Congressional Record, Volume 160 Issue 81 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)

[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 28, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H4860-H4861]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SANDIA PUEBLO SETTLEMENT TECHNICAL AMENDMENT ACT

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules
and pass the bill (S. 611) to make a technical amendment to the T'uf
Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:

S. 611

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 ``Sandia Pueblo Settlement
Technical Amendment Act''.

SEC. 2. SANDIA PUEBLO SETTLEMENT TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

Section 413(b) of the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust
Area Act (16 U.S.C. 539m-11(b)) is amended--
(1) in the first sentence of paragraph (4), by striking
``conveyance'' and inserting ``title to be conveyed''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(6) Failure to exchange.--
``(A) In general.--If the land exchange authorized under
paragraph (1) is not completed by the date that is 30 days
after the date of enactment of this paragraph, the Secretary,
on request of the Pueblo and the Secretary of the Interior,
shall transfer the National Forest land generally depicted as
`Land to be Held in Trust' on the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo
Settlement Technical Amendment Act' and dated October 18,
2013, to the Secretary of the Interior to be held in trust by
the United States for the Pueblo--
``(i) subject to the restriction enforced by the Secretary
of the Interior that the land remain undeveloped, with the
natural characteristics of the land to be preserved in
perpetuity; and
``(ii) consistent with subsection (c).
``(B) Other transfers.--After the transfer under
subparagraph (A) is complete, the Secretary of the Interior,
with the consent of the Pueblo, shall--
``(i) transfer to the Secretary, consistent with section
411(c)--

``(I) the La Luz tract generally depicted on the map
entitled `Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical Amendment Act'
and dated October 18, 2013; and
``(II) the conservation easement for the Piedra Lisa tract
generally depicted on the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo
Settlement Technical Amendment Act' and dated October 18,
2013; and

``(ii) grant to the Secretary a right-of-way for the Piedra
Lisa Trail within the Piedra Lisa tract generally depicted on
the map entitled `Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical
Amendment Act' and dated October 18, 2013.''.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Hastings) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms.
Michelle Lujan Grisham) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.

General Leave

Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 611 authorizes a transfer of land between the U.S.
Forest Service and the Pueblo of Sandia in the State of New Mexico. The
bill would complete a series of pending land exchanges that were
originally authorized under a 2003 law. The exchanges were intended to
resolve the Pueblo's ownership claims to Sandia Mountain and to retain
certain lands and interests in public ownership as part of the Cibola
National Forest.
Some of the land exchanges were not executed because of a
disagreement over land valuation. In 2009, Congress attempted to
resolve this matter through a technical amendment but, in the view of
the Forest Service, the bill did not resolve the land valuation
dispute. So, Mr. Speaker, it is hoped that round two of the technical
amendments to the 2003 act will conclude the matter.
The Committee on Natural Resources has reported the House companion
measure to this bill, H.R. 3605, and we have no objection to passing S.
611 in lieu of H.R. 3605.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself
such time as I may consume.
I rise in support of S. 611, the Sandia Pueblo Settlement Technical
Amendment Act.
Senate 611 provides technical amendments to the T'uf Shur Bien
Preservation Trust Area Act, which passed Congress over 10 years ago,
in order to settle land claims with the Pueblo of Sandia, but due to
uncertainty over the valuation of land within the U.S. Forest Service,
has still not been implemented.
Specifically, this bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, at the
request of the Sandia Pueblo and the Secretary of the Interior, to
transfer certain national forest land to the Secretary of the Interior
to be held in trust for the Pueblo, if a land exchange with the Pueblo
required by the T'uf Shur Bien Preservation Trust Area Act is not
completed within 30 days of this Act's enactment.
The bill would also affect a land conveyance, a transfer of right-of-
way from the tribe to the Forest Service, and would require the
National Forest land in question to remain undeveloped so that the
Pueblo will be able to use the land for ceremonial purposes in
perpetuity.
This bill is the companion of H.R. 3605, a bill I introduced in the
House. That bill was reported favorably out of committee. Since the
Senate bill has already passed that body, we have decided to vote on
that bill to, hopefully, pass it with efficiency.
It is difficult for many tribal communities to access and protect
sacred sites. So when we have the opportunity to place sacred sites
under tribal control, I think it is important for this body to act.
The Pueblo of Sandia and the entire New Mexico delegation supports S.
611.

[[Page H4861]]

I ask my colleagues to stand with me in support of this important bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I will advise my friend from
New Mexico that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close.
Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, I thank my
colleague.
I just want to reiterate my gratitude to the entire New Mexico
delegation; the Governor of Pueblo Sandia, Governor Paisano; the
lieutenant governor; and the entire tribal council.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 611.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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