§3181 Alaska Land Use Council

Summary

Creates the Alaska Land Use Council to study and advise on land and resource uses in Alaska. The Council must have two cochairmen: a Federal Cochair chosen by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and the Governor of Alaska as the State Cochair. Members include the heads of Alaska offices of seven federal agencies (National Park Service; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; U.S. Forest Service; Bureau of Land Management; Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service; NOAA; and the Department of Transportation), the Commissioners of four Alaska state departments (Natural Resources; Fish and Game; Environmental Conservation; and Transportation), and two representatives picked by the Alaska Native Regional Corporations that represent the twelve geographic regions in 43 U.S.C. 1606(a). Vacancies are filled the same way the original members were chosen. If the State stops taking part, the Council continues with the Federal Cochair, the listed federal agency heads, and the Native Corporation representatives and still handles its administrative work and gives recommendations to federal officials. The Federal Cochair may be paid up to the rate for Executive Schedule level IV. Other federal members get no extra pay. Federal members and the Native Corporation representatives can get travel expenses while away from home, and State members are paid under State law. The Cochairmen together can hire staff, set staff pay and benefits, and get office space. The Council’s office must be in Alaska. Except if the State opts out, the federal government pays only 50% of the Council’s non-salary costs each fiscal year. The Council may use federal agency services with consent, accept donations, and must keep records open to the public. It must meet at least four times a year, hold hearings if needed, and send an annual written report by February 1 to the President, Congress, the Governor, and the Alaska Legislature. Meetings must be open to the public and announced at least 15 days in the Federal Register and in Alaska newspapers. The Council studies and advises on things like transportation, land use, fish and wildlife, tourism, agriculture, coastal management, and cultural and historic preservation, and it makes recommendations on rules, plans, coordination between governments, orderly economic development, law or policy changes, land inventories and management, withdrawals, budgets, and land exchanges. The Council must recommend cooperative planning zones where land or resource management overlaps and help set up cooperative agreements that include public participation plans. If an agency rejects a Council recommendation, it must tell the Council in writing within 30 days why. Unless Congress extends it, the Council ends ten years after December 2, 1980; one year before that date the Cochairmen must report on accomplishments and say whether to extend it. The Council must run a public participation program that includes a land-use advisory committee and a way to identify and involve people and communities affected by its work.