Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 106-414.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 4, 1999
Rural Alaska Access Rights Act of 1999 - Amends the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act to: (1) require all Federal public land managers in Alaska, or a region that includes Alaska, to participate in an Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) training class, and for future Alaska public land managers to complete ANILCA training; (2) require any alternative route across Alaska public lands chosen by the head of a Federal agency to be no less economically feasible and prudent than the route being sought by an applicant; (3) provide that nothing in such Act shall be construed to adversely affect rights-of-way established under Revised Statute 2477; (4) provide that reasonable regulations governing transportation across Alaska public lands shall not include any requirements for the demonstration of pre-existing use (requiring the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to limit any access prohibitions to the smallest area practicable and the shortest period of time); (5) allow the Secretary to grant easements and rights-of-way to private landholders across Alaska public lands for economic and other purposes; (6) prohibit the Secretary from imposing unreasonable fees or charges for those seeking to exercise such access rights; (7) require (currently permits) the Secretary to enable specified officials to participate in the development of an Alaska National Park System (System) conservation and management plan; (8) state that a current occupier of a cabin or other structure on System lands may not be required to waive, forfeit, or relinquish any possessory or personal interest therein; (9) authorize necessary repairs or minor alterations to such cabins or structures; (10) require fees for permits and leases to be reasonable and consistent with authorized uses; (11) include fish and wildlife dependent recreation as a purpose of Alaska national preserve units; (12) authorize the Secretary to designate zones where and periods when hunting, fishing, and trapping will be prohibited on Alaska public lands; (13) direct the Secretary of Agriculture to permit or regulate helicopter use and landings within Alaska National Forest Wilderness areas and Alaska National Forest Monument areas; and (14) prohibit the Secretary, on Alaska wilderness areas, from establishing management directives for administering any study area to preserve wilderness values prior to action by Congress on recommendations, if any, for wilderness designation of a study area.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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