S. 4399: Geese House Site Conveyance Act

This bill, titled the Geese House Site Conveyance Act, aims to transfer certain federal lands in Alaska to a company called Doyon, Limited. The key points of the bill are as follows:

Conveyance of Federal Land

The bill mandates that, within one year of its enactment, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior must transfer ownership of approximately 21,578 acres of federal land to Doyon, Limited. This land is located within the Denali National Park and Preserve and has been specifically selected by Doyon, Limited since 1978.

Description of the Land

The land being conveyed is described in detail in the bill, which includes references to specific sections and serial numbers under the Bureau of Land Management. There are certain exclusions to this conveyance, including:

• Lots 1 and 2 within specified sections.
• Land underlying two lakes, known as Chilchukabena Lake and an unnamed lake.

Easements

As part of the conveyance, the Secretary of the Interior is required to reserve public easements that are necessary under existing Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act regulations.

Restrictions on Use

The bill imposes several limitations on how Doyon, Limited can use the conveyed land. Specifically, Doyon, Limited is prohibited from:

• Transferring the land to anyone other than the U.S. government.
• Authorizing mining or mineral extraction activities on the land.
• Permitting any development that would detract from the cultural significance of the area known as Geese House.

Treatment of Conveyed Land

The conveyed land will be treated as federal land under certain provisions of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, meaning it retains some aspects of its status as federally managed land.

Boundary Adjustments

The Secretary of the Interior must also adjust the boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve to exclude the land being given to Doyon, Limited and, where possible, align the new boundary with a proposed boundary depicted on a map included in the bill.

Miscellaneous Provisions

The bill includes provisions that clarify:

• The transfer of land does not have to comply with certain federal regulations or previous land withdrawals.
• The Secretary may make minor corrections to surveys or legal descriptions of the land, with Doyon, Limited's approval, to fix any errors in the descriptions.

Relevant Companies

• DOYON: Doyon, Limited is the primary company affected by this legislation as they will receive ownership of the federal lands described in the bill.