§ 3181. Alaska Land Use Council

(a) Establishment

There is hereby established the Alaska Land Use Council (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the “Council”).

(b) Cochairmen

The Council shall have Cochairmen. The Federal Cochairman shall be appointed by the President of the United States with the advice and consent of the Senate. The State Cochairman shall be the Governor of Alaska.

In addition to the Cochairmen, the Council shall consist of the following members:

(1) the head of the Alaska offices of each of the following Federal agencies: National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, United States Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Transportation;

(2) the Commissioners of the Alaska Departments of Natural Resources, Fish and Game, Environmental Conservation, and Transportation; and

(3) two representatives selected by the Alaska Native Regional Corporations (in consultation with their respective Village Corporations) which represent the twelve geographic regions described in section 1606 (a) of title 43.

Any vacancy on the Council shall be filled in the same manner in which the original appointment was made.

(d) State decision not to participate

If the State elects not to participate on the Council or elects to end its participation prior to termination of the Council, the Council shall be composed of the Federal Cochairman, the agencies referred to in subsection (c)(1) of this section and the representatives of the Alaska Native Regional Corporations referred to in subsection (c)(3) of this section. The Council, so composed, shall carry out the administrative functions required by this subchapter and shall make recommendations to Federal officials with respect to the matters referred to in subsections (i) and (j) of this section. In addition, the Council may make recommendations from time to time to State officials and private landowners concerning such matters.

(e) Compensation and expenses

(1) The Federal Cochairman shall be compensated at a rate to be determined by the President but not in excess of that provided for level IV of the Executive Schedule contained in title 5 [5 U.S.C. 5315].

(2) The other members of the Council who are Federal employees shall receive no additional compensation for service on the Council.

(3) While away from their homes or regular places of business in the performance of services for the Council, members of the Council who are Federal employees, or members of the Council referred to in subsection (c)(3) of this section, shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as persons employed intermittently in the Government service are allowed expenses under section 5703 (b) of title 5.^[1]

(4) The State Cochairman and other State members of the Council have been compensated in accordance with applicable State law.

(f) Administrative authority

(1) The Cochairmen, acting jointly, shall have the authority to create and abolish employments and positions, including temporary and intermittent employments; to fix and provide for the qualification, appointment, removal, compensation, pension, and retirement rights of Council employees; and to procure needed office space, supplies, and equipment.

(2) The office of the Council shall be located in the State of Alaska.

(3) Except as provided in subsection (d) of this section, within any one fiscal year, the Federal Government shall pay only 50 per centum of the costs and other expenses other than salaries, benefits, et cetera of members, incurred by the Council in carrying out its duties under this Act.

(4) The Council is authorized to use, with their consent, the services, equipment, personnel, and facilities of Federal and other agencies with or without reimbursement. Each department and agency of the Federal Government is authorized and directed to cooperate fully in making its services, equipment, personnel, and facilities available to the Council. Personnel detailed to the Council in accordance with the provisions of this subsection shall be under the direction of the Cochairman during any period such staff is so detailed.

(5) The Council is authorized to accept donations, gifts, and other contributions and to utilize such donations, gifts, and contributions in carrying out its functions under this Act.

(6) The Council shall keep and maintain complete accounts and records of its activities and transactions, and such accounts and records shall be available for public inspection.

(g) Meetings; authorities; reports

The Council shall meet at the call of the Cochairmen, but not less than four times each year. In addition, the Council may, for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this section, hold such hearings, take such testimony, receive such evidence and print or otherwise reproduce and distribute reports concerning so much of its proceedings as the Council deems advisable. No later than February 1 of each calendar year following the calendar year in which the Council is established, the Cochairmen shall submit to the President, the Congress, the Governor of Alaska, and the Alaska Legislature, in writing, a report on the activities of the Council during the previous year, together with their recommendations, if any, for legislative or other action in furtherance of the purposes of this section.

(h) Rules

The Council shall adopt such internal rules of procedure as it deems necessary. All Council meetings shall be open to the public, and at least fifteen days prior to the date when any meeting of the Council is to take place the Cochairman shall publish public notice of such meeting in the Federal Register and in newspapers of general circulation in various areas throughout Alaska.

