Land swap debate draws hundreds
Published Friday, February 22, 2008
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Several hundred people turned out Thursday for a public discussion of a land swap plan between Alaska’s largest private landowner and the federal government, most wanting to express their opposition to the plan.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is exploring the possibility of trading several thousands acres of land in the Yukon Flats with Doyon Ltd. Under the proposed swap, Doyon would exchange lands important to wildlife habitat for lands thought to be rich in oil and gas.
Doyon executives believe drilling in the area could jumpstart the Flats economy, where unemployment is more than 80 percent in some areas. Critics said the money wasn’t worth losing land which many people still rely upon.
“They say you’re poor, don’t you need money?” asked Alexander Edward, a member of the tribal council for the Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in Tribal Government. “No one is saying we need money. I got salmon. I got moose meat. What do I need money for?”
Thursday’s meeting at the Noel Wien Library was one of 11 similar meetings being held during a two-week period around the state to get input on the controversial proposal. Fish and wildlife officials conceded they received a similar reception at previous meetings in Fort Yukon and Stevens Village.
Several people took issue with the first draft of the Fish and Wildlife Service’s Environmental Impact Study on the land swap, a 400-page document issued last month that tribal and local leaders have 60 days to respond to. Rob Rosenfeld, director of the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council, pointed out that English is a second language for many elders, and it was unfair to give them such a document without a translation.
He also criticized fish and wildlife officials for not meeting with each of the more than 60 tribes in the Yukon Flats individually, as the service’s own policies state they must work separately with Native American governments.
And while talk of the land swap dates back to 2006, the service has recently accelerated the process and hopes to have a final decision by the end of the year. Rosenfeld asked if they were trying to pass the plan while a Republican administration friendly to the idea of trading refuge land was in office.
“They’re trying to get a slam dunk during the current administration,” he said. “Let’s call it what it is.”
In the first four hours of the meeting — which began at 4 p.m. and stretched past the library’s 9 p.m. closing time — only one man, a former resident of Fort Yukon, spoke in favor of the swap. Aaron Schutt, a senior vice president of Doyon, said he was not surprised by the opposition.
“This is typical of public comment practices,” he said. “People with strong opinions opposed to this come out. I know a lot of leaders and other people support oil and gas development.”
Former Doyon President Orie Williams and the late Rev. David Salmon, first traditional chief of the Tanana Chiefs Conference, are among some of the leaders to have publicly supported the plan.
Schutt remained optimistic that the service would choose to go forward with the swap, and even if they don’t, Doyon owns other land with potential oil reserves in the Yukon area, and the company plans to explore that land in the near future, regardless of the outcome of the debate.
A final appraisal of how much land would be involved in the swap is expected in late spring, while the final Environmental Impact Study is scheduled for release in August.
Contact staff writer Chris Freiberg at 459-7545.
Community Discussion
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This proposal is completely ridiculous. If it happens it's the US Fish and Wildlife Service rolling over and handing over their land instead of doing their job. This reeks of dirty money trading hands between the interested oil and gas corporations and the federal government (gee, has that ever happened?). Is this really what most Doyon-associated natives want? or just what happens when the powerful oil and gas lobby takes aim at native corporations, with the federal government long ago bought and along for the ride? Environmental Impact Studies from the federal government, when oil and gas interests have already written the 'conclusion' of the study, are a complete joke.
Let's just buy protected land (credits!) in Siberia or Greenland with some of the product from opening up gas and oil fields everywhere in Alaska and stop playing games.
I wasn't at the meeting but I wonder if anyone mentioned that due to the significant increase in the price of oil since the exchange was originally proposed that a new land value appraisal would be necessary. This might mean Doyon would need to triple or quadruple the amount of land it forks over... bet Doyon doesn't want folks to know about that!
there are also many here in beaver in oppossing this land swap.
it seems we are not being heard.
a majority of the community do not want.
we beleive that this land is our grandchildrens.
doyon talks like they are going to do something for us.
they never have before,
only thing they are trying to do is help buy us out.
the yukon flats refuge was formed to serve and protect.
the wildlife an the residents.
bad deal.
Yup, its still happening today. Natives are still being raped of their land and resources for money they will never see, for help we were promised but will never get. Of all people, i cant believe the traditional chief of beaver IS FOR the land swap, its the money, all for the money. I wonder if he thinks about where he's going to hunt in the future, or where is sons are going to hunt. Of all people, he should be the one thinkin about the future residents of beaver and other surrounding villages, everyone in the Yukon Flats depends on the land for food and what not. What are we going to eat at potlatches? Are we going to order pizza? What is a potlatch with out moosesoup and ducks and geese and berries, etc?
This is again one of those issues that I wish the federal government would defer to the state government on.
