Turning the Tide on Cronyism; a Landmark
By Myla Poelstra
November 10, 2011
Thursday
Thursday
On October 28, 2011, the State of Alaska Citizen’s Advisory Commission on Federal Areas held a public meeting where testimony was taken on S. 730 and HR. 1408, the Sealaska Land Bills, now before Congress.
The Commissioners, appointed by the Governor and State Legislature, voted unanimously to nix this legislation.
CACFA rejected these bills after two years of fact finding that included discussions with Congressional staff, meetings with Sealaska, and review of public testimony and letters.
CACFA rejected these bills after two years of fact finding that included discussions with Congressional staff, meetings with Sealaska, and review of public testimony and letters.
After a thorough evaluation, CACFA reached the
same conclusion that USDA Undersecretary Harris Sherman made during the
Senate hearing on S.730: “The selections identified by Sealaska within
the original withdrawal areas are more than sufficient to meet
Sealaska’s remaining ANCSA entitlement.”
The Commission’s comments further echoed
Sherman’s view that, “neither S.730 nor HR.1408 will accomplish
[completion of the entitlement] in a manner that is fair and equitable
to all of the residents and communities who depend on the resources of
the Tongass National Forest.”
The heart of the issue is that Sealaska needs
to finalize the selections it requested from the BLM in 2008, which are
in the area they asked Congress for in 1976 through the testimony of
John Borbridge, Sealaska’s President.
Thirty five years is too long for Sealaska to
come back and upset the apple cart by going hundreds of miles from the
1976 areas. The USFS Tongass Land Management Plan and Transition
planning would be thrown out the window by this bill.
In order for Sealaska to receive their current
legislative selections, families and businesses that have lived and
worked in the region for decades would, in fact, be thrown to the
wolves.
Rather than “jobs protection”, the consequences of this legislation are the destruction of jobs and the ruin of communities.
I am grateful to CACFA for voicing the same
valid concerns the Nine Towns most affected by the bills have raised: NO
NEW LEGISLATION IS NECESSARY to settle Sealaska’s land claims.
Passed in 1971, ANCSA was and is a fair, just,
and equitable settlement of all claims. CACFA has taken a position
based on true facts and their conclusions are valid.
Hopefully, Governor Parnell and our
Congressional Delegation will respect CACFA’s letter by encouraging
Sealaska Corp. to move forward and get their just entitlement by
dropping this unfair legislation.
Myla Poelstra
Kosciusko Island
Edna Bay, AK
Kosciusko Island
Edna Bay, AK
Received November 07, 2011
- Published November 10, 2011
Related:
Passage of Lands Bill Not Supported by Governor's Citizen’s Advisory Commission on Federal Areas - In a letter to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Wes Keller, Chairman of Alaska's Citizens' Advisory Commission of Federal Areas said the Commission has concluded that Sealaska Corporation's land entitlement under Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) can be met with the currently selected lands in the existing withdrawals and that neither S. 730 nor H.R. 1408 will accomplish this in a manner that is fair and equitable to all the residents and communities who depend on the resources in the Tongass National Forest. In the letter, Keller included detailed reasons why the Citizens' Advisory Commission of Federal Areas cannot support passage of S. 730 or H.R. 1408. - More...
SitNews - Nov. 10, 2011
posted by Alaskacafe at 12:31 PM
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