S. 5649: Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Fulfillment Act of 2026

This bill would expand the amount of federal land in Alaska that can be selected by eligible Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans as part of the land allotment program.

What the bill does

The bill is aimed at giving eligible Alaska Native veterans more options to claim land from federal lands in Alaska under an existing allotment program.

• It would immediately make available certain federal lands in Alaska that were previously identified as suitable for allotment selection in a 2020 Fish and Wildlife Service report.
• It would require the Secretary of Agriculture, within one year, to identify additional federal land within National Forest System lands in Alaska that could be made available for these allotments.
• Once land is identified as available, it would be opened for selection under the existing program.

Limits on which lands can be selected

The bill also sets limits on the kinds of Forest Service lands that can be included. The Secretary could not select land if doing so would:

• interfere with the management plan for that area,
• be within 300 feet of a body of water the state says is navigable,
• be designated by Congress as wilderness, or
• be identified by the Forest Service as suitable timber land.

Practical effect

In plain terms, the bill would open up more federal land in Alaska for certain Alaska Native Vietnam era veterans to choose from, while excluding some sensitive or protected areas. It would require federal agencies to find and list eligible lands and make them available for selection under the current allotment process.

Relevant Companies

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