The Alaska Railroad transferred a long-disputed 48-acre parcel of land near
Eagle River, Alaska, commonly known as the Eklutna Quarry,
to Eklutna Inc. The
hills that comprise the quarry have historic and cultural significance to the
area's Dena'ina Athabascan people.
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signed Senate Bill No. 103 at Eklutna Inc.
headquarters on July 18, completing the transfer. The governor mentioned that
this was a historic moment for the Dena'ina, and that she was pleased to be a
part of transferring the quarry land. Alaska law requires any full conveyance of
railroad land to be approved by the Alaska Legislature.
Also present at the signing were Michael Curry, Eklutna Inc. chairman and
president; Pat Gamble, Alaska Railroad president and chief executive officer;
and Alaska legislators who were instrumental in passing the bill.
The Eklutna Quarry site was originally homesteaded and then held by the
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Alaska Railroad received the land from the
BIA in 1955, having already been authorized to develop a rock quarry at the site
in 1944. Eklutna Inc. claimed the land under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement
Act (ANCSA). The Alaska Railroad continued to mine the quarry until 1987, when
the Native Village of Eklutna took legal action to protect the site.
The bill allows the Alaska Railroad to remove $2 million worth of previously
mined and stockpiled quarry material. Eklutna Inc. will receive the surface
rights to the quarry, with CIRI receiving the subsurface rights, in accordance
with the provisions of ANCSA.