The Alaska Native Vietnam-era Veteran Land Allotment Program (ANVLAP) has faced significant delays, frustrating both veterans and lawmakers alike. The program, which allows eligible Alaska Native Veterans to claim 160 acres of land, aims to compensate for lost opportunities during the Vietnam War era. However, despite its creation in 2019, progress has been slow.
Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, a member of the Veterans Affairs Committee, has voiced strong concerns about the slow pace of implementation. He expressed frustration that the Biden administration and the Department of the Interior have slowly rolled out the initiative.
Sullivan’s concern coincides with the Department of the Interior’s major announcement that 11.1 million more acres of public land in Central Alaska are now available for selection under the program. The new land availability increases the total land eligible for ANVLAP to nearly 39 million acres, a sharp rise from the 1 million acres initially available in 2019. Despite this progress, only 38 out of 2,000 eligible applicants have had their applications certified.
During an Alaska Federation of Natives event in October, Sullivan spoke about the lack of action, noting that the program had been stalled for two years before even one allotment was processed. He continues to press for change, working alongside Senator Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, on legislation to extend the program for another five years.
While Sullivan remains hopeful that a new bill could pass by the end of this year, it still needs to clear the House. The senators are determined to continue pushing for improvements, aiming to make the Alaska Native Veteran Land Program easily accessible for veterans.
This news article was originally published by Alaska´s News Source.
