[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 69 (Monday, April 12, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 17574-17588]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-8851]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

25 CFR Part 151

RIN 1076-AD90


Acquisition of Title to Land in Trust

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: On September 18, 1980, we issued the first regulations 
governing the exercise of the Secretary of the Interior's authority to 
accept title to land in the name of the United States to be held in 
trust for the benefit of Indian tribes and individual Indians (i.e., to 
``take land into trust''). These regulations have not undergone 
substantial revision since their adoption. We now propose to amend 
these regulations to make clearer that we will follow a process that is 
somewhat different, and we will apply a standard which is somewhat more 
demanding when a land-into-trust application involves title to lands 
which are located outside the boundaries of a reservation (``off-
reservation lands''). In contrast, when the application involves lands 
located inside the boundaries of a reservation (``on-reservation 
lands''), we will apply a process and a standard which reflect a 
presumption in favor of acquisition of trust title to those lands. In 
addition, the proposed rule sets out the process we will use to comply 
with a mandate from Congress directing us to use our administrative 
procedures to place a particular tract of land into trust. Finally, the 
proposed rule establishes a framework in which a tribe without a 
reservation can establish a geographic boundary within which it may 
acquire land under the on-reservation provisions of the regulation.

DATES: Send comments before July 12, 1999.

ADDRESSES: If you wish to comment, you may submit your comments by any

[[Page 17575]]

one of several methods. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Terry Virden, Director, Office of 
Trust Responsibilities, Bureau of Indian Affairs, MS-4513, Main 
Interior Building, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240; by 
telephone at (202) 208-5831; or by telefax at (202) 219-1065.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

General Comments

    You may mail comments to the Office of Trust Responsibilities, 
Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street, NW, MS-4513-MIB, Washington, 
DC 20240.

Electronic Access and Filing

    You may also comment via the Internet to 
[[email protected]]. Please submit Internet comments as an 
ASCII file avoiding the use of special characters and any form of 
encryption. Please also include ``Attn: 1076-AD90'' and your name and 
return address in your Internet message. If you do not receive a 
confirmation from the system that we have received your Internet 
message, contact the Office of Trust Responsibilities directly at (202) 
208-5831.
    Finally, you may hand-deliver comments to the Office of Trust 
Responsibilities, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street, N.W., MS-
4513-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240.
    Our practice is to make comments, including the names and addresses 
of persons commenting, available for public review during regular 
business hours. Persons commenting as private individuals may request 
that we withhold their home address from the rulemaking record, which 
we will honor to the extent allowable by law. There may also be 
circumstances in which we would withhold from the rulemaking record a 
commenter's identity, as allowable by law. If you wish us to withhold 
your name and/or address, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your comment. We will not consider anonymous comments. 
Comments from organizations or businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses, will be available for public inspection in their 
entirety.

Specific Comments on Information Collection Aspects of the 
Rulemaking

    Indian tribes and individuals must submit the information required 
under Secs. 151.4, 151.9, 151.12, 151.15, and 151.18 to acquire land 
into trust, and 151.26 for approval of Tribal Acquisition Plans. We 
will use the information in making a determination on an application to 
take land into trust. The applicant must respond to this request to 
obtain a benefit. This table represents our estimate of the burden 
hours for reporting information collection under each section of this 
proposed rule.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  Average                               Annual
        Citation 25 CFR 151                 Information          number of     Average number per       burden
                                                                   hours              year              hours
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
151.4--For all applications.......  Submit completed written            4-8  6,941                        28,635
                                     request as specified in
                                     sections 151.9, .12, and
                                     .15.
151.9--For on reservation           Applicants must submit:...            4  95%=6,594                    26,376
 acquisitions.                      (a) Copy of authority.....
                                    (b) Explanation of need...
                                    (c) Explanation of
                                     ownership status (Tribe).
                                    (d) Explanation of
                                     ownership status
                                     (Individual).
                                    (e) Title Insurance.......
                                    (f) Documentation for NEPA
151.12--For off reservation         Applicants must submit:...            8  4%=278                        2,224
 acquisitions.                      (a) Copy of authority.....
                                    (b) Explanation of need...
                                    (c) Description of
                                     proposed use.
                                    (d) Description of
                                     location of land.
                                    (e) Description of effect
                                     on state & political
                                     subdivisions.
                                    (f) Description of
                                     jurisdictional issues.
                                    (g) Title Insurance.......
                                    (h) Documentation for NEPA
                                    (i) Documentation that
                                     individual's request
                                     meets 151.13.
151.15--For mandatory acquisitions  Applicants must submit:...           .5  1%=69                        \2\ 35
                                    (a) Copy of authority.....
                                    (b) Title Insurance.......
                                    (c) Additional information
                                     upon request.
151.18--For Tribal Land             Applicants must submit:...            8  .05%=325                  \3\ 2,600
 Acquisition Plans (TLAP).          (a) Copy of authority.....
                                    (b) Copy of tribal
                                     documents to establish
                                     TLAP.
                                    (c) Summary of purposes &
                                     goals.
                                    (d) Summary of tribe's
                                     history.
                                    (e) Description of TLAP...
                                    (f) Location of Rights-of-
                                     Way.
                                    (g) Description of effect
                                     on State & political
                                     subdivisions.
                                    (h) Description of
                                     jurisdictional & land use
                                     issues.
151.26--Recordkeeping.............  Maintaining each case file        (\1\)  6,941                          578
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ 5 minutes=\1/12\ hour.
\2\ Rounded.
\3\ Not included in total burden hours.

