[House Report 117-679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-679
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KATIMIIN AND AMEEKYAARAAM SACRED LANDS ACT
_______
December 30, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6032]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6032) to take certain Federal lands located in
Siskiyou County, California, and Humboldt County, California,
into trust for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe, and for other
purposes, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon
with an amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do
pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam Sacred Lands
Act''.
SEC. 2. LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE KARUK TRIBE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam land is located in the
ancestral territory of the Karuk Tribe; and
(2) the Karuk Tribe has historically used, and has an ongoing
relationship with, the Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam land.
(b) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Katimiin and ameekyaaraam land.--The term ``Katimiin and
Ameekyaaraam land'' means the approximately 1,031 acres of
Federal land, including improvements and appurtenances to the
Federal land, located in Siskiyou County, California, and
Humboldt County, California, and generally depicted as
``Proposed Area'' on the map of the Forest Service entitled
``Katimiin Area Boundary Proposal'' and dated August 9, 2021.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
the Interior.
(c) Administrative Transfer.--Administrative jurisdiction of the
Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam land is hereby transferred from the Secretary
of Agriculture to the Secretary, subject to the condition that the
Chief of the Forest Service shall continue to manage the component of
the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that flows through the
Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam land.
(d) Land Held in Trust.--The Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam land is hereby
taken into trust by the Secretary for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe,
subject to--
(1) valid existing rights, contracts, and management
agreements relating to easements and rights-of-way; and
(2) continued access by the Chief of the Forest Service for
the purpose of managing the component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System that flows through the Katimiin and
Ameekyaaraam land.
(e) Survey.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall provide to the Secretary a
complete survey of the land taken into trust under subsection (d).
(f) Use of Land.--
(1) In general.--Land taken into trust under subsection (d)
may be used for traditional and customary uses for the benefit
of the Karuk Tribe.
(2) Gaming.--Class II and class III gaming under the Indian
Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) shall not be
allowed on the land taken into trust under subsection (d).
(g) Wild and Scenic Rivers Management.--
(1) In general.--Nothing in this section affects the status
or administration of any component of the National Wild and
Scenic Rivers System, including any component that flows
through the land taken into trust under subsection (d).
(2) Memorandum of understanding.--The Secretary of
Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with
the Karuk Tribe, consistent with the obligations of the
Secretary of Agriculture under subsection (c), to establish
mutual goals for the protection and enhancement of the river
values of any component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers
System that flows through the land taken into trust under
subsection (d).
PURPOSE OF THE BILL
The purpose of H.R. 6032 is to take certain federal lands
located in Siskiyou County, California, and Humboldt County,
California, into trust for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Karuk Tribe's ancestral territory encompasses over
1.048 million acres in Northern California and Southern Oregon,
with about 900 acres currently held in trust for the Tribe. The
lands known as Katimiin and Ameekyaaraam are ceremonial areas
and village sites located at the Karuk Tribe's ``center of the
world.'' These sites host the final series of the Tribes'
annual Pik-ya-yish World Renewal ceremonies. Ameekyaaraam is
located downriver from Katimiin and serves as the site of the
Jump Dance and First Salmon ceremonies and the historical
location of pre-contact intertribal fish harvesting. These
sites remain essential to the Tribe's intergenerational
cultural and environmental teachings.
The Tribe's access to these sacred sites is not always
guaranteed. In recent years, tribal members have been
interrupted by members of the public during private components
of their ceremonies. H.R. 6032 will resolve this access issue
by placing approximately 1,031 acres of Siskiyou and Humboldt
County lands into trust for the Tribe. H.R. 6032 contains Class
I, II, and III gaming prohibitions and confirms the U.S. Forest
Service's authority over managing the Wild and Scenic Rivers
located on this parcel of land.
On December 22, 2022, Congress passed S. 4439, the Senate
companion to H.R. 6032. As of the writing of this report,
President Biden is expected to sign the bill into law.
COMMITTEE ACTION
H.R. 6032 was introduced on November 18, 2021, by
Representative Jared Huffman (D-CA). The bill was referred
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee for Indigenous People of the
United States and the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests,
and Public Lands. On September 14, 2022, the Subcommittee for
Indigenous People of the United States held a hearing on the
bill. On December 8, 2022, the Natural Resources Committee met
to consider the bill. The Subcommittees were discharged by
unanimous consent. Representative Huffman offered an amendment
in the nature of a substitute containing technical corrections
received through technical assistance by the U.S. Forest
Service and reflecting the text of S. 4439, the Senate
companion bill. The amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was
adopted and ordered favorably reported to the House of
Representatives by unanimous consent.
HEARINGS
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee for Indigenous People of the United
States held on September 14, 2022.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
COMPLIANCE WITH HOUSE RULE XIII AND CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET ACT
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 308(a)
of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and with respect to
requirements of clause (3)(c)(3) and clause 3(d) of rule XIII
of the Rules of the House of Representatives and section 402 of
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has
requested but not received a cost estimate for this bill from
the Director of Congressional Budget Office. The Committee
adopts as its own cost estimate the forthcoming cost estimate
of the Director of the Congressional Budget Office, should such
cost estimate be made available before House passage of the
bill. The Committee has requested but not received from the
Director of the Congressional Budget Office a statement as to
whether this bill contains any new budget authority, spending
authority, credit authority, or an increase or decrease in
revenues or tax expenditures.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to take certain federal lands
located in Siskiyou County, California, and Humboldt County,
California, into trust for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe.
EARMARK STATEMENT
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
UNFUNDED MANDATES REFORM ACT STATEMENT
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if
such estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional
Budget Office website.
EXISTING PROGRAMS
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW
If enacted, this bill would make no changes to existing
law.
SUPPLEMENTAL, MINORITY, ADDITIONAL, OR DISSENTING VIEWS
None.
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