2815 lifts that township rule for this one case.
In its place, Cape Fox gets to select about 180 acres of surface land inside the Tongass National Forest, shown on a map dated December 2023. If the corporation sends written notice within 90 days, the Secretary of the Interior must convey the surface to Cape Fox and the ground beneath it to Sealaska Corporation — the regional corporation for southeast Alaska. That surface-to-village, subsurface-to-region split is how the 1971 law normally divides Alaska Native land.
The bill also tries to leave no loose ends. It declares the transfer the full and final satisfaction of what Cape Fox and Sealaska are still owed, and it keeps a public easement across the land so hunters, anglers, and anyone else can still reach the forest further inland on Revillagigedo Island from George Inlet. Existing rights-of-way and third-party claims on the parcel stay in place.
H.R. 2815 Bill Summary
What H.R. 2815 actually does.
1
Cape Fox no longer forced to take leftover village land
The bill waives the rule that would have made Cape Fox satisfy its remaining claim with about 185 unconveyed acres in the township where Saxman is located.
2
Cape Fox gets to choose 180 acres of Tongass forest instead
If Cape Fox sends written notice within 90 days, the Interior Secretary must transfer about 180 acres of federal surface land in the Tongass National Forest identified on a December 2023 map.
3
Splits surface and subsurface ownership
Cape Fox receives the surface estate, while Sealaska Corporation receives the subsurface estate beneath that same land.
4
Sets a deadline for the transfer
Congress says the government should complete the conveyances as soon as possible, and no later than 180 days after receiving Cape Fox's written selection.
5
Declares the land claim finished
The transfer counts as full satisfaction of Cape Fox's remaining land entitlement and Sealaska's related subsurface entitlement under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
6
Protects public access and existing rights
The transfer must include a public access easement to inland national forest land, and it remains subject to existing rights-of-way, reservations, and other valid third-party interests unless the parties agree otherwise.
Who benefits from H.R. 2815?
Cape Fox Village Corporation
It gets a clear path to receive land and finally resolve its remaining entitlement without being tied to a strict township-based requirement.
Cape Fox shareholders in Saxman
Members of the small Native Village of Saxman, just south of Ketchikan, finally see a land claim that has hung open for decades reach a conclusion they can plan around.
Sealaska Corporation
It receives the subsurface estate tied to the conveyed land and gets legal certainty that its related entitlement is fully satisfied.
Public land users needing inland access
Hunters, anglers, recreation users, and others retain a protected route to reach National Forest System land further inland from George Inlet.
Who is affected by H.R. 2815?
U.S. Department of the Interior
The department must process the land selection and complete the conveyance on a fast timeline set by Congress.
U.S. Forest Service
Because the land lies within the Tongass National Forest, the agency will have to work around the ownership change while maintaining the reserved public access route.
Third-party rights holders
Anyone holding valid rights-of-way, reservations, or other legal interests on the land keeps those interests, but may need to coordinate with the new owners.
Nearby communities and recreation users on Revillagigedo Island
They may see little day-to-day change, but the bill affects who owns and manages a specific parcel while preserving access to public lands beyond it.
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On the Record
What Congress Said
H.R. 2815 was signed into law on Mar 4, 2026.
“
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2815, the Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025, introduced by Representative Begich of Alaska, would finalize the Cape Fox Corporation's remaining Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, land entitlement. In addition, this legislation will resolve land management issues tied to the Mahoney Lake power project. ANCSA was enacted by Congress to settle the aboriginal land claims of Alaska Natives. Under ANCSA, Alaska Native Corporations were established to receive land under the settlement and disburse money to Alaska Natives.
The Senator from Nevada. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my good friend and colleague from Alaska Senator Murkowski, to ask for the passage of both H.R. 2815 and H.R. 972. As the Presiding Officer has heard, they have already passed the House. There have been sets of hearings there, work to be done. Let me talk a little bit about H.R. 972. This is the Sloan Canyon Conservation and Lateral Water Pipeline Act. This is the same bill that this Chamber already passed by unanimous consent last Congress.
The Presiding Officer··Senate
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2815 finalizes CFC's outstanding ANCSA land conveyance while working to alleviate future land concerns with the Mahoney Lake power project. This legislation has the support of various Alaska organizations, government representatives, and impacted groups. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Begich for his hard work on this bill. I urge passage of H.R. 2815, and I yield back the balance of my time. {time} 1640
Mr. Speaker, the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, or ANCSA, was enacted to recognize and settle the land claims of Alaska Natives. As part of this act, the Cape Fox Village Corporation received a land entitlement but was unable to select usable land due to a technicality that restricted Cape Fox from selecting lands within six miles of Ketchikan. This left Cape Fox with mostly remote, mountainous lands with no productive or economic value. As a result, ANCSA settlement for Cape Fox remains unresolved. H.R.
The Natural Resources Committee report explaining why Cape Fox's original township parcels were unworkable, including the Mahoney Lake Power Project complications behind the swap
The Bureau of Land Management program that administers Alaska Native land transfers — the administrative mechanism this bill directs to complete Cape Fox's conveyance
How much land does H.R. 2815 give Cape Fox, and where is it?
About 180 acres of surface land inside the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska. The exact parcel is drawn on a map titled "Cape Fox Village Corporation Final Selection," dated December 18, 2023.
Why couldn't Cape Fox just take the land near Saxman it was originally owed?
It could have, but the roughly 185 acres left near the village — two stranded parcels — weren't what the corporation needed. H.R. 2815 waives the rule that tied Cape Fox to that township so it can choose Tongass land instead.
What does Sealaska Corporation get out of this?
The ground beneath the surface. When Cape Fox takes the surface estate, the Interior Secretary conveys the subsurface estate to Sealaska — the regional corporation for southeast Alaska. That surface-to-village, subsurface-to-region split is the standard division under the 1971 Alaska Native land settlement.
How fast does the land transfer have to happen under H.R. 2815?
Cape Fox has 90 days after the bill becomes law to send written notice selecting the land. Once Interior gets that notice, it must complete the conveyance as soon as practicable and no later than 180 days.
Does this close out Cape Fox's land claim for good?
Yes. The bill declares the transfer the full and final satisfaction of what Cape Fox is still owed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, along with Sealaska's related subsurface interest. It's meant to end the matter, not reopen it.
Can the public still reach the national forest after the land changes hands?
Yes. The conveyance must reserve a public easement so people can still get from George Inlet to the National Forest land further inland on Revillagigedo Island. Existing rights-of-way and other valid claims on the parcel also stay in place.
Where does H.R. 2815 stand in Congress right now?
It has cleared both chambers. The House passed it by voice vote in December 2025, and the Senate passed it without amendment by unanimous consent on February 26, 2026, sending it toward the President's desk.
“To provide equitable treatment for the people of the Village Corporation established for the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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