[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 31 (Tuesday, March 15, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2738-S2739]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. HATCH:
  S. 623. A bill to direct the Secretary of Interior to convey land 
held in trust for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to the City of 
Richfield, Utah, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Paiute Indian 
Tribe Land Conveyance Act of 2005.

[[Page S2739]]

This bill would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to convey or 
transfer four small Paiute trust land parcels to the city of Richfield.
  The Paiute Indian Tribe Land Conveyance Act of 2005 would allow the 
Secretary of the Interior to transfer three acres of land held in trust 
for the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah to the city of Richfield, UT. The 
city of Richfield would provide fair market value compensation directly 
to the tribe, and pay any costs incurred in this transaction. This land 
transfer would allow expansion of the Richfield Municipal Airport and 
provide the Tribe with proceeds to purchase land that has economic 
development potential. This bill passed the House last year and I 
introduced it in the Senate, but the Senate bill did not make it 
through the legislative process prior the end of the 108th Congress.
  This proposal has support from all sides. The city of Richfield 
approached the Tribe about acquiring this parcel of land adjacent to 
the airport runway. The Tribe agreed and the Paiute Tribal Council 
passed Resolution 01-36, unanimously agreeing to the conveyance of this 
parcel of land to the City. The land in question has not been used by 
the Tribe for more than 20 years. It is not contiguous to the Paiute's 
Reservation and for nearly 30 years now has had no economic development 
potential. The tribal resolution expresses the Paiute's desire to 
accept the city's offer to purchase the land at fair market value and 
serves as the request to the Secretary of the Interior to convey the 
trust land. However, only an act of Congress may authorize this land 
conveyance.
  The Paiute Indian Tribe Land Conveyance Act of 2005 would also 
transfer three trust land parcels, each an acre or less in size, from 
the Tribe to its Kanosh and Shivwits Bands. All parcels would remain in 
trust status. The first parcel of one acre would be transferred from 
land held in trust by the United States for the Paiute Tribe to land 
held in trust for the Kanosh Band. This parcel is surrounded by 279 
acres of land that is either owned by the Kanosh Band or held in trust 
for the Kanosh Band. For more than twenty years, the sole use of this 
land has been for the Kanosh Band Community Center. The second parcel, 
two-thirds of an acre in size, would also be transferred from the Tribe 
to the Kanosh Band. The land has been used exclusively by the Kanosh 
Band. It was originally intended that the land be taken in trust for 
the Kanosh Band in 1981 under the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah 
Restoration Act. However, through an administrative error, the land was 
mistakenly placed in trust for the Tribe. By way of several Band 
resolutions, the Kanosh Band has formally requested correction of this 
error.
  The third parcel of land, less than an acre in size, would be 
transferred from the Tribe to be held in trust for the Shivwits Band. 
The land already is surrounded by several thousand acres of land held 
in trust for the Shivwits band, and its sole use has been for the 
Shivwits Band Community Center.
  Finally, the bill would eliminate the word ``City'' from the current 
official name of the ``Cedar City Band of Paiute Indians,'' a name 
which has never been used by the Band of residents of southwestern 
Utah. Thus, the bill makes clear that any reference in a law, map, 
regulation, document, paper, or other record, of the United States to 
the ``Cedar City Band of Paiute Indians'' shall be deemed to be 
reference to the ``Cedar Band of Paiute Indians.''
  I would like to make some clarifications as part of the record. This 
bill has language that would allow the city of Richfield to purchase 
land from the Tribe and provide payment directly to the Tribe without 
the funds being funneled through the Department of the Interior. I 
support that provision. The bill also has a provision that would make 
lands which were acquired by the United States in trust for the Tribe, 
after February 17, 1984 and prior to the date of the enactment of this 
legislation, a part of the reservation. this clarifies the intent that 
lands already in possession of the tribe should be part of the 
reservation. I would also like to clarify that nothing in this 
legislation authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to make land 
conveyances for any tribe or band without their official consent to 
such a conveyance.
  This bill will cost U.S. taxpayers nothing, but it will solve the 
dilemma that the city of Richfield faces as it works to make its 
airport meet the needs of the citizens of southwestern Utah. Equally 
important is the fact that this bill will allow the Paiute Tribe to use 
the proceeds from the land sale to acquire land with economic 
development potential to facilitate the well-being of the Tribe. The 
bill also takes care of non-controversial land adjustments and 
technical corrections. The bill is supported by the Paiute Tribe, its 
Bands, and the people of southwestern Utah residing nearby. That is why 
I am introducing this legislation that would convey or transfer small 
Paiute trust land parcels.
  I thank the Senate for the opportunity to address this issue today, 
and I urge my colleagues to support the passage of the Paiute Indian 
Tribe Land Conveyance Act of 2005.
                                 ______