Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025

Cape Fox can receive about 180 acres in the Tongass National Forest instead of approximately 185 unconveyed acres near Saxman, resolving related claims for Cape Fox and Sealaska Corporation.

What the law does ​

• Allows Cape Fox to select about 180 acres of federal surface land by notifying the Secretary of the Interior within 90 days of enactment.
• Requires the selected surface land to go to Cape Fox and the subsurface rights to Sealaska within 180 days after timely notice.
• Ends Cape Fox’s obligation to select or receive approximately 185 acres near Saxman.
• Treats the transfers as fully satisfying the corporations’ relevant entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
• Preserves a public access easement from George Inlet to inland National Forest System land and generally maintains existing third-party rights and other encumbrances.

Who it affects ​

• Cape Fox Village Corporation and the Native Village of Saxman it represents.
• Sealaska Corporation.
• People using the public access route and holders of existing rights affecting the land.

Breakdown ​

Cape Fox Land Entitlement Finalization Act of 2025 ​

This law finalizes land entitlements for Cape Fox Village Corporation, which represents the Native Village of Saxman, Alaska. It allows Cape Fox to receive about 180 acres in the Tongass National Forest instead of approximately 185 acres near Saxman, while giving Sealaska Corporation the subsurface rights.

Key takeaways

• Cape Fox no longer must select or receive approximately 185 acres of previously unconveyed land near Saxman.
• Cape Fox may select about 180 acres of federal surface land in the Tongass National Forest by giving written notice to the Secretary of the Interior within 90 days after enactment.
• After Cape Fox submits timely notice, the Secretary must convey the surface land to Cape Fox and the subsurface rights to Sealaska Corporation, with completion intended as soon as practicable and no later than 180 days after notice.
• These conveyances fully satisfy the relevant land entitlements of Cape Fox and Sealaska Corporation under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act.
• The conveyed land remains subject to a public access easement connecting George Inlet to inland National Forest System land on Revillagigedo Island.
• The conveyances generally remain subject to existing third-party rights, reservations, rights-of-way, and other encumbrances.