    We invite your comments as to:
    (1) Whether the collection of information is necessary for the 
proper performance of the functions of the

[[Page 17576]]

Bureau, including whether the information will have practical utility;
    (2) The accuracy of the Bureau's estimate of the burden of the 
collection of information, including the validity of the methodology 
and assumptions used;
    (3) The quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and
    (4) How to minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including the use of appropriate automated 
electronic, mechanical, or other forms of information technology.
    Your comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of 
this information collection should be sent to: Attention: Desk Officer 
for the Interior Department, Office of Information and Regulatory 
Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 
725 17th Street, NW, Washington DC 20503. Please note that OMB has up 
to 60 days to approve or disapprove the information collection but may 
respond after 30 days; therefore, public comments should be submitted 
to OMB within 30 days in order to assure their maximum consideration. 
Comments should also be sent to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of 
Trust Responsibilities, 1849 C Street, NW, MS-4513-MIB, Washington, DC 
20240.

Introduction and Summary

    Congress has given the Secretary of the Interior discretionary 
authority to acquire title to land to be held in trust by the United 
States for the benefit of Indian tribes and individual Indians. 
Acquiring such title is commonly referred to as ``taking land into 
trust.'' General statutory authority giving the Secretary discretion to 
acquire trust title to land is found in Section 5 of the Indian 
Reorganization Act of 1934 (the IRA), 25 U.S.C. 465:

    The Secretary of the Interior is hereby authorized, in his 
discretion, to acquire, through purchase, relinquishment, gift, 
exchange, or assignment, any interest in lands, water rights, or 
surface rights to land, within or without existing reservations, 
including trust or otherwise restricted allotments, whether the 
allottee be living or deceased, for the purpose of providing land to 
Indians.

Occasionally, Congress enacts other legislation granting the Secretary 
authority to take land into trust for some specific purpose. We refer 
to acquisitions of trust title under the IRA, and under other 
specialized statutes that grant discretionary authority to the 
Secretary, as ``discretionary acquisitions of title.''
    The regulations proposed here would restructure how we review 
proposed discretionary acquisitions of title. We believe this 
restructuring will facilitate land-into-trust decisions which better 
reflect the modern-day needs and concerns of tribes, individual 
Indians, and surrounding non-Indian communities. Specifically, the 
proposed regulation sets forth an application process and review 
criteria which is more demanding when the land at issue is located 
outside the boundaries of an existing reservation or outside a 
Secretarially-approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area (collectively, 
``off-reservation acquisitions''), but which is less demanding when the 
land is located inside the boundaries of an existing reservation or 
inside a Secretarially-approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area 
(collectively, ``on-reservation acquisitions''). In other words, the 
proposed regulations would make the application process easier for on-
reservation acquisitions, while conversely requiring a more detailed 
analysis of a greater number of criteria for off-reservation 
acquisitions.
    The purpose of creating these differing processes and criteria is 
two-fold. First, we intend to better carry out our responsibility to 
assist tribes in reestablishing ownership of, and jurisdiction over, 
land located within their own reservations. Second, we also intend to 
create a framework that adequately addresses the particular concerns 
that non-Indian governments have about the ramifications of placing 
off-reservation land into trust.
    In addition, the proposed regulations delineate the procedure by 
which we process mandatory acquisitions of title. Mandatory 
acquisitions of title are trust acquisitions which Congress, by 
explicit statutory direction, requires the Secretary to accept through 
the administrative process. In other words, mandatory acquisitions are 
those which Congress has directed the Secretary to complete by removing 
any discretion in the administrative decision-making process. 
(Mandatory acquisitions of title are distinguishable from legislative 
transfers of title. Legislative transfers of title are those in which 
Congress directly places a parcel of land in trust, thereby removing 
the need for any administrative action to effectuate the transfer of 
title into trust status.)
    Finally, the proposed regulations address the unique difficulties 
encountered by tribes which do not have reservations by including new 
provisions which set out a process by which those tribes may benefit 
from the on-reservation provisions of this regulation. In this process, 
a tribe without a reservation can designate a ``Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area'' in which it plans to acquire land. If the tribe obtains 
Secretarial approval of its Tribal Land Acquisition Area, the tribe 
will be able to apply to have title to the lands located within the 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area taken into trust under the on-reservations 
provisions of this regulation.

Discretionary Acquisitions On-Reservation

    The General Allotment Act of 1887, 25 U.S.C. 331 et seq., 
authorized the division, and distribution to individuals, of lands 
located within the boundaries of most Indian reservations across the 
country. This allotment policy was based in part on the theory that fee 
ownership of land would improve the economic condition of Indians, 
which at the time was acknowledged to be very poor. Unfortunately, in 
practice the primary beneficiaries of the Allotment Act were land 
speculators who quickly acquired large portions of land within Indian 
reservations, often at prices well below market value. Institute for 
Government Research, The Problem of Indian Administration 460-462 (L. 
Meriam, ed.) (Johnson Reprint Corporation 1971) (1928) (Meriam Report).
    Implementation of the Allotment Act resulted in the alienation of 
as much as 90 million acres of land originally reserved to tribes by 
treaties and Executive Orders. Felix S. Cohen, Handbook of Federal 
Indian Law 138 (Michie Company) (1982 ed.) (Cohen). The loss of these 
tribal lands was catastrophic and generally is regarded by historians 
and others as being responsible for a precipitous decline in the 
economic, cultural, social and physical health of tribes and their 
members. E.g., Charles F. Wilkinson, American Indians, Time and the Law 
19-21 (Yale University Press 1987). To combat this downward spiral, in 
1934 Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA). Comment, 
Tribal Self-Government and Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, 70 Mich. 
L. Rev. 955, 960 (1972). One of the primary goals of the IRA was the 
restoration to tribal ownership of allotted land within existing 
reservations. See, Readjustment of Indian Affairs, Hearing before the 
Committee on Indian Affairs, 73d Cong. 2nd Sess. on H.R. 7902, at 16-1; 
Cohen, supra at 147. Although the IRA authorized appropriation to the 
Department of the Interior of two million dollars a year for land 
acquisition, since 1934 only $5.5 million has been appropriated by 
Congress for that purpose, all of it before 1950. Cohen at 150, note 
51.

