{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/sen-murkowski-announces-agreement-on-public-lands-package", "Sen. Murkowski Announces Agreement on Public Lands Package", "2014-12-03", "2014", "2014-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.03.14\n\t\t\t Sen. Murkowski Announces Agreement on Public Lands Package \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n        \n\t\t\t\t Result of Weeks of Negotiation Will Substantially Benefit Alaska, Western States\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, today announced a bipartisan and bicameral agreement to advance a package of lands bills focused on expanding economic opportunities in Alaska and other Western states and will be included within the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). \r\nThe joint agreement on the package will support job creation and economic growth through a balanced approach to improving public lands management, natural resource development, and conservation, while fully protecting private property rights and recreational interests.\r\nI am pleased that after weeks of negotiations, we have reached a bipartisan and bicameral agreement to advance this series of public lands bills, Murkowski said. We have worked hard to develop a balanced package that will increase resource production and provide new economic opportunities for western communities.\r\nMurkowski highlighted several provisions in the package that will benefit Alaska.\r\nThis package includes important provisions that will boost communities throughout our state, including the settlement and finalization of lands issues in Southeast Alaska, the conveyances of land for community development in Anchorage, and at Fort Wainwright, Murkowski said. \r\nAdditional Highlights:\r\nExpands Access to American Energy and Minerals\r\n \r\nExtends and expands nationwide the successful Bureau of Land Management permit streamlining program to increase oil and gas production from federal lands;\r\nFacilitates several proposed mineral development projects, including the third-largest undeveloped copper resource in the world; and\r\nProvides federal land management agencies with needed authorities to efficiently renew and process grazing permits and leases on more than 200 million acres of public rangeland.\r\n \r\nBalances Conservation with Federal Land Conveyances\r\n \r\nProvides more than 110,000 acres of land to be conveyed out of federal ownership for economic and community development, which will in turn create good-paying jobs and new opportunities for thousands of Americans;\r\nProvides new means of enhancing private funding for parks;\r\nDesignates a limited number of new park units, all of which have strong local support;\r\n \r\n \r\nCreates 245,000 acres of new wilderness areas  nearly half of which were already being treated by federal land managers as if wilderness  in wilderness study or roadless areas; and\r\nReleases more than 26,000 acres back to multiple-use designation.\r\n \r\nNative American Interests\r\n \r\nSettles Northern Cheyenne's claims against the federal government for failing to take the subsurface estate under its reservation into trust;\r\nSettles land claims for the Sealaska Native Corp.;\r\nConveys federal property to an Alaska Native village for economic development; and\r\nProvides access and protection for cultural resources and traditional uses at Oak Flat and Apache Leap in Superior, Arizona. \r\n \r\nProtects Private Property Rights\r\n \r\nEnsures private property interests are fully protected in all special land designations;\r\nProtects all private activities taking place outside of the special land designations;\r\nEnsures no private property can be condemned, and prevents acquisitions through eminent domain; and\r\nProhibits buffer zones and protective perimeters.\r\n \r\nAll of the provisions within the package were subject to extensive consideration, debate, and refinement by the relevant committees of jurisdiction, including the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.\r\nThis is the culmination of two years of effort by members on both sides of the aisle and from both chambers, Murkowski said. The balanced package we have developed is largely focused on unlocking the federal estate to bring economic prosperity and good-paying jobs to western states.\r\nMurkowski is the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee's lead Republican member.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/sen-murkowski-announces-agreement-on-public-lands-package"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8506409358233213, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}