03/30/1998 03:40 PM Senate RES

                                                                               
                    HJR 51 - SUPPORT H.R. 2924                                 
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN HALFORD called the Senate Resources Committee meeting to              
order at 3:40 p.m. and announced HJR 51 to be up for consideration.            
                                                                               
SENATOR SHARP moved to adopt the CS to HJR 51.  There were no                  
objections and it was so ordered.                                              
                                                                               
SENATOR LINCOLN asked about the Elim Native Corporation.                       
                                                                               
MR. DON STOLWORTHY, Aide to Representative Masek, explained that               
they tried numerous times to get answers to some of the questions              
that were brought up at the first hearing, about why agree to                  
297,000 acres at first and, now, why another 50,000.  Mr. Robert               
Keith, President of the Corporation, said the 50,000 acres should              
have been included because it was not withdrawn legitimately by                
Presidential Executive Order, but he didn't know why the argument              
wasn't brought up in the ANCSA closure.  He asked Mr. Keith how                
much of the land and money they had received.  He said                         
approximately a third of the land, but he was too young to remember            
how much money they received and there were no elders around to                
ask.  He knows that of the 50,000 acres, only 29,000 would be                  
eligible for selection.  There are some minerals and hot springs on            
some of the land they want to select.  When they called Congressman            
Young's office, they just didn't know what was happening.                      
                                                                               
SENATOR LINCOLN asked if they were leaving in the Elim Native                  
Corporation language.                                                          
                                                                               
CHAIRMAN HALFORD said the Whereas that describes Congressman                   
Young's HR2429 includes the Elim and Vietnam veteran's issue.  The             
Resolve speaks to the native allotment/Vietnam veteran issue; it               
doesn't speak to the Elim issue.                                               
                                                                               
SENATOR GREEN moved to pass SCS CSHJR 51(RES) out of Committee with            
individual recommendations.  There were no objections and it was so            
ordered.