§1629g Open season for certain Alaska Native veterans for allotments

Summary

Eligible Alaska Native veterans can pick up to two federal land parcels that together are no more than 160 acres. They have an 18-month window to do this after the Interior Department issues the rules to run the program. The land they pick must have been empty and not claimed when they first used it. Certain lands cannot be given, including most campsites (except the person’s own), State or Native selections not yet conveyed, wilderness, bought lands, places with buildings or other people’s developments, defense withdrawals (except the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska), National Forests, and lands claimed but not yet conveyed. If chosen land is barred, the person may pick other lands inside the same Regional Corporation area, such as certain withdrawn lands, lands next to withdrawn boundaries (except excluded or National Park lands), or other vacant lands. The Department can also offer equal-size alternative land inside a Conservation System Unit if the allotment would harm that unit’s purpose. Any conveyance keeps existing rights in place and reserves oil, gas, and coal rights to the United States. A person qualifies if they would have qualified under the May 17, 1906 Act as it was before December 18, 1971, and if they are a veteran who served between January 1, 1969 and December 31, 1971 and either served at least 6 months in that period or enlisted or were drafted after June 2, 1971 but before December 3, 1971. A personal representative may select an allotment for heirs if the veteran died in Southeast Asia between August 5, 1964 and December 31, 1971 by being killed in action, dying from wounds, or dying as a prisoner of war; the Department of Veterans Affairs must respond to a records request within 60 days or finish any needed investigation within 1 year. No one who already got or has a pending 1906 Act allotment can get another. The Interior must study other Vietnam-era veterans who might have been eligible but did not apply and report within one year of October 21, 1998, and must issue rules no later than 18 months after October 21, 1998 after consulting Alaska Native groups. For this rule, “veteran” and “Vietnam era” mean the definitions in Title 38, section 101.