The Sealaska land bill is scheduled for markup during a congressional hearing this week.
Representative Don Young’s main legislation would convey about 70,000 acres of Tongass National Forest timberlands to Sealaska.
The Sealaska measure is one of 14 land bills before the House Committee on Natural Resources, which meets Wednesday.
The Senate is also expected to mark up its version of the Sealaska lands legislation soon.
Robert Dillon, spokesman for sponsor Lisa Murkowski, says it’s tentatively scheduled for June 18 before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
Ed Schoenfeld is Regional News Director for CoastAlaska, a consortium of public radio stations in Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Petersburg and Wrangell.
He primarily covers Southeast Alaska regional topics, including the state ferry system, transboundary mining, the Tongass National Forest and Native corporations and issues.
He has also worked as a manager, editor and reporter for the Juneau Empire newspaper and Juneau public radio station KTOO. He’s also reported for commercial station KINY in Juneau and public stations KPFA in Berkley, WYSO in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and WUHY in Philadelphia. He’s lived in Alaska since 1979 and is a contributor to Alaska Public Radio Network newscasts, the Northwest (Public Radio) News Network and National Native News. He is a board member of the Alaska Press Club. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he lives in Douglas.