[[Page 17577]]

    In the modern era tribes have taken full responsibility for 
rebuilding their reservation land bases, purchasing land from willing 
sellers and then applying to the Secretary to request that the land be 
taken into trust. Yet to date, less than eight percent of lands lost 
through allotment have been returned to tribal ownership. Cohen at 138, 
BIA's Annual Report for Indian Lands, 1996. Indeed, most applications 
requesting that we take land into trust have involved relatively small 
amounts of land. For example, in 1996 (the latest year for which data 
is available), the average amount of land involved in an application to 
take land in trust was about 30 acres. BIA's Annual Report for Indian 
Lands, 1996.
    The proposed regulations are intended to promote the health and 
welfare of tribes and their members by better facilitating the 
restoration of on-reservation Indian lands into trust status. For 
example, the on-reservation provisions of the regulation provide that 
the tribe's stated need for the land will be accorded additional weight 
in recognition of the tribe's reasonable expectation that it benefit 
from the lands originally promised to it by treaty or Executive Order. 
For the same reason, because lands within reservation boundaries are 
subject to tribal governmental jurisdiction, the portion of the 
proposed rule governing on-reservation acquisitions does not 
specifically require submission of information concerning impacts on 
non-Indian communities, although State and local governments may 
comment on these impacts if they so desire. (In which case, the tribe 
will be given a copy of the comments and a reasonable amount of time in 
which to respond.)

Discretionary Acquisitions Off-Reservation

    Congressional adoption of the land acquisition provisions of the 
IRA was based in part on Congress' understanding that the decimation of 
the tribal land base had resulted in substantial economic hardship for 
Indian tribes and their members. Hence, the regulations implementing 
the IRA anticipate the potential need for tribal trust land for 
economic development outside the boundaries of a reservation, 
particularly in situations in which a tribe's reservation is isolated 
or otherwise remote from centers of economic activity.
    The acquisition of title by the United States in off-reservation 
circumstances can, however, have significant ramifications for local 
non-Indian communities. In particular, important jurisdictional matters 
(e.g., those involving law enforcement, land use planning, public 
education, and maintenance of utilities and roads) can become blurred. 
The effects of off-reservation acquisitions are in contrast to those 
caused by on-reservation acquisitions, as the effects of on-reservation 
acquisitions are just incremental additions to an already established 
set of circumstances, and not marked by the establishment of a new 
sovereign or jurisdictional presence.
    For this reason, the proposed rule requires tribes wishing to take 
off-reservation land into trust to submit a substantial amount of 
information about how the proposed acquisition would impact the 
surrounding non-Indian community, and about how the tribe would address 
that impact. Requiring submission of this detailed information helps 
ensure that the concerns of local non-Indian governments are 
identified, reviewed and evaluated in our decision-making process.
    Unlike the regulations currently in effect, the proposed 
regulations do not treat applications concerning land which is adjacent 
(contiguous) to a reservation as if the land were located on-
reservation. Rather, applications concerning adjacent parcels are to be 
treated as off-reservation acquisitions, and will be subject to the 
same process and local non-Indian government consultation as are 
applications concerning other off-reservation lands. Of particular note 
is that we will require consultation with the state and local non-
Indian governments in the state in which the adjacent land is located 
(even if the main body of the reservation lies across a state line).
    The proposed regulation, however, would continue our policy (as 
articulated in the existing regulations) of giving greater weight to 
the tribe's need (vis-a-vis the objections of the local non-Indian 
community) the closer the land is to the tribe's reservation. Thus, the 
stated need for land adjacent to a reservation will be given greater 
weight in the context of the off-reservation criteria. In addition, 
tribal applicants wishing to conduct gaming on a parcel adjacent to 
land which has held reservation status since October 17, 1988 will 
continue to benefit from the ``contiguity exception'' mandated by 
Congress in the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) Section 20 
requirements. (See 25 U.S.C. 2719(a)(1).)
    The IRA land acquisition provisions authorize us to take off-
reservation land into trust for the benefit of individual Indians. 
However, as a matter of general policy, we will approve applications 
from individual Indians for title to land located outside the 
boundaries of a reservation only under certain limited circumstances, 
in our discretion. For example, we will continue to accept title to 
interests in off-reservation land for the purpose of consolidating 
fractioned ownership of such land. Additionally, we will continue to 
accept title to lands purchased with funds obtained as the result of 
the voluntary sale of non-taxable Indian lands to any State, county, or 
municipality, or as the result of condemnation of such property by a 
State, county, or municipality, under 25 U.S.C. 409a.

Off-Reservation Acquisitions and Indian Gaming

    If a tribe intends to use off-reservation land for gaming purposes, 
it must comply with the applicable requirements of Section 20 of the 
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, 25 U.S.C. 2719 (IGRA) before gaming may 
occur on that land. In most cases, compliance with Section 20 of IGRA 
requires additional consultation with local non-Indian governments, a 
determination by the Secretary that the acquisition is ``in the best 
interest of the tribe and not detrimental to the surrounding 
community,'' and a concurrence in that determination from the Governor 
of the State in which the land is located. Id.
    If a tribe applies under these regulations to have title acquired 
in trust for a non-gaming purpose, and then at a later date decides 
that it would like to conduct gaming on that parcel, it will be 
authorized to engage in such gaming only if it complies with the 
requirements of Section 20 of IGRA. In other words, to game on a parcel 
of trust land acquired after October 17, 1988 (i.e., the date of 
passage of IGRA), the tribe must submit to the same Section 20 analysis 
and obtain the same gubernatorial consent as would have been required 
if the parcel were originally taken into trust for the purpose of 
gaming.

