Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 85.djvu/735

 85 STAT. ]

PUBLIC LAW 92-203-DEC. 18, 1971

705

character in not more than 23,040 acres of land, which shall be located in reasonable proximity to the municipalities. The subsurface estate in such lands shall be conveyed to the appropriate Regional Corporation unless the lands are located in a Wildlife Refuge; (4) The Secretary shall withdraw only such lands surrounding the villages and municipalities as are necessary to permit the conveyance authorized by paragraphs (2) and (3) to be planned and effected; (5) The Secretary may convey to a Native, upon application within two years from the date of enactment of this Act, the surface estate in not to exceed 160 acres of land occupied by the Native as a primary place of residence on August 31, 1971. Determination of occupancy shall be made by the Secretary, whose decision shall be final. The subsurface estate in such lands shall be conveyed to the appropriate Regional Corporations; (6) The Secretary shall charge against the 2 million acres authorized to be conveyed by this section all allotments approved pursuant to section 18 during the four years following the date of enactment of this Act; (7) The Secretary may withdraw and convey lands out of the National Wildlife Refuge System and out of the National Forests, for the purposes set forth in subsections (h)(1), (2), (3), and (5); and (8) Any portion of the 2 million acres not conveyed by this subsection shall be allocated and conveyed to the Regional Corporations on the basis of population. TIMBER SALE CONTRACTS

SEC. 15. Notwithstanding the provisions of existing National Forest timber sale contracts that are directly affected by conveyances authorized by this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to modify any such contract, with the consent of the purchaser, by substituting, to the extent practicable, timber on other national forest lands approximately equal in volume, species, grade, and accessibility for timber standing on any land affected by such conveyances, and, on request of the appropriate Village Corporation the Secretary of Agriculture is directed to make such substitution to the extent it is permitted by the timber sale contract without the consent of the purchaser. THE TLINGIT-HAIDA SETTLEMENT

SEC. 16. (a) All public lands in each township that encloses all or any part of a Native village listed below, and in each township that is contiguous to or corners on such township, except lands withdrawn or reserved for national defense purposes, are hereby withdrawn, subject to valid existing rights, from all forms of appropriation under the public land laws, including the mining and mineral leasing laws, and from selection under the Alaska Statehood Act, as amended: Angoon, Southeast. Craig, Southeast. Hoonah, Southeast, Hydaburg, Southeast. Kake, Southeast. Kasaan, Southeast. Klawock, Southeast. Klukwan, Southeast. Saxman, Southeast. Yakutat, Southeast.

l^ f^^^ ^^g.

48 USC prec. 21 note.

