25 U.S.C. § 3115a Tribal Forest Assets Protection

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 25 U.S.C. § 3115a

(a) Definitions

In this Act:

(1) Federal land

The term "Federal land" means-

(A) land of the National Forest System (as defined in section 1609(a) of title 16) administered by the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and

(B) public lands (as defined in section 1702 of title 43), the surface of which is administered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

(2) Indian forest land or rangeland

The term "Indian forest land or rangeland" means land that-

(A) is held in trust by, or with a restriction against alienation by, the United States for an Indian tribe or a member of an Indian tribe; and

(B)

(i)

(I) is Indian forest land (as defined in section 3103 of this title); or

(II) has a cover of grasses, brush, or any similar vegetation; or

(ii) formerly had a forest cover or vegetative cover that is capable of restoration.

(3) Indian tribe

The term "Indian tribe" has the meaning given the term in section 5304 of this title.

(4) Secretary

The term "Secretary" means-

(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service; and

(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.

(b) Authority to protect Indian forest land or rangeland

(1) In general

Not later than 120 days after the date on which an Indian tribe submits to the Secretary a request to enter into an agreement or contract to carry out a project to protect Indian forest land or rangeland (including a project to restore Federal land that borders on or is adjacent to Indian forest land or rangeland) that meets the criteria described in subsection (c), the Secretary may issue public notice of initiation of any necessary environmental review or of the potential of entering into an agreement or contract with the Indian tribe pursuant to section 347 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 ( 16 U.S.C. 2104 note; Public Law 105-277) (as amended by section 323 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 (117 Stat. 275)), or such other authority as appropriate, under which the Indian tribe would carry out activities described in paragraph (3).

(2) Environmental analysis

Following completion of any necessary environmental analysis, the Secretary may enter into an agreement or contract with the Indian tribe as described in paragraph (1).