25 USC 5614 - Forest land management and surface leasing activities

Collapse to view only § 5614. Forest land management and surface leasing activities

§ 5611. Definitions
§ 5612. Establishment of demonstration project; selection of participating Indian tribes
§ 5613. Indian trust asset management plan
§ 5614. Forest land management and surface leasing activities
§ 5615. Effect of subchapter

§ 5611. Definitions

In this subchapter:

(1) Indian tribe

(2) Project

(3) Secretary

(Pub. L. 114–178, title II, § 202, June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 433.)

§ 5612. Establishment of demonstration project; selection of participating Indian tribes

(a) In general

(b) Selection of participating Indian tribes

(1) In general

An Indian tribe shall be eligible to participate in the project if—

(A) the Indian tribe submits to the Secretary an application under subsection (c); and

(B) the Secretary approves the application of the Indian tribe.

(2) Notice

(A) In general

(B) Contents

A notice under subparagraph (A) shall include—

(i) a statement that the application of the Indian tribe has been approved by the Secretary; and

(ii) a requirement that the Indian tribe shall submit to the Secretary a proposed Indian trust asset management plan in accordance with section 5613 of this title.

(1) In general

(2) Requirements

The Secretary shall consider an application under this subsection only if the application—

(A) includes a copy of a resolution or other appropriate action by the governing body of the Indian tribe, as determined by the Secretary, in support of or authorizing the application;

(B) is received by the Secretary after June 22, 2016; and

(d) Duration

The project—

(1) shall remain in effect for a period of 10 years after June 22, 2016; but

(2) may be extended at the discretion of the Secretary.

(Pub. L. 114–178, title II, § 203, June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 433.)

§ 5613. Indian trust asset management plan

(a) Proposed plan

(1) Submission

(2) ContentsA proposed Indian trust asset management plan shall include provisions that—

(A) identify the trust assets that will be subject to the plan;

(B) establish trust asset management objectives and priorities for Indian trust assets that are located within the reservation, or otherwise subject to the jurisdiction, of the Indian tribe;

(C) allocate trust asset management funding that is available for the Indian trust assets subject to the plan in order to meet the trust asset management objectives and priorities;

(D) if the Indian tribe has contracted or compacted functions or activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450 et seq.) 1

1 See References in Text note below.

relating to the management of trust assets—

(i) identify the functions or activities that are being or will be performed by the Indian tribe under the contracts, compacts, or other agreements under that Act, which may include any of the surface leasing or forest land management activities authorized by the proposed plan pursuant to section 5614(b) of this title; and

(ii) describe the practices and procedures that the Indian tribe will follow;

(E) establish procedures for nonbinding mediation or resolution of any dispute between the Indian tribe and the United States relating to the trust asset management plan;

(F) include a process for the Indian tribe and the Federal agencies affected by the trust asset management plan to conduct evaluations to ensure that trust assets are being managed in accordance with the plan; and

(G) identify any Federal regulations that will be superseded by the plan.

(3) Technical assistance and information

(b) Approval and disapproval of proposed plans

(1) Approval

(A) In general

(B) Requirements for disapprovalThe Secretary shall approve a proposed plan unless the Secretary determines that—

(i) the proposed plan fails to address a requirement under subsection (a)(2);

(ii) the proposed plan includes 1 or more provisions that are inconsistent with subsection (c); or

(iii) the cost of implementing the proposed plan exceeds the amount of funding available for the management of trust assets that would be subject to the proposed plan.

(2) Action on disapproval

(A) Notice

(B) Action by tribes

(3) Failure to approve or disapprove

(4) Judicial reviewAn Indian tribe may seek judicial review of a determination of the Secretary under this subsection in accordance with subchapter II of chapter 5, and chapter 7, of title 5, (commonly known as the “Administrative Procedure Act”), if—

(A) the Secretary disapproves the proposed plan of the Indian tribe under paragraph (1); and

(B) the Indian tribe has exhausted all other administrative remedies available to the Indian tribe.

(d) Termination of plan

(1) In generalAn Indian tribe may terminate an Indian trust asset management plan on any date after the date on which a proposed Indian trust asset management plan is approved by providing to the Secretary—

(A) a notice of the intent of the Indian tribe to terminate the plan; and

(B) a resolution of the governing body of the Indian tribe authorizing the termination of the plan.

(2) Effective date

(Pub. L. 114–178, title II, § 204, June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 434.)

§ 5614. Forest land management and surface leasing activities

(a) DefinitionsIn this section:

(1) Forest land management activity

(2) Interested party

(3) Surface leasing transactionThe term “surface leasing transaction” means a residential, business, agricultural, or wind or solar resource lease of land the title to which is held—

(A) in trust by the United States for the benefit of an Indian tribe; or

(B) in fee by an Indian tribe, subject to restrictions against alienation under Federal law.

(b) Approval by SecretaryThe Secretary may approve an Indian trust asset management plan that includes a provision authorizing the Indian tribe to enter into, approve, and carry out a surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity without approval of the Secretary, regardless of whether the surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity would require such an approval under otherwise applicable law (including regulations), if—

(1) the resolution or other action of the governing body of the Indian tribe referred to in section 5612(c)(2)(A) of this title expressly authorizes the inclusion of the provision in the Indian trust asset management plan; and

(2) the Indian tribe has adopted regulations expressly incorporated by reference into the Indian trust asset management plan that—

(A) with respect to a surface leasing transaction—

(i) have been approved by the Secretary pursuant to subsection (h)(4) of section 415 of this title; or

(ii) have not yet been approved by the Secretary in accordance with clause (i), but that the Secretary determines at or prior to the time of approval under this paragraph meet the requirements of subsection (h)(3) of section 415 of this title; or

(B) with respect to forest land management activities, the Secretary determines—

(i) are consistent with the regulations of the Secretary adopted under the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.); and

(ii) provide for an environmental review process that includes—(I) the identification and evaluation of any significant effects of the proposed action on the environment; and(II) a process consistent with the regulations referred to in clause (i) for ensuring that—(aa) the public is informed of, and has a reasonable opportunity to comment on, any significant environmental impacts of the proposed forest land management activity identified by the Indian tribe; and(bb) the Indian tribe provides responses to relevant and substantive public comments on any such impacts before the Indian tribe approves the forest land management activity.

(1) In general

(2) Selection of specific transactions and activities

(d) Technical assistance

(1) In general

(2) Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act

(e) Federal environmental review

(f) DocumentationIf an Indian tribe executes a surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity, pursuant to tribal regulations under subsection (b)(2), the Indian tribe shall provide to the Secretary 2

2 So in original. Probably should be followed by a dash.

(1) a copy of the surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity documents, including any amendments to, or renewals of, the applicable transaction; and

(2) in the case of tribal regulations, a surface leasing transaction, or forest land management activities that allow payments to be made directly to the Indian tribe, documentation of the payments that is sufficient to enable the Secretary to discharge the trust responsibility of the United States under subsection (g).

(g) Trust responsibility

(1) In generalThe United States shall not be liable for losses sustained—

(A) by an Indian tribe as a result of the execution of any forest land management activity pursuant to tribal regulations under subsection (b); or

(B) by any party to a lease executed pursuant to tribal regulations under subsection (b).

(2) Authority of Secretary

(h) Compliance

(1) In general

(2) Violations

(3) DocumentationIf the Secretary determines under paragraph (1) that a violation of tribal regulations has occurred and a remedy is necessary, the Secretary shall—

(A) make a written determination with respect to the regulations that have been violated;

(B) provide to the applicable Indian tribe a written notice of the alleged violation, together with the written determination; and

(C) prior to the exercise of any remedy, the rescission of the approval of the regulation involved, or the reassumption of the trust asset transaction approval responsibilities, provide to the applicable Indian tribe—

(i) a hearing on the record; and

(ii) a reasonable opportunity to cure the alleged violation.

(Pub. L. 114–178, title II, § 205, June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 436.)

§ 5615. Effect of subchapter

(a) Liability

(b) Deviation from standard practices

(d) Effect on other laws

(1) In general

(2) Indian Self-Determination Act

(e) Separate approval

(f) Trust responsibility

(Pub. L. 114–178, title II, § 206, June 22, 2016, 130 Stat. 439.)