Full text of statement from Chugach Alaska Corporation Chairman of the Board Sheri Buretta

Thank you for reaching out to us to get a statement from Chugach regarding the potential land exchange in the Thompson Pass area and with respect to the public comment period associated with the proposed revision to the East Alaska Resource Management Plan. Chugach’s interest in the land in the Thompson Pass area is to provide access to adjacent lands where the Tatitlek Corporation owns the surface estate and Chugach owns the subsurface. It only makes sense that a landowner would seek to secure access to their property. We do not have any development plans for this property at this time. 

The Chugach people occupied the lands in the Chugach region for thousands of years.  Archeological records indicate the Chugach native people have lived and subsisted off these lands for more than 5,000 years. The lands in the Copper River area were used for transportation for gathering and trading with other native tribes in the area. Alaska Native people are closely tied to the lands and waters that provided for their sustenance and have a spiritual connection to the land.

Our people have struggled for hundreds of years as a result of Russian and Spanish explorers who came to Alaska to exploit our resources. Many of our ancestors were wiped out due to war, enslavement and disease caused by these early explorers. Our artifacts were stolen and taken to far away countries to be put on display where so many of them still remain. Colonialism stripped our people of their culture for decades as our children were sent to boarding schools and forbidden from speaking their native language. Despite the many tragedies and disparate treatment our people experienced, the Alaska native people have shown their strength and resilience in a constantly evolving and changing world.

Under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) of 1971, Alaska Natives were provided the long overdue opportunity to resolve land claims that would finally recognize our historical ties to the lands that provided for our people for thousands of years. However, the land settlement for Chugach was especially challenging due the federal government claiming a large portion of our traditional lands and incorporating them into the Chugach National Forest and Kenai Fjords National Park. This severely restricted the ability for the Chugach to select lands that met the intent of ANCSA – to provide for self-sufficiency for our people. Then In 1989 our region was severely impacted by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill which further frustrated land ownership issues for Chugach due to acquisitions of surface estate by the federal and state government using settlement funds from the EVOS settlement payment where Chugach owned the subsurface. This is the premise for the Dingell Act which calls for a Chugach Region Land Study and proposed land exchange.

We recognize the importance of maintaining a balance in our approach to management of our ANCSA lands.  Our lands are the core of who we are. While we have an obligation to generate profits to provide for our people, we take our role of stewardship very seriously.

The federal and state government currently own approximately 85% of all lands in Alaska. The land in the Thompson Pass area for potential exchange is land identified by the BLM as in the general domain and available for exchange.  Many of the public comments associated with the proposed amendment to the East Alaska Resource Management Plan focused primarily on concerns about reducing public access for recreation. First, many who commented seem not to understand that the State of Alaska requires that Chugach maintain the existing easement to the Lowe River for public access. Chugach is committed to maintaining this public access easement.

Other comments describe this transaction as “selling” of public lands and characterizes this as a “land grab”. These are glaringly inaccurate statements. The proposed transaction is a land exchange where the National Park Service would receive lands in the Bremner River area, which is adjacent to the Wrangell-St. Elias wilderness area, which has very high ecological value.  Still other comments neglect to understand the unique position and history of Alaska Native Corporations and use hateful words to describe us and our interests. 

When you consider the history of Alaska, a relatively new frontier compared to other parts of the country, you realize that early priorities for land management in Alaska included the use of resources to develop our vast and remote state. We needed timber for building houses, boats and the Alaska railway. We needed gravel resources to construct roads, ports and airports. We needed access to hunting and fishing grounds to provide food for our growing population, and all of these priorities helped provide jobs and economic opportunities that allowed our state to grow. The public interest included managing land resources for this greater good. If it weren’t for the early leaders who developed the infrastructure that exists today, there would be no access to many of the recreational areas throughout the state. Roads have provided access to the backcountry for hunting, fishing and recreating and continue to be needed to increase access. Some of the public comments noted the need for improved parking, road safety issues and the need for additional outhouses in the area near the exchange. Private land ownership in the area should not necessarily be considered a bad thing. It could provide opportunities for improved access and amenities in the area.

We are in the midst of rapid transformational change in our country and our state in the days ahead. The economic drivers that our state have relied upon for years are changing. Chugach is well aware of the changes that are occurring, and we have in the last several years pursued interests in the new economy related to conservation and climate change initiatives. As we look at highest and best use of our lands and resources, it is important that we are thoughtful in our approach. As people who have lived and subsisted on our traditional lands for thousands of years, our goal is to assure that we maintain a balanced and long-term approach to our lands. It is important to us to be good neighbors, to seek input from our community members and to do the right thing. This is part of our corporate core values. We understand and respect the opinions of the people in our region and in the Valdez and Glenallen area. It is our desire to be a good neighbor, to seek to understand the opinions of the people in the area and to take a thoughtful approach to utilization of our lands.   

Sheri Buretta