(i) Functions of the Council

(1) The Council shall conduct studies and advise the Secretary, the Secretary of Agriculture, other Federal agencies, the State, local governments, and Native Corporations with respect to ongoing, planned, and proposed land and resources uses in Alaska, including transportation planning, land use designation, fish and wildlife management, tourism, agricultural development, coastal zone management, preservation of cultural and historical resources, and such other matters as may be submitted for advice by the members.

(2) It shall be the function of the Council—

(A) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to—

(i) proposed regulations promulgated by the United States to carry out its responsibilities under this Act;

(ii) management plans and studies required by this Act including, but not limited to, plans and studies for conservation system units, wild and scenic rivers, and wilderness areas;

(iii) proposed regulations promulgated by the State of Alaska to carry out its responsibilities under this Act and other State and Federal laws;

(B) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to ways to improve coordination and consultation between said governments in wildlife management, transportation planning, wilderness review, and other governmental activities which appear to require regional or statewide coordination;

(C) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to ways to insure that economic development is orderly and planned and is compatible with State and national economic, social, and environmental objectives;

(D) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to those changes in laws, policies, and programs relating to publicly owned lands and resources which the Council deems necessary;

(E) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to the inventory, planning, classification, management, and use of Federal and State lands, respectively, and to provide such assistance to Native Corporations upon their request;

(F) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to needed modifications in existing withdrawals of Federal and State lands; and

(G) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States and the State of Alaska with respect to the programs and budgets of Federal and State agencies responsible for the administration of Federal and State lands; and

(H) to make recommendations to appropriate officials of the governments of the United States, the State of Alaska, and Native Corporations for land exchanges between or among them.

(j) Cooperative planning

(1) The Council shall recommend cooperative planning zones, consisting of areas of the State in which the management of lands or resources by one member materially affects the management of lands or resources of another member or members including, but not limited to, such areas as the Northwest Arctic, the North Slope, and Bristol Bay. Federal members of the Council are authorized and encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements with Federal agencies, with State and local agencies, and with Native Corporations providing for mutual consultation, review, and coordination of resource management plans and programs within such zones.

(2) With respect to lands, waters, and interests therein which are subject to a cooperative agreement in accordance with this subsection, the Secretary, in addition to any requirement of applicable law, may provide technical and other assistance to the landowner with respect to fire control, trespass control, law enforcement, resource use, and planning. Such assistance may be provided without reimbursement if the Secretary determines that to do so would further the purposes of the cooperative agreement and would be in the public interest.

(3) Cooperative agreements established pursuant to this section shall include a plan for public participation consistent with the guidelines established by the Council pursuant to subsection (m) of this section.

(k) Nonacceptance of Council recommendations

If any Federal or State agency does not accept a recommendation made by the Council pursuant to subsection (i) or (j) of this section, such agency, within thirty days of receipt of the recommendation, shall inform the Council, in writing, of its reason for such action.

(l) Termination

Unless extended by the Congress, the Council shall terminate ten years after December 2, 1980. No later than one year prior to its termination date, the Cochairmen shall submit in writing to the Congress a report on the accomplishments of the Council together with their recommendations as to whether the Council should be extended or any other recommendations for legislation or other action which they determine should be taken following termination of the Council to continue carrying out the purposes for which the Council was established.

(m) Public participation

The Council shall establish and implement a public participation program to assist the Council to carry out its responsibilities and functions under this section. Such program shall include, but is not limited to—

(1) A committee of land-use advisors appointed by the Cochairmen made up of representatives of commercial and industrial land users in Alaska, recreational land users, wilderness users, environmental groups, Native Corporations, and other public and private organizations. To the maximum extent practicable, the membership of the committee shall provide a balanced mixture of national, State, and local perspective and expertise on land and resource use issues; and

(2) A system for

(A) the identification of persons and communities, in rural and urban Alaska, who or which may be directly or significantly affected by studies conducted, or advice and recommendations given by the Council pursuant to this section, and

(B) guidelines for, and implementation of, a system for effective public participation by such persons or communities in the development of such studies, advice and recommendations by the Council.

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 3181. Alaska Land Use Council