Don Young

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Schock) who authored this bill.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 930) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the archeological site and surrounding land of the New Philadelphia town site in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. At this time, I yield whatever time he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky, Mr. Hal Rogers.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield the gentleman an additional 2 minutes.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I have no requests for further speakers, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Barr).

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman. The Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act includes a provision that I offered as an amendment on the House floor in February. The amendment to the omnibus Public Access and Lands Improvement Act passed the House by voice vote, and I am pleased it has come before the House again as part of the Senate-passed legislation. During the debate on that measure, I told a story that led to this provision, and how the Federal Government failed one of my constituents, Mr. William Alstrom, endangering his Alaska native veterans allotment and the cabin he and his family built on their own effort on his land the Federal Government conveyed to him and then took back due to a bureaucratic error. At its core, fixing issues like this is one we are all sent here to Washington to accomplish, and the way in which this has been fixed, merely months after I was first made aware of this issue, is an example of how Congress should function as we work together. Today, after the House sends S. 404 to the President, I am pleased that William and his family can put this headache behind them, and William can put his time to better use by continuing to serve St. Mary's, Alaska, as mayor and president of his village corporation. May I, again, thank the chairman, the ranking member, the two Senators, and the total Larsen delegation for this legislation, especially recognizing the mudslide. But I hope we all recognize that the Federal Government is not a good manager of land. There are too many times that logic does not prevail and too many times they are being sued by interest groups that understand logic. I am suggesting respectfully, as the chairman has said, we ought to work together, both parties together, on solving land issues that are really created by our own government--both sides. I have been under eight Presidents, and I have watched these Presidents all not take into consideration individuals, their rights, their prerogatives, as free Americans. So I, again, thank you for the efforts put forth in this legislation. I commend the chairman and ranking member for the work they put forth, and God bless you.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I ask the chairman, I am aware there are several important issues surrounding the disposition of LORAN stations, including the disposition of lands associated with them that we should closely examine and deal with in an appropriate manner. I ask the chairman and my colleagues on the committee to work with me to resolve these issues in the context of H.R. 4005 as this bill moves forward.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I thank the chairman. I look forward to working on this issue further, and I also want to extend my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble), the only former coastguardsman now serving in Congress. To find a finer gentleman and colleague than Mr. Coble would be difficult, indeed. We will miss you, Howard, so please stay in touch.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield to the gentleman from California.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I would like to indulge in a colloquy with Mr. Hunter. I want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee for yielding and, again, thank him for his work. Section 221 of H.R. 4005 prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from dismantling or disposing of any former LORAN system infrastructure for at least 1 year from the date of enactment of the act or until the date the Secretary notifies the committee that such infrastructure is not needed for a positioning, navigation, and timing system to provide redundant capability in the event GPS signals are disrupted, whichever is later; is that the chairman's understanding?

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of the Golden Anniversary of the Fairbanks North Star Borough. In 1901, during the midst of the Alaska Gold Rush, the first pioneers settled on the banks of the Chena River on the land that would become the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The discovery of gold created a population boom in the region, and the town of Fairbanks was established. In 1963, the Alaska Legislature passed the Mandatory Borough Act requiring that the most populated areas in the state join together to form organized borough governments. Fairbanks students won a competition to name the borough the North Star Borough, and in 1966, the name was officially changed to the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Over the last 50 years, the Borough has grown tremendously to become the second largest community in Alaska with a population of over 100,000 residents, and is commonly referred to as the ``Golden Heart of Alaska.'' The Fairbanks North Star Borough has managed a unique juxtaposition by retaining the small-town pioneer quality that existed in the early 1900s, yet thriving with a modern and youthful spirit stemming from the economic opportunities in the area, as well as being the home of the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. After the gold rush, the next economic boom in the region was the discovery of oil in Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope. Fairbanks North Star Borough was the closest large town to the project, and as a result, construction on the Trans-Alaskan Pipeline began in 1974. The pipeline was completed in 1977, traveling over frozen tundra, the boreal forest, 800 rivers and streams, three major earthquake faults, and three rugged mountain ranges. The exploding construction of the 800-mile pipeline brought more than 30,000 job opportunities to Fairbanks over the years. Today, the Borough is home to many Alaskans, Military Servicemen and women stationed at Ft. Wainwright Army Base and Eielson Air Force Base, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks, enrolling 10,800 students annually. Ft. Wainwright and Eielson AFB's strategic locations and Fairbanks' uniquely harsh climate prepare units to deploy anywhere in the world for contingencies ranging from humanitarian relief to combat operations. Eielson AFB remains a strategic location for refueling and North American Aerospace Defense Command. On behalf of the State of Alaska, Fairbanks North Star Borough has hosted many international sporting events such as the World Eskimo- Indian Olympics, Junior Olympics, and the 2014 Arctic Winter Games. Fairbanks is also home to the Yukon Quest, an international 1,000 mile sled dog that is considered one of the toughest in the world. Fairbanks North Star Borough has and will continue to provide important energy and mineral resources, defense tools, and education for Alaskans. The borough encourages vibrant, engaged citizens, and continues to provide for residents and businesses not only in the State of Alaska, but in the entire United States of America. I know that Fairbanks North Star Borough will continue to serve as a wonderful example for towns across the world. Mr. Speaker, I would like all Members of Congress to join me in congratulating the Fairbanks North Star Borough on its Golden Anniversary.