My Corporation is about to do a land swap with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. Doyon will give up 150,000 acres of land with full subsurface rights, which is prime wildlife habitat along the Yukon River. In return the U.S.F.&W. will give 200,000 acres of rugged brush country, which is not navigable by water or road, 180 miles off of the Yukon River. We will not have subsurface rights to all of this land. Doyon’s supposed purpose of this swap is to have land to mine for oil development. There is no hard facts supporting any oil, and there is just as much chance of oil being under the habitat rich land. The amount of land to be used for development is one percent of the 200,000 acres. If we wanted to do any development on the land, we would have to also sell 120,000 additional acres of prime habitat to the U.S.F.&W. and the price would be their call. Why do we have to swap all of this subsistence rich land for such small amount of development land?
This whole land swap is very much opposed by most Doyon shareholders, especially the Gwichin Athabascans in the Yukon flats where their subsistence land is being traded out for the Vegas odds of making money. I believe that the government and the Doyon board members who are in support of this bogus land swap are the only ones that will benefit off of this.
I believe that we the doyon shareholders who are opposed to this land swap will need some sort of outside help to stop this land swap from happening. The Doyon board is not listening to the many that are in opposition, it’s as if the deal has already been done. The past meetings, like the one, which was held today on this matter, is just a stage for the forces that make this land swap happen and look legitimate.
Ricko DeWilde, Huslia
Who are these Doyon board people? If I was a shareholder, I would raise some serious hell. If I care about my 'country' (as a transpanted whitey), I think most of these natives probably care too. I would rally everyone you can to try to save what we haven't already taken....
Those in opposition need to convince the Fish & Wildlife Service to extend the comment period on their Draft Environmental Impact Statement. They are trying to bulldoze through it when there hasn't been sufficient time for folks to begin to understand it's implications. Submit your comment requesting a 60-90 extension by going to http://yukonflatseis.ensr.com/Yukon_Flat...
You can also find more information about the opposition of many of the Yukon Flats tribes by going to www.fortyukon.org.
ANCSA was passed with the knowledge of a very few with no input from the 200 plus vilages in Alaska. It was a hurried up we have to sign now without a deliberative process deal that has enriched the Oil and Energy Conglomerates, the morally, ethically and legally bankrupt as well as Conflict of Interest and Collusion challenged Legislators, and a very few including white appointed so called Native chiefs. They are using the same old Colonial policies carried over from the non native carpetbaggers from the lower 48.
With climate change happening now, who's thinking about the influx of millions of displaced coastal residents who will be squatting on our lands? And for Natives who believe in the white mans Jesus... Why is the white mans Genesis 1:28 in the bible quoted as a legalized excuse to uproot and take Native lands? Quoted and used by the United States Supreme Court in everyone of their decisions dated from the infamous Cherokee "Trail of Tears".
In the end, who are we without our lands, culture and language? Do we want our kids to go to the same places we go to pick berries, hunt, fish or to pay respects to the ones who passed on?
Or do we listen to the ones who say. Forget about it, let's move on, let them have the land, here's no bingo there anyway, we want roads.
How long did it take for the Natives to lose their lands in the lower 48? How long is it taking for us to lose ours?
"Schutt remained optimistic that the service would choose to go forward with the swap, and even if they don't, Doyon owns other land with potential oil reserves in the Yukon area, and the company plans to explore that land in the near future, regardless of the outcome of the debate.
A final appraisal of how much land would be involved in the swap is expected in late spring, while the final Environmental Impact Study is scheduled for release in August."
This quote from yesterday's paper tells a bit. The paper paraphrases schutt that they (Doyon) will explore lands "regardles of the outcome of the debate."
The Native corporation manages the lands and resources as outlined, by law, by ANCSA. They will develop in spite of the debates held, as stated in above quoted piece. They do this in order to remain profitable and in what they believe is in the best interest of the shareholder-it is their job. Doyon uses these profits in order to HOPEFULLY use this clout to further help shareholders and Alaskans by supplying jobs and "run-off" opportunities. But what are the risks? Polluted lands forever? Can the shareholders vote on such a land-swap as we did with adding the "after-born" shareholders? I propose we vote on the issue.
Doyon Shareholders should contact each of the candidates running for the Board of Directors and see where they stand on the land swap issue. The vote is coming up soon and shareholders should elect people who share their vision for Doyon's future!!
With this swap you are opening future dealings from other areas to future problems. This deal should be looked at very carefully on what could happen in the future of our children not only the present. If it is not carefully planned other areas could be affected. It would be good if the other villages with land is not affected by this deal also. Make sure that is in writing. Because we all have rights to use our land the way we see fit. Be careful before you open the can of worms. Don't know what will come out of this.
An interior native that is concerned
D Vent Sr.
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