Alaska Miner Magazine, Spring 2019

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als that ANILCA’s broadly drawn boundaries might subject their properties to Park Ser- vice rules. „ While such authority might fall short of the Service’s usual power, it accords with ANILCA’s “repeated recognition” that Alas- ka is “the exception, not the rule.” „ By incorporating the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, the Statehood Act gave Alaska “title to and ownership of the lands beneath navigable waters,” such as the Nation Riv- er. 43 U. S. C. §1311; see §6(m), 72 Stat. 343. And a State’s title to the lands beneath nav- igable waters brings with its regulatory au- _SZ]T_dZaP]ɭYLaTRL_TZYʭ^STYRLYOZ_SP] public uses” of those waters. „ ANILCA sought to “balance” two RZLW^ ZQ_PY _SZ`RS_ NZYʮTN_TYR ! @ > C. §3101(d). The Act was designed to “pro- aTOP ^`ʯNTPY_ []Z_PN_TZY QZ] _SP YL_TZYLW interest in the scenic, natural, cultural and

Here are key excerpts from the United States Supreme Court’s historical and unanimous deci- žĞŇĻƐĀĻÚĞĻďƐüŇŹƐIŇĚĻƐ„ƒƣŹďåŇĻ× „ The Nation River is not public land for purposes of ANILCA. “Public land” un- der ANILCA means (almost all) “lands, wa- ters, and interests therein” the “title to which is in the United States.” 16 U. S. C. §3102(1)–(3). Because running waters can- not be owned, the United States does not have “title” to the Nation River in the ordi- nary sense. And under the Submerged Lands Act, it is the State of Alaska—not the United States—that holds “title to and ownership of the lands beneath [the River’s] navigable waters.” „ Non-public lands within Alaska’s na- tional parks are exempt from the Park Ser- vice’s ordinary regulatory authority. Section 103(c) arose out of concern from the State, Native Corporations, and private individu-

The Alaska Miner

April 2019

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