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Chairman, the Alaska Native Allotment Act allowed Alaska Natives to acquire up to 160 acres of Federal land. Approximately 2,800 Alaska Natives served in the military during the Vietnam War, and because of their absence, they did not have an opportunity to apply for their Native allotment. In 1998, Congress passed a law that provided certain Alaska Native Vietnam veterans an opportunity to obtain an allotment. One of my constituents, Mr. William Alstrom, applied for an allotment in accordance with this law. During the war, he served honorably in the Air Force. Mr. Alstrom is a lifelong resident of St. Mary's, Alaska, a village of roughly 550 mostly Yup'ik Eskimo residents located on the Lower Yukon River in southwestern Alaska. His family has a long history in the region, helping to settle the area and operating the first general store. During World War II, Mr. Alstrom's father, Fred, was a member of the Alaska Territorial Guard, or the Eskimo Scouts, a military reserve component of the U.S. Army organized in 1942. Following a TB outbreak in 1954, Mr. Alstrom was sent to a boarding school in southeast Alaska with many other children from Alaska villages. As the Vietnam War was escalating, he graduated from one of these boarding schools and promptly enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, serving his country. Soon thereafter, he left his wife and two children stateside and headed to southeast Asia. During the war, the newly minted Sergeant Alstrom served in Thailand, preparing aircraft on their way to strike North Vietnam. On completion of his service, William and his family returned home to St. Mary's, where he invested himself in his village and continued to grow and raise his family. Today, William continues to serve--this time as mayor of his community and president of his village corporation. In 2002, William applied for the Alaska Native veteran's allotment he was entitled to by law. Following an extensive application and vetting process, in 2009, the Bureau of Land Management, BLM, deeded him two 80-acre parcels located in the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. With his deed in hand, William transported lumber and other supplies to one of his parcels on his skiff, spent countless hours clearing trees and brush, and finally built a small cabin and fish camp for him and his family to enjoy. Out of the blue a few years later, the Fish and Wildlife Service realized that errors had been made by the Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM personnel, both in the surveying and application approval process. Instead of being located on general refuge lands, the two allotment parcels were located within the congressionally designated Andreafsky Wilderness Area. Conveying allotments in wilderness areas is prohibited by law. Similarly, making improvements to the land, such as constructing a cabin, cutting trees, or clearing bush, is also prohibited. As a result, the BLM canceled the deed to the two parcels, plunging this Alaska Native veteran and the status of his allotment and cabin into a state of limbo. After this decision, William contacted me for assistance. To their credit, the BLM quickly admitted that both they and the Fish and Wildlife Service screwed up. Though, after looking into their options, they also admitted that they couldn't fix their mistakes administratively. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the BLM offered William two parcels of equal size elsewhere in the region. While he agreed to accept one of the replacement parcels, the second proposed parcel excluded his cabin. My amendment today would approve his application for the second original parcel, subsequently saving his cabin and fish camp from demolition. Though two Federal agencies are at fault, my Alaska Native constituent is the one being forced to bear the full cost of their errors. The purpose of my amendment is simply to allow a veteran to retain the 80-acre parcel with the cabin on it, at no cost to the taxpayer. An identical version of this amendment was adopted by voice vote when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held their markup of the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Protection Act, of which the House version is included in today's package. As you well know, I am no proponent of the fact that the Federal Government is the landlord of well over 60 percent of my State. Think about this: 60 percent. I generally oppose wilderness areas. I have often had an adversarial relationship with Federal land management agencies. All of that aside, this amendment is not meant to make a statement for or against wilderness designations, but rather to fix a unique issue for a truly deserving Vietnam veteran. At its core, fixing issues like this is what we do well when we are sent to Washington. Mr. Alstrom, like his father before him, served this country with honor and dignity, and he deserves similar treatment from this government in return. I hope you will join me today in fixing this unfortunate mistake and allow this gentleman and his family to move on with their lives by supporting this simple amendment to H.R. 2954. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Chair, I am interested in title IV in this legislation, which is a good piece of legislation. The provision in title IV of H.R. 3590 has the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the President of the United States. This provision is the Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act. It is a bipartisan measure that would make a very limited fix to an issue that affects a number of hunters nationwide. Prior to the threatened listing of the worldwide polar bear population on May 15, 2008, there were a number of hunters that took hunting trips to Canada under Canadian law and United States law. These hunters followed all the rules at the time and were prevented from bringing in their polar bear trophy due to the threatened listing triggering an importation ban under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. My legislation, H.R. 3590, will allow the Secretary of the Interior to issue permits to only those qualified hunters with legally taken polar bear trophies prior to the May listing date. This legislation will allow up to 41 hunters to import their trophies from Canada. As a result, roughly $41,000 would be available to the United States- Russia Polar Bear Conservation Fund to support conservation activities for the shared polar bear population. This is a provision that would bring in revenue for conservation activities that otherwise would not be funded. As a result, I urge Members to support this legislation and keep in fact these are dead polar bears in storage hunted legally under the premise of Canadian law and United States law. This is a good part of this bill. By the way, speaking of this bill, it is a good bill. From the State of Alaska are more parks and more refuges than any other State. The Refuge Department doesn't allow us to hunt on refuges in many areas. The Park Service definitely doesn't allow us to hunt. I am arguing that the park and refuge areas are set aside for the refuge managers themselves and not for the people of America, let alone the people of Alaska. This legislation is the right way to go. Let's think about public lands, not the king's lands, not the administration's lands, but the lands of the people. This bill is a good bill. I urge the passage of this legislation.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Madam Chairman, it is amazing as I sit on this floor after 40 years of listening to so much nonsense from the other side when it comes to energy. This increase of production in the United States came from private lands and State lands, not the Federal lands, and those are the facts. And we are still not independent from oil from the Middle East that caused us disruption in our economy. To hear the same litany of words over and over again, we have to save, we can't produce, but we have to have employment. We will have a stimulus package. And, in fact, we will have more government borrowing for the economy and forget real jobs. But I am going to talk about title V in this legislation. The Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act contains a number of measures to promote energy development by and for the benefit of Indians and Alaska Natives. Specifically, title V contains a range of measures requested by a number of Indian tribes and Alaska Native corporations to streamline burdensome Federal regulations and legal procedures that hinder exploration, development, and production of energy on their lands. There are 56 million acres of lands held in trust by the Federal Government for the benefit of Indians, 56 million. In Alaska, there are 44 million acres, a total land mass larger than the State of California. Many of these areas are in untapped energy resources. It is estimated that up to 10 percent or more of our Nation's energy is contained in Native lands. The problem is that outdated Federal policies thwart the ability of tribes to use their lands for their benefit. Leases of Indian trust lands require Federal review and approval, which arguably brings little or no value to the tribes involved. If Federal review and approval of energy leases created any economic value, then private landowners and State governments would be clamoring to have their projects reviewed and approved by the Federal Government, too. There are few better measures of how ineffective Federal supervision of Indian affairs has been than the fact that since 2010 nearly $5 billion has been paid by the government to Indians to settle Federal mismanagement of their trust lands. While many Indian tribes and Alaska Native corporations have made great strides in building businesses and strengthening their economies, tribal communities remain at the bottom of nearly every economic and social indicator. The sad fact is in 21st-century America, severe poverty wears a Native face. Instead of helping tribes make positive strides in energy development, the Obama administration is erecting new hurdles. The EPA canceled a valid permit for the largest tribe to operate a large power plant on its land with its coal. The Department of the Interior has proposed a hydraulic fracturing rule which makes Indian lands less competitive and less attractive to industry, again, taking away from the American Indians. Fortunately, several tribes are seeking to shed the current Federal system altogether and to take over management of their lands and energy resources. It is these tribes which asked for the provisions in title V of the bill today. It is with great pleasure that the standalone bill on which title V is based, H.R. 1548, has been endorsed by the National Congress of American Indians and several individual tribes. It is time to stop treating Indian trust lands as public lands--they are not public lands; they are private lands--and increase tribes' powers of self-governance over their energy resources for the good of their members and for the good of the United States' energy security.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Let's make the principle of tribal self- governance, which you talk about and never follow--you never give the Indians a break for anything. You pat them on the head, give them a blanket and half a beef, and expect them to be quiet. That is that side over there. You do not support the American Indians. You never have. You pat them on the head and give them a side of beef.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I thank the gentleman for his presentation. He has done an excellent job. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2640) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to adjust the Crooked River boundary, to provide water certainty for the City of Prineville, Oregon, and for other purposes.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 2640, sponsored by our colleague, Mr. Walden of Oregon, is an important step towards restoring water and power abundance and jobs to a rural area that has been devastated by Federal logging restrictions. This bill is a reflection of years of negotiation, and it is identical to the bill this Chamber passed last year without opposition. Its supporters include those who would normally be water adversaries in most parts of the West. Municipalities, irrigators, the Warm Spring tribes, utilities, organized labor, and an environmental organization have all come together to support this legislation. I want to commend my friend, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden), for his good work to bring all these parties together and urge adoption of this legislation. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Walden).