[House Report 117-679]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


117th Congress    }                                    {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                    {      117-679

======================================================================



 
               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.

                                  [all]