Discretionary Acquisitions in Alaska

    Both the current and the proposed regulations bar the acquisition 
of trust title in land in Alaska, unless an application for such 
acquisition is presented by the Metlakatla Indian Community or one of 
its members. (The lands of the Metlakatla Indian Community comprise the 
only Native land in Alaska currently designated as a ``reservation'' by 
the federal government.) The regulatory bar to acquisition of title in 
trust in Alaska in the original version of these regulations was 
predicated on an opinion of the Associate Solicitor, Indian Affairs 
(``Trust Land for the Natives of Venetie

[[Page 17578]]

and Arctic Village,'' September 15, 1978), which concluded that the 
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) precluded the Secretary 
from taking land into trust for Natives in Alaska (again, except for 
Metlakatla).
    Although that opinion has not been withdrawn or overruled, we 
recognize that there is a credible legal argument that ANCSA did not 
supersede the Secretary's authority to take land into trust in Alaska 
under the IRA (see relevant IRA provision at 25 U.S.C. 473a). See also 
the Petition of Chilkoot Indian Association, Native Village of Larsen 
Bay, and Kenaitze Indian Tribe, requesting the Department to undertake 
a rulemaking to remove the prohibition on taking land in trust in 
Alaska (60 FR 1956 (1995). However, even if it were held that the 
Secretary retained authority to take land in trust in Alaska, whether 
to exercise that authority remains in the sound discretion of the 
Secretary.
    In recent years blue-ribbon commissions and working groups (such as 
the State of Alaska's Rural Governance Commission) have been formed to 
address various related issues concerning tribal governments and Native 
lands in Alaska and to address such issues in the wake of the decision 
in Alaska v. Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government, 522 U.S. 520, 
118 S. Ct. 948 (1998). In that decision, the court held that former 
Native Corporation lands owned in fee simple by the Native Village of 
Venetie Tribal Government were not validly set apart for the use of 
Indians as such, nor were they under the superintendence of the federal 
government, and thus did not meet the definition of ``dependent Indian 
communities.'' Id. At 955. Since the lands did not qualify as dependent 
Indian communities, they did not meet the definition of Indian country 
and the Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government was not authorized 
to tax non-members. Of course, if land were taken in trust by the 
Secretary, such trust land then would qualify as Indian country and an 
Alaskan tribe would have all the powers that pertain within Indian 
country. We invite comment on the continued validity of the Associate 
Solicitor's opinion and issues raised by the petition noticed at 60 FR 
1956 (1995) in light of the Supreme Court's ruling in the Venetie case.
    The proposed regulations would make no change in the current 
regulations and would continue the bar against taking Native land in 
Alaska in trust. However, that bar would be subject to review pending 
the report of the Rural Governance Commission, or Congressional action 
clarifying that ANSCA lands are Indian country.

Mandatory Acceptance of Title

    The implementation of specific statutes containing congressional 
mandates to acquire title to land in trust through our administrative 
process has not always been well-understood. To provide more clarity, 
the proposed rule includes new language that specifically identifies 
the types of acquisitions we consider ``mandatory,'' and sets out the 
process by which we will acquire title.
    The proposed regulation clarifies that an acquisition of title is 
``mandatory'' if Congress has removed all discretion in determining 
whether to accept title to a particular tract of land. Situations in 
which all discretion has been removed include those situations in which 
Congress dictates that the Secretary ``shall'' acquire title to a 
parcel of land which is specifically identified by legal description, 
or to land which is purchased with certain, specified funds. In 
contrast, a statute which merely directs that the Secretary ``shall'' 
accept title to unidentified land within some broader geographic 
boundary, e.g. within certain named counties, still allows for some 
discretion. Hence we do not view acquisitions under such a statute as 
``mandatory'' for the purposes of this regulation. By definition, 
mandatory acceptances of title rely on statutory authority which 
preempts the discretionary authority granted to the Secretary by the 
IRA. The Department will evaluate each statute on a case-by-case basis 
to determine whether it requires a mandatory acceptance of trust title.
    The process for completing a mandatory acceptance of title is 
relatively simple. A tribe must submit an application that includes the 
identification of the federal statute which mandates the acquisition of 
title and include the same sort of title insurance information required 
for discretionary acquisition applications. Because of the mandatory 
character of such acquisitions, the regulation does not require 
compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). However, 
we strongly advise applicants, for their own protection, to conduct the 
same type of environmental assessment generally done under NEPA prior 
to acquisition of the property, or at least prior to submitting an 
application to have the property taken into trust.
    As a final matter, we note the distinction between mandatory 
acquisitions where Congress directs the Secretary to complete the 
administrative process of accepting trust title, and ``legislative 
transfers of title,'' where Congress directly transfers land into trust 
status on behalf of tribes or individual Indians. In the latter type of 
title transfer, Congress has removed the need for any administrative 
action to effectuate the title transfer.

Tribal Land Acquisition Areas for Tribes Without Reservations

    There are a few tribes which do not benefit from the basic rights 
and opportunities inherent in having a reservation. For the most part, 
these are tribes recently restored to federal recognition by a federal 
statute which does not specifically designate a reservation, or they 
are tribes that have obtained federal recognition through the 
administrative Federal Acknowledgment Process, which as a matter of 
course does not provide for the designation of a reservation.
    Federal policy for many decades has viewed the existence of a 
tribal land base as integral to the cultural, political, and economic 
well-being of a tribe. For example, most federal programs for Indians 
are in one way or another tied to the tribal land base. Because of the 
overwhelming importance of the tribal land base, and because the new 
regulations make it less burdensome for tribes to take land into trust 
on (as opposed to off-) reservation, we are proposing in these 
regulations an alternative mechanism by which reservation-less tribes 
may benefit from the on-reservation acquisition provisions to create a 
homeland.
    The alternative mechanism is the use of a ``Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area.'' A Tribal Land Acquisition Area is a geographic boundary 
designated by a reservation-less tribe within which the tribe plans to 
acquire land within a specified period of time under the more lenient 
on-reservation provisions of the proposed rule. In other words, the 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area would create a geographic boundary within 
which individual parcels would be treated as on-reservation for the 
purposes of acquiring trust title under these regulations.
    Because establishment of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area will affect 
local non-Indian governments, we will require that the concerns of 
local non-Indian governmental entities be addressed before the 
Secretary will approve the creation of the Tribal Land Acquisition Area 
boundaries. For that reason, an application for Secretarial approval of 
a Tribal Land Acquisition Area requires submission of information 
similar to that required in applications for off-reservation 
acquisitions. However, because we view the need for

