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HEARING OF THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: NOMINATIONS CHAIRED BY: SENATOR MARK UDALL (D-CO) WITNESSES: WILMA A. LEWIS, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERIOR FOR LAND AND MINERALS MANAGEMENT; RICHARD NEWELL, TO BE ADMINISTRATOR, ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION; ROBERT ABBEY, TO BE DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LOCATION: 366 DIRKSEN SENATE... (Part 5).

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HEARING OF THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE SUBJECT: NOMINATIONS CHAIRED BY: SENATOR MARK UDALL (D-CO) WITNESSES: WILMA A. LEWIS, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERIOR FOR LAND AND MINERALS MANAGEMENT; RICHARD NEWELL, TO BE ADMINISTRATOR, ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION; ROBERT ABBEY, TO BE DIRECTOR, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LOCATION: 366 DIRKSEN SENATE OFFICE BUILDING, WASHINGTON, D.C. TIME: 2:00 P.M. EDT DATE: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2009(Part 5)

And when we became a state, back in 1959, we were promised 104 million acres of land.

And then when the Alaskan natives settled their land claims in 1971, they were additionally promised some 44 million acres of land. Thirty-four -- 38 years later for the natives and 50 years later for the state, we're still waiting on these conveyances. Fifty-four percent of the state's lands have been fully transferred. Fifty-seven percent of the native land has been transferred.

I figured back in 2004 when I came to the Senate that that was plenty of time for the federal government to deliver on its promise to our natives and to the state of Alaska. So I introduced legislation. It was passed, and the Alaska Land Conveyance Act, Acceleration Act, became law. Unfortunately we haven't had as much support as I would have liked over these past few years...

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