[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18670-18671]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       TAKING LAND INTO TRUST FOR THE SUSANVILLE INDIAN RANCHERIA

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2212) to take certain Federal lands located in Lassen 
County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Susanville Indian 
Rancheria, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2212

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. LAND INTO TRUST FOR THE SUSANVILLE INDIAN 
                   RANCHERIA.

       (a) In General.--The land described in subsection (b) is 
     hereby taken into trust for the benefit of the Susanville 
     Indian Rancheria, subject to valid existing rights.
       (b) Land Description.--The land taken into trust pursuant 
     to subsection (a) is the approximately 301 acres of Federal 
     land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Bureau of 
     Land Management identified as ``Conveyance Boundary'' on the 
     map titled ``Susanville Indian Rancheria Land Conveyance'' 
     and dated December 31, 2014.
       (c) Gaming.--Class II and class III gaming under the Indian 
     Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) shall not be 
     allowed at any time on the land taken into trust pursuant to 
     subsection (a).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. LaMalfa) and the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 2212, which would direct the Secretary of 
the Interior to place into trust 300 acres of Bureau of Land Management 
land for the Susanville Indian Rancheria. These isolated and surplus 
BLM lands are adjacent to existing tribal lands in Lassen County, 
California.
  Since 2005, the tribe has worked with the local California BLM office 
to one day complete the transfer of these lands, which are culturally 
and historically significant to the tribe.
  Comprised of the descendants of four tribes within the region--the 
Mountain Maidu, Northern Paiute, the Pit River, and the Washoe--the 
Susanville Indian Rancheria has a long history of relocation and 
adversity. The Rancheria's ancestors were party to 18 unratified 
treaties with the Federal Government, and their lands were taken after 
passage of the Land Claims Act of 1851.
  Displaced during the California gold rush of the 1850s, the tribe was 
homeless until 1923, when the Federal Government purchased and placed 
into trust 30 acres. Since that time, another 120 acres were added by 
Congress in 1978 and approximately 950 acres have been added by BIA 
action.
  The Rancheria has long ties to this land, which holds a number of 
cultural, historical, and archeological sites, including grinding 
stones, petroglyphs, and other important artifacts. Rancheria members 
also gather traditional herbs, medicines, and vegetables on the land 
and continue to hunt game in the area as their ancestors did.
  The land has been classified as surplus by the BLM, which has written 
in support of transferring the parcel to the Rancheria, and it is 
adjacent, again, to the Rancheria's existing lands.
  The Rancheria intends to continue using the land for traditional 
purposes as well as eventually constructing a cultural center, a 
museum, and recreational facilities, including sports fields.
  At the request of the tribe, the bill includes a prohibition on 
gaming. The Rancheria has long proven to be a conscientious and 
thoughtful neighbor to the City of Susanville, and I have no doubt that 
it will prove to be a good steward of this land.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill was passed by the Natural Resources Committee 
with unanimous support. The Senate counterpart, sponsored by Senator 
Boxer, who we found agreement on this legislation on, also received 
unanimous support in the Senate Indian Affairs Committee.
  I urge your support and thank you for your consideration of this 
measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.

[[Page 18671]]

  H.R. 2212, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa), 
our colleague, is indeed a good piece of legislation. Three hundred 
acres of BLM land in the Hidden Valley area of Lassen County, 
California, will be put into trust for the benefit of the Susanville 
Indian Rancheria.
  The land in question is not only adjacent to Susanville's current 
trust land, it is also part of their aboriginal territories. There are 
numerous cultural and archeological sites on the land that the 
Susanville members seek to protect, including the remains of a historic 
Native American village.
  In addition, the area is an important traditional hunting ground and 
is utilized for traditional ceremonies. The land has been identified by 
BLM as excess inventory and a cost burden to the Federal Government.
  Mr. Speaker, this bill is a win-win for all parties involved. The 
Susanville Rancheria members will finally have a portion of its 
historic land returned, and the Federal Government will save money on 
administrative costs on land that it does not want.
  I want to congratulate the sponsor of the legislation. I urge its 
swift passage.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of the gentleman 
from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva), the committee's ranking member, and the 
unanimous effort to move this bill out of committee.
  Mr. Speaker, I seek support for my legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. LaMalfa) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2212, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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