[[Page 17579]]

a homeland as fundamental, we will accord greater weight to the 
application of a reservation-less tribe, particularly in situations in 
which the tribe benefits from a federal statute directing the Secretary 
to acquire some land base for the tribe.
    However, while off-reservation land located within a Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area may be treated as on-reservation land for acquisition 
purposes, such lands legally cannot be treated as on-reservation for 
the purposes of IGRA. In other words, title to land which is inside a 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area cannot be taken into trust for the purpose 
of gaming unless and until the requirements of section 20 of IGRA have 
been satisfied.
    Part 151 of Title 25, Chapter I of the Code of Federal Regulations 
is proposed to be amended for the reasons set out below:
    1. The authority for part 151 is revised to include the False 
Statements Accountability Act of 1996, 18 U.S.C. 1001.
    2. Section 151.1  Purpose and Scope, is retitled as What is the 
purpose of this part?, and is reformatted and simplified.
    3. Section 151.2  Definitions, is retitled as How are key terms 
defined in this part?, and is revised to update some of the definitions 
of terms used in this part and to include new terms used in this part. 
The definitions in this section apply only to this part.
    4. Section 151.3  Land acquisition policy, has been deleted, 
although some of the substantive portions of the current Sec. 151.3 
have been incorporated into other parts of the proposed rule. A new 
Sec. 151.3 is added entitled To what types of transactions do these 
regulations apply? The new Sec. 151.3 incorporates some of the 
information that is in the current Sec. 151.1.
    5. Section 151.4  Acquisitions in trust of lands owned in fee by an 
Indian, is deleted because it is unnecessary given the rest of the 
proposed changes to this regulation. A new Sec. 151.4 entitled How does 
an individual Indian or a tribe apply to have title to land conveyed to 
the United States in trust? is added to explain how to apply to have 
land taken into trust.
    6. Section 151.5  Trust acquisitions in Oklahoma under Section 5 of 
the I.R.A., is deleted because it is unnecessary. A new Sec. 151.5 
entitled How do we process the request? is added to provide more 
clarity about how we review requests to take land into trust.
    7. Section 151.6  Exchanges is deleted because it is no longer 
necessary given the other sections of the part. A new Sec. 151.6, 
entitled How do we proceed after making a decision on the request? is 
added.
    8. Section 151.7  Acquisition of fractional interests, is 
renumbered and retitled as Sec. 151.8, Will we accept and hold in trust 
an undivided fractional interest in land for an individual Indian or a 
tribe?, is reformatted to include acquisitions of ``undivided'' 
interest under the Indian Land Consolidation Act, and is revised for 
clarity. ``Undivided fractional'' is substituted for the word 
``fractional'' to clarify that the ``fractional'' interest being 
acquired is not a geographically separate parcel of land. A new 
Sec. 151.7 is added, When does land attain trust status?, to provide 
clarification as to how land technically attains trust status after we 
have decided to take it into trust.
    9. Section 151.8  Tribal consent for nonmember acquisitions is 
renumbered and retitled as Sec. 151.11  Can an individual Indian or a 
tribe acquire land inside a reservation inside or an approved Tribal 
Land Acquisition Area of another tribe? and is revised for clarity.
    10. Section 151.9  Requests for approval of acquisitions is 
renumbered and retitled as Sec. 151.4 How does an individual Indian or 
a tribe apply to have title to land conveyed to the United States in 
trust? A new Sec. 151.9, What information must be provided in a request 
involving land inside a reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area? is added.
    11. Section 151.10  On-reservation acquisitions, is renumbered, 
retitled, and has been separated for clarity as Sec. 151.5  How do we 
process the application?, Sec. 151.9  What information must be provided 
in a request involving land inside a reservation or inside an approved 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area?, and Sec. 151.10,  What criteria will we 
use to evaluate requests involving land inside a reservation or inside 
an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area? The new Sec. 151.10 is 
revised to establish a uniform, nationwide, ``minimum standard'' set of 
criteria for the decision maker to consider in the evaluation of an 
application for an on-reservation trust acquisition. The requirement to 
furnish title evidence is transferred from the current Sec. 151.13 to 
this section to incorporate title evidence as part of a complete 
application request.
    12. Section  151.11  Off-reservation acquisitions, is renumbered, 
retitled, and has been separated for clarity as Sec. 151.5  How do we 
process a request?, Sec. 151.12  What information must be provided in 
an application involving land outside a reservation and outside a 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area?, and Sec. 151.14  What criteria will we 
use to evaluate a request involving land outside a reservation and 
outside a Tribal Land Acquisition Area? The requirement to furnish 
title evidence is transferred from the current Sec. 151.13 to this 
section to incorporate title evidence as part of a complete application 
request. In addition, a new Sec. 151.11, Can an individual Indian or a 
tribe acquire land inside a reservation or inside an approved Indian 
Land Acquisition Area of another tribe?, is added, replacing the 
current Sec. 151.8.
    13. Section 151.12  Action on requests has been separated for 
clarity and is included as part of Sec. 151.6  How do we proceed after 
making a decision on the request? A new Sec. 151.12, What information 
must be provided in a request involving land outside a reservation and 
outside a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?, is added.
    14. Section 151.13  Title examination, is renumbered, reorganized, 
and revised for clarity. The requirement to furnish title evidence is 
transferred from this section and incorporated in the new Secs. 151.9 
and 151.12 as part of a complete application request. Section (b), 
governing situations in which the title to the land has any liens, 
encumbrances, or infirmaties, has been integrated into 
Sec. 151.6(c)(1). A new Sec. 151.13, entitled Can an individual Indian 
acquire land outside his or her own reservation?, has been added to 
clarify the Secretary's policy regarding the acquisition of off-
reservation lands by an individual Indian.
    15. Section 151.14  Formalization of acceptance is renumbered and 
retitled as Sec. 151.7  When does the land attain trust status? A new 
Sec. 151.14, entitled What criteria will we use to evaluate a request 
involving land outside a reservation or outside a Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area?, is added to establish a uniform, basic, nationwide, 
``minimum standard'' set of criteria for the decision maker to consider 
in the evaluation of an application for an off-reservation trust 
acquisition.
    16. Section 151.15  Information collection, is renumbered and 
retitled as Sec. 151.27  Do information collections under this part 
have Office of Management and Budget approval? Paragraph (a) is revised 
to include the new information collection requirements. A new 
Sec. 151.15  entitled What information must be provided in a request to 
process a mandatory transfer of title into trust status, and how will 
we process the request? has been added to clarify the information 
needed to process mandatory acquisitions.

