 July 23, 2002
According to a news release, Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) came to an agreement with the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife after three years of discussion and negotiations. In July 2001 all three parties came to an agreement and Congressman Don Young introduced the bill on October 4, 2001. H.R. 3048 ratifies the agreement settling the land ownership issue at Russian River on the Kenai Peninsula. "This agreement has been 26 years in the making and I'm pleased that all three organizations were able to talk their differences out and come to the agreement which we have ratified today. CIRI is entitled to their cultural site selections as laid out in the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and I am pleased they will finally have their land," said Rep. Young. The Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) authorized ANCSA regional corporations to make selections of cultural sites within their region for preservation purposes. Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) made its selections at Russian River 26 years ago, however, the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service contested CIRI's selections at Russian River. For the past three years, CIRI has been negotiating with the two agencies for lands surrounding the Russian and Kenai Rivers. Because this agreement provides
for the continuing ownership and management by the two federal
agencies to a vast majority of lands at Russian River, the public's
right to continue fishing remains unchanged from its current
status. Source of News Release:
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