119 S719 IS: Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025
U.S. Senate
2025-02-25
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II
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 719
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2025
Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs
A BILL
To amend the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to improve that Act, and for other purposes.
1.

Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025”.
2.

Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 amendments
Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a) is amended—
(1)
in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
“(2)

Indian forest land or rangeland
The term Indian forest land or rangeland means—
(A)
land that 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—
(i)
is Indian forest land (as defined in section 304 of the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3103));
(ii)
has a cover of grasses, brush, or any similar vegetation; or
(iii)
formerly had a forest cover or vegetative cover that is capable of restoration; and
(B)
land that is in the State of Alaska and held by an Alaska Native Corporation pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.).”;
(2)
in subsection (b)—
(A)
in the subsection heading, by inserting “or restore” after “protect”;
(B)
in paragraph (1), by striking “to protect Indian forest land or rangeland” and all that follows through “Indian forest land or rangeland)” and inserting “to protect or restore Indian forest land or rangeland, or to carry out a project to protect or restore Federal land”; and
(C)
in paragraph (3), by striking “that is—” and all that follows through the period at the end of subparagraph (B) and inserting “or Indian forest land or rangeland.”;
(3)
in subsection (c)—
(A)
in the subsection heading, by inserting “for Federal land” after “criteria”;
(B)
by striking “an Indian tribe,” in the matter preceding paragraph (1) and all that follows through “Indian tribe—” in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) and inserting the following: “Federal land, are whether—
“(1)
the Federal land has a special geographic, historical, or cultural significance to the Indian tribe and—”;
(C)
in paragraph (1) (as so designated)—
(i)
in subparagraph (A), by striking clause (i) and inserting the following:
“(i)
Indian forest land or rangeland; or”; and
(ii)
in subparagraph (B), by inserting “or watershed” after “land”;
(D)
by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
(E)
in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by striking “subject” and inserting “Federal”; and
(F)
in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by striking “Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management” and inserting “Federal”;
(4)
in subsection (g), by striking “date of enactment of this Act” and inserting “date of enactment of the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025”; and
(5)
by adding at the end the following:
“(h)

Authorization of appropriations
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2031.”.