[[Page 17580]]

    17. A new Sec. 151.16 entitled Can our determination that a 
transfer of title into trust status is mandatory be appealed? is added 
for clarity.
    18. A new Sec. 151.17 entitled What is a Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area? has been added to clarify how a Tribal Land Acquisition Area can 
be used by tribes without reservations to benefit from the on-
reservation provisions of this regulation.
    19. A new Sec. 151.18 entitled What must be included in a request 
for Secretarial approval of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area? has been 
added to describe what information must be submitted in the request.
    20. A new Sec. 151.19 entitled How is a tribal request for 
Secretarial approval processed? is added to describe how we will 
process the request for Secretarial approval of the Tribal Acquisition 
Area.
    21. A new Sec. 151.20 entitled What criteria will we use to decide 
whether to approve a proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area? has been 
added to set out the criteria the Secretary will use to evaluate a 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area.
    22. A new Sec. 151.21 entitled Can a tribe include in its Tribal 
Land Acquisition Area land inside another tribe's reservation or Tribal 
Land Acquisition Area? is added for clarity.
    23. A new Sec. 151.22 entitled If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is 
not approved, is the tribe prohibited from acquiring land within it? is 
added for clarity.
    24. A new Sec. 151.23 entitled If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is 
approved, does the land taken into trust within it attain reservation 
status? is added for clarity.
    25. A new Sec. 151.24 entitled Can a Tribal Land Acquisition Area 
be modified after approval? has been added to state that a Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area can be modified after approval by submitting a request 
for Secretarial approval of the modifications in compliance with the 
criteria in this part.
    26. A new Sec. 151.25 entitled What is the penalty for making false 
statements in connection with a request that we place land in trust? 
has been added to notify applicants that they are subject to 
prosecution for knowingly and willfully making false statements on an 
application.
    27. A new Sec. 151.26 entitled What recordkeeping and reporting 
requirements apply to acquisitions of trust title under this part? has 
been added to notify contracted or compacted tribes that documents 
created in the application process are permanent federal records.
    28. A new Sec. 151.27 entitled Do information collections under 
this Part have Office of Management and Budget approval? is added for 
clarity.

Clarity of this regulation.

    Executive Order 12866 requires each agency to write regulations 
that are easy to understand. We invite your comments on how to make 
this rule easier to understand, including answers to questions such as 
the following: (1) Are the requirements in the rule clearly stated? (2) 
Does the rule contain technical language or jargon that interferes with 
its clarity? (3) Does the format of the rule (grouping and order of 
sections, use of questions as headings, paragraphing, etc.) aid or 
reduce its clarity? (4) Would the rule be easier to understand if it 
were divided into more (but shorter) sections? (A ``section'' appears 
in bold type and is preceded by the symbol ``Sec. '' and a numbered 
heading; for example, Sec. 151.1 What is the purpose of this part?) (5) 
Is the description of the rule in the Supplementary Information section 
of the preamble helpful in understanding the proposed rule? What else 
could we do to make the rule easier to understand?

Regulatory Planning and Review (E.O. 12866)

    In accordance with the criteria in Executive Order 12866, this rule 
is not a significant regulatory action and is not subject to review by 
the Office of Management and Budget.
    (a) The proposed amendments to this rule basically conform to the 
policies and practices that currently guide the Department's decision 
making on land into trust applications. Hence, we do not anticipate 
that this regulation will have a significant effect on the net amount 
of land taken into trust. The rule will not have an annual effect of 
$100 million or more on the economy. It will not adversely affect in a 
material way the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the 
environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal 
governments or communities. This rule simply identifies a ``minimum 
standard'' of criteria and requirements to be considered in the 
exercise of the Secretary's discretion to place lands in trust for 
individual Indians and tribes.
    Looking at the overall picture of how much land we have taken into 
trust historically, the annual number of requests to place lands in 
trust has been small. Based on the BIA's Annual Report of Indian Lands 
for 1996, only 35 States have Indian lands, four of which have fewer 
than 1,000 acres of Indian lands. The 1996 report indicated that there 
were 6,941 total applications involving 212,000 acres cumulatively, 
i.e., the average amount of land involved in an application was only 
about 30 acres. Based on the annual caseload report for FY 1996, the 
total dollar amount Indians paid for acquisitions of land in trust is 
$19,420,303.81, less than 20% of $100 million. Some States and local 
governments may have a decrease in revenues derived from taxes. 
However, the loss in annual revenues for State and local jurisdictions 
will only be a fraction of the value of the land involved. Moreover, 
some tribes may choose to offset this loss by making payments in lieu 
of taxes, or supplying services to the local communities. In addition, 
the proposed rule would alter the final disposition of only a portion 
of the applications. Finally, any losses or gains to State or local tax 
rolls would be spread over several states. Thus, overall, the net 
changes in tax rolls due to this rule will be minimal, and will not 
significantly affect State or local governments.
    (b) This rule will not create a serious inconsistency or otherwise 
interfere with an action taken or planned by another Federal agency. 
Actions taken by this rule will affect tribal or individual Indian land 
titles. The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs is the 
only governmental agency that makes the determination whether to take 
land into trust.
    (c) This rule does not alter the budgetary effects or entitlement, 
grants, user fees, or loan programs or the rights or obligations of 
their recipients. This rule sets out the criteria and procedures the 
Secretary uses in determining whether to accept title of certain Indian 
lands to the United States, as trustee, for the benefit of an 
individual Indian or a tribe.
    (d) This rule does not raise novel legal or policy issues. This 
rule is of an administrative, technical, and procedural nature. The 
land acquisition regulations have been in effect since 1980. We are 
proposing to amend them in order to clarify procedures and 
requirements.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Department of the Interior certifies that this regulation will 
not have a significant economic effect on a substantial number of small 
entities under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.). A 
Regulatory Flexibility analysis is not required. See our initial 
analysis above item 1(a) under Regulatory Planning and Review. The 
effect on small entities will be minimal.
    (a) It does not have an annual effect on the economy of $100 
million or

[[Page 17581]]

more. As stated above, the effect on the economy will be minimal.
    (b) It does not result in a major increase in costs or prices for 
consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government 
agencies, or geographic regions. Actions taken by this rule will only 
affect title to tribal or individual Indian owned lands. While it may 
affect revenues collected by State or local jurisdictions, the effect 
as noted above, should be minimal.
    (c) It does not result in significant adverse effects on 
competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the 
ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based 
enterprises. As stated above, actions under this rule will only affect 
title to tribal or individual Indian owned lands. This rule is of an 
administrative, technical, and procedural nature.

Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act (SBREFA)

    This rule is not a major rule under 5 U.S.C. 804(2), the Small 
Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act. See the initial analysis 
above, item 1(a) under Regulatory Planning and Review. This rule:
    (a) Does not have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million 
or more. An economic analysis is not required.
    (b) Will not cause a major increase in costs or prices for 
consumers, individual industries, Federal, State, or local government 
agencies, or geographic regions. Actions under this rule will only 
affect title to tribal or individual Indian owned lands.
    (c) Does not have significant adverse effects on competition, 
employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of 
U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises. 
Actions under this rule will only affect title to tribal or individual 
Indian owned lands.

Unfunded Mandates Reform Act

    In accordance with the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (2 U.S.C. 1531 
et seq.):
    (a) The rule will not significantly or uniquely affect small 
governments, or the private sector. A Small Government Agency Plan is 
not required. Additional expenses may be incurred by the requesting 
tribe or individual Indian to provide information to the Secretary. 
Tribes or an individual Indian provide information in order to receive 
a benefit.
    (b) This rule will not produce a federal mandate of a $100 million 
or greater in any year. The overall effect of this rule will be 
negligible to the State, local, or tribal governments or the private 
sector. See our analysis under Regulatory Planning and Review.

Takings (E.O. 12630)

    With respect to Executive Order 12630, the rule does not have 
significant takings implications. A takings implication assessment is 
not required because actions under this rule do not constitute a 
taking. Tribes or individual Indians are voluntarily transferring title 
to the United States for their own benefit.

Federalism (E.O. 13083)

    With respect to Executive Order 13083, the rule does not have 
significant federalism implications to warrant the preparation of a 
Federalism Assessment. The local tax base may be affected. However, 
this rule should not affect the relationship between State and Federal 
governments because actions in this rule apply only to a relatively 
small amount of land. Due to the loss of tax revenue, the relationship 
between the State and local governments with tribes and/or the Federal 
Government may be affected. However, because the loss of revenue is 
minimal and most of the land to be acquired will be within the 
boundaries of reservations where there is already a measure of Indian 
sovereignty, the effects are ``insignificant'' within the meaning of E. 
O. 13083. See the analysis under the Regulatory Planning and Review 
section.

Civil Justice Reform (E.O. 12988)

    With respect to Executive Order 12988, the Office of the Solicitor 
has determined that this rule does not unduly burden the judicial 
system and meets the requirements of sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of the 
Order. This rule contains no drafting errors or ambiguity and is 
written to minimize litigation, provides clear standards, simplifies 
procedures, reduces burden, and is clearly written. These regulations 
do not preempt any statute. They do supersede the current land 
acquisition regulations and the current procedure for establishing 
Indian Land Consolidation Areas. They would not be retroactive with 
respect to any land already taken into trust, but would apply to 
pending applications.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This regulation does require an information collection from ten or 
more parties and a submission under the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). The information collection requirements in 
Secs. 151.4; 151.9; 151.12, 151.15, 151.18, and 151.26 under 44 U.S.C. 
3501 et seq. have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget 
for approval and assigned clearance number 1076-xxxx. This information 
is required from Indian tribes and individual Indians who wish to 
convey land into trust status.
    The burden associated with these requests is presented in a table 
in the ADDRESSES section of the preamble, and public comments are 
requested on these collections.

National Environmental Policy Act

    This rule does not constitute a major Federal action significantly 
affecting the quality of the human environment. A detailed statement 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 is not required 
because this rule is of an administrative, technical, and procedural 
nature.

Government-to-Government Relationship With Tribes

    In accordance with the President's memorandum of May 14, 1998, 
``Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments'' (FR 
Vol. 63, No. 96, Pages 27655-27657) and 512 DM 2, we have evaluated any 
potential effects upon Federally recognized Indian tribes and have 
determined that there are no potential adverse effects. No action is 
taken under this rule unless a tribe or an individual Indian 
voluntarily requests that the United States place land in trust for 
their benefit. Tribes will be asked for comments prior to publication 
as a final regulation of this rule and their comments will be 
considered prior to publication.

List of Subjects in 25 CFR Part 151

    Indians--lands.

    For the reasons set out in the preamble, we are proposing to revise 
Part 151 in Chapter I of Title 25, of the Code of Federal Regulations 
so that it will read as follows:

PART 151--ACQUISITION OF TITLE TO LAND IN TRUST

Subpart A--Purpose, Definitions, General

Sec.
151.1  What is the purpose of this part?
151.2  How are key terms defined in this part?
151.3  To what types of transactions does this part apply?
151.4  How does an individual Indian or a tribe apply to have title 
to land conveyed to the United States in trust?
151.5  How do we process a request?
151.6  How do we proceed after making a decision on a request?
151.7  When does the land attain trust status?

[[Page 17582]]

151.8  Will we accept and hold in trust an undivided fractional 
interest in land for an individual Indian or a tribe?

Subpart B--Discretionary Acquisitions of Title On-Reservation

151.9  What information must be provided in a request involving land 
inside a reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area?
151.10  What criteria will we use to evaluate a request involving 
land inside a reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area?
151.11  Can an individual Indian or a tribe acquire land inside a 
reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area of 
another tribe?

Subpart C--Mandatory Acceptance of Title Off-Reservation

151.12  What information must be provided in a request involving 
land outside a reservation or outside a Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area?
151.13  Can an individual Indian acquire land outside his or her own 
reservation?
151.14  What criteria will we use to evaluate a request involving 
land outside a reservation or outside an approved Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area?

Subpart D--Mandatory Acquisitions of Title

151.15  What information must be provided in a request to process a 
mandatory transfer of title into trust status, and how will we 
process the request?
151.16  Can our determination that a transfer of title into trust 
status is mandatory be appealed?

Subpart E--Tribal Land Acquisition Areas

151.17  What is a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?
151.18  What must be included in a request for Secretarial approval 
of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?
151.19  How is a tribal request for Secretarial approval processed?
151.20  What criteria will we use to decide whether to approve a 
proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area?
151.21  Can a tribe include in its Tribal Land Acquisition Area land 
inside another tribe's reservation or Tribal Land Acquisition Area?
151.22  If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is not approved, is the 
tribe prohibited from acquiring land within it?
151.23  If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is approved, does the land 
taken into trust within it attain reservation status?
151.24  Can a Tribal Land Acquisition Area be modified after 
approval?

Subpart F--False Statements, Recordkeeping, Information Collection

151.25  What is the penalty for making false statements in 
connection with a request that we place land in trust?
151.26  What recordkeeping and reporting requirements apply to 
acquisitions of trust title under this part?
151.27  Do information collections under this part have Office of 
Management and Budget approval?

    Authority: R.S. 161: 5 U.S.C. 301. Interpret or apply 46 Stat. 
1106, as amended; 46 Stat. 1471, as amended; 48 Stat. 985, as 
amended; 49 Stat. 1967, as amended, 53 Stat. 1129; 63 Stat. 605; 69 
Stat. 392, as amended; 70 Stat. 290, as amended; 70 Stat. 626; 75 
Stat. 505; 77 Stat. 349; 78 Stat. 389; 78 Stat. 747; 82 Stat. 174, 
as amended; 82 Stat. 884; 84 Stat. 120; 84 Stat. 1874; 86 Stat. 216; 
86 Stat. 530; 86 Stat. 744; 88 Stat. 78; 88 Stat. 81; 88 Stat. 1716; 
88 Stat. 2203; 88 Stat. 2207; 18 U.S.C. 1001; 25 U.S.C. 2, 9, 409a, 
450h, 451, 464, 465, 467, 487, 488, 489, 501, 502, 573, 574, 576, 
608, 608a, 610, 610a, 622, 624, 640d-10, 1466, 1495, and other 
authorizing acts.

Subpart A--Purpose, Definitions, General


Sec. 151.1  What is the purpose of this part?

    The purpose of this part is to describe the authorities, policies, 
and procedures that we use to decide whether to accept title to land in 
the name of the United States to be held in trust for the benefit of an 
individual Indian or a tribe.


Sec. 151.2  How are key terms defined in this part?

    Alienation means a conveyance or transfer of title to property.
    Bureau means the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the Department of 
the Interior.
    Discretionary acquisitions of title means those acquisitions of 
trust title which we are authorized, but are not required, to accept 
administratively.
    Encumbrance means a limitation on the title of property, such as a 
claim, lien, easement, charge, or restriction of any kind.
    Fee simple land means title to land is absolute and clear of any 
condition or restriction, and with unconditional power of disposition.
    Host tribe means the tribe having jurisdiction over the land being 
acquired.
    Individual Indian means a person who:
    (1) Is a member of a federally recognized tribe; or
    (2) Was physically residing on a federally recognized Indian 
reservation as of June 1, 1934, and is a descendant of an enrolled 
member of a federally recognized tribe; or
    (3) Possesses a total of one-half degree or more Indian blood of a 
federally recognized tribe.
    Land means real property or any title interest therein, as defined 
by the statute that authorizes the land acquisition.
    Legislative transfer of title means the direct transfer of title to 
land into trust status for the benefit of an individual Indian or 
Indian tribe by Congress through legislation. The regulations in this 
part do not apply to legislative transfers of title.
    Mandatory acceptance of title means a conveyance of trust title 
which Congress has required the Secretary to accept if certain 
specified conditