Alaska Delegation Applauds Signing of Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act

05.20.26 Alaska Delegation Applauds Signing of Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act Washington, DC— U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and U.S. Congressman Nick Begich (all R-Alaska) today applauded the enactment of H.R. 2815 , the Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act, marking completion of a decades-long effort to fulfill a commitment made under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). This new law—signed by President Trump yesterday—waives a statutory requirement that would have compelled the Cape Fox Corporation, the Alaska Native Corporation for the Village of Saxman, to use a portion of its ANCSA land entitlement on remote parcels with no economic value. The bill instead directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey to Cape Fox the surface estate to a 180-acre tract in the Tongass National Forest that was unavailable to the corporation under the original terms of ANCSA. The tract would allow Cape Fox to consolidate land ownership for a project to construct a road and transmission line to connect the Mahoney Lake hydropower site to the Beaver Falls Power Grid. The measure also conveys the subsurface estate of this tract to the Sealaska Corporation to avoid the creation of additional split estate between National Forest System surface lands and Sealaska subsurface lands. “Cape Fox was placed at an incredible disadvantage when it was forced to claim lands under ANCSA that offered little to no economic value to its village corporation. After decades of hard work, Cape Fox has finally overcome these obstacles and is now finally on track to complete its land entitlement,” Senator Murkowski said. “This is a testament to Cape Fox’s resilience, determination, and stewardship, and I congratulate them. I’m also grateful to my Senate colleagues for temporarily setting aside their differences on lands-related legislation to allow us to again pass this measure in the Senate, and to Senator Sullivan and Congressman Begich for their partnership in this effort. It is great to have this done and I look forward to the benefits it will provide in Southeast Alaska.” “For too long, the Alaska Native shareholders of Cape Fox have been denied the opportunity to select a 180-acre parcel of land that would connect their entitlements and bring critical infrastructure to the region,” said Senator Sullivan. “The passage of this legislation marks a huge win for Cape Fox and its members and for the pursuit of economic opportunity and energy security for the surrounding villages. I’m glad to have worked with Senator Murkowski and Congressman Begich to get this across the finish line and deliver a result that supports a stronger future for Southeast.” “This legislation delivers long-overdue certainty for the Cape Fox Corporation and the community of Saxman,” said Congressman Begich. “By cutting through outdated statutory requirements and allowing Cape Fox to select lands that better meet their needs, we are streamlining land management and creating new revenue opportunities for Southeast Alaska while also honoring the promises made under ANCSA. The signing of this bill marks another important step in our commitment to advancing Alaska priorities and ensuring our communities have the tools they need to thrive and build new capacity. I am proud to have championed this bill in the House, working with Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan, and Senator Cruz to get this bill across the finish line and to the president’s desk.” Cape Fox was uniquely affected by the original terms of ANCSA as it was restricted from making selections within six miles of the boundary of the city of Ketchikan while all other village corporations could make selections within two miles of home rule cities. As a result, only the mountainous northeast corner of Cape Fox’s core township was available for selection by the corporation. Cape Fox’s options were further limited by the fact that the Annette Island Indian Reservation is within its selection area but unavailable under ANCSA. H.R. 2815 marks the first time the House of Representatives has passed the Cape Fox bill and the second time the Senate has passed it. Murkowski first introduced the bill in January 2024 and secured its Senate passage in December 2024, but the House of Representatives did not take it up before adjourning that year. After the House passed H.R. 2815 by voice vote in December 2025, Murkowski worked with her colleagues to structure a bipartisan pairing that allowed the measure to pass the Senate in February 2026. ### Print Email Tweet