[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2467 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2467
To take certain Federal lands in Mono County, California, into trust
for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 8, 2011
Mr. McKeon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To take certain Federal lands in Mono County, California, into trust
for the benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Bridgeport Indian Colony Land Trust,
Health, and Economic Development Act of 2011''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Bridgeport Indian Colony is a federally recognized
Indian tribe with a reservation located near the town of
Bridgeport, in Mono County, California.
(2) The Tribe's reservation is approximately 40 acres, and
was established by Federal law in 1974.
(3) The reservation lands are insufficient for the Tribe's
housing and community development needs.
(4) The Tribe's reservation is located approximately 0.24
miles from Highway 182.
(5) Between the Tribe's reservation and Highway 182 is an
undeveloped piece of Federal land, of which a 31.86 acre parcel
would be suitable to be added to the reservation and held in
trust by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.
(6) The expansion of the reservation will facilitate a
much-needed expansion of the Tribe's ability to provide housing
for its membership, a community activity center, and tribal
economic development.
(7) Many tribal members have expressed interest in moving
back to the reservation if housing and job opportunities can be
made available.
(8) A large portion of the nongovernmental labor force and
business in Mono County is seasonal in nature, and unemployment
in Mono County is approximately 10 percent.
(9) Transfer of this parcel, to be held in trust for the
Tribe, will expedite the creation of job opportunities in this
rural community for both tribal members and the non-Indian
community.
(10) In addition to the need for expansion of the
reservation, the Tribe has significant health needs that could
be facilitated by a separate Federal parcel being held in trust
by the United States for the benefit of the Tribe.
(11) The Tribe is a member of the Toiyabe Indian Health
Project, a nonprofit consortium of area Indian tribes which
provides the Indian and non-Indian residents of the area with
health care services, partially funded by the Indian Health
Service.
(12) The Toiyabe Indian Health Project operates other
facilities in Bishop and Lone Pine, California.
(13) In the 1980s, the Tribe applied for and received a
Community Development Block Grant from the Department of
Housing and Urban Development in order to build a healthcare
facility in Mono County.
(14) With Toiyabe Indian Health Project directing the
project, the Camp Antelope Health Clinic was built on a 7.16
acre parcel of Federal land one mile north of Walker,
California, approximately 30 miles from the Tribe's
reservation.
(15) The Toiyabe Indian Health Project closed the Camp
Antelope Health Clinic in 2006.
(16) The Tribe and the Toiyabe Indian Health Project have
agreed that the health clinic needs to be reopened.
(17) Tribal members have to drive 90 miles to Bishop to
obtain Indian healthcare services.
(18) Taking the additional land into trust will assist the
Tribe and the Toiyabe Indian Health Project in providing
healthcare services to Indians and non-Indians in the area.
(19) The investment of Federal funds in the development of
the health clinic adds to the importance of maintaining the
parcel under Federal ownership.
(20) On October 20, 2009, the Mono County Board of
Supervisors voted to support the transfer of land into trust
under this Act.
(21) On April 20, 2010, the Mono County Board of
Supervisors agreed unanimously to enter into a Memorandum of
Understanding with the Tribe, thus supporting the Tribe's
efforts to have these parcels of land transferred into trust.
SEC. 3. LANDS TO BE TAKEN INTO TRUST.
(a) In General.--Subject to valid existing rights and management
agreements related to easements and rights-of-way, all right, title,
and interest (including improvements and appurtenances) of the United
States in and to the Federal lands described in subsection (b) are
hereby declared to be held in trust by the United States for the
benefit of the Bridgeport Indian Colony.
(b) Federal Lands Described.--The Federal lands referred to in
subsection (a) are the approximately 39.36 acres described as follows:
(1) The South half of the South half of the Northwest
quarter of the Northwest quarter of the Northeast quarter and
the North half of the Southwest quarter of the Northwest
quarter of the Northeast quarter of Section 21, Township 8
North, Range 23 East, Mount Diablo Meridian, containing 7.5
acres, more or less, as identified on the map titled
``Bridgeport Camp Antelope Parcel''.
(2) Lots 1 and 2 of the survey plat attached, containing
31.86 acres, more or less.
<all>