Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025

# Summary of S 2016: Chugach Alaska Land Exchange Oil Spill Recovery Act of 2025 **What the Bill Does** This bill would allow the Chugach Alaska Corporation, a Native Alaskan regional business entity, to trade land with the federal government. Chugach would give up about 231,000 acres of underground mineral and resource rights to the Department of the Interior, and in return would receive approximately 65,374 acres of land it would own outright in southcentral Alaska (including areas on the Kenai Peninsula and near Prince William Sound). The exchange would need to be completed within one year of the bill becoming law.

Village corporations affiliated with Chugach could retain development rights to up to 209 acres of their land. **Who It Affects and Current Status** The bill directly affects the Chugach Alaska Corporation and the federal government, and indirectly impacts Alaska Native communities in the region and those interested in Alaska land use and conservation. While the official summary doesn't explain the connection to oil spill recovery mentioned in the bill's title, land exchanges in this region often relate to environmental restoration or economic development tied to past incidents like the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster. The bill was introduced by Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and is currently in committee, meaning it has not yet been debated or voted on by the full Senate.