BLM marks historic ANCSA milestone with latest conveyance to Eklutna, Inc.
Anchorage, Alaska — The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is proud to announce the conveyance of nearly 25,000 acres to Eklutna, Inc. for the benefit of the Native Village of Eklutna under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). The conveyance fulfills the corporation’s remaining entitlement under Section 12(b) of ANCSA. When the surface estate is conveyed to Eklutna, Inc., the subsurface estate in those same lands will be conveyed to Cook Inlet Region, Inc
“Today’s conveyance delivers on the promise of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, advancing opportunity, strengthening communities, and honoring the self-determination of Alaska Native peoples,” said BLM Alaska State Director Kevin Pendergast. “I commend Eklutna, Inc., the Bureau of Land Management, and its partners for reaching this important milestone.”
Reaching this milestone required detailed review and coordination. The BLM has been adjudicating the lands included in this decision since June 2023, reflecting careful work to ensure that land selections and conveyances are completed accurately and in accordance with federal law.
Enacted in 1971, ANCSA was a landmark settlement between the United States and Alaska Native peoples intended to resolve aboriginal land title claims. Through ANCSA, Alaska Native regional corporations were authorized to select lands within their regions for conveyance. While the initial selections were completed in the 1970s, the BLM continues to work through the more complex land conveyances and legal patents to fulfill these entitlements.
To date, the BLM has successfully conveyed the vast majority of the eligible acreage selected by Alaska Native corporations. Of the roughly 45.7 million total ANCSA entitlement acres, more than 44.3 million acres (97%) have been conveyed through patents or interim conveyances.
These transfers provide Alaska Native corporations with legal land title enabling long-term economic planning, cultural preservation, and community development.
BLM administers ANCSA land conveyances as part of the broader Alaska Land Transfer Program, the largest federal land transfer effort ever undertaken in the United States. For more than 50 years, the BLM has been involved with the survey and conveyance of lands in Alaska under four statutes: the Native Allotment Act of 1906; the Alaska Statehood Act; the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; and the Dingell Act. The program also includes cadastral surveying and related actions, such as adjudication by legal land law examiners, necessary to clarify legal boundaries and titles before lands can be patented to Alaska Native corporations, individual allottees, and the State of Alaska.
The BLM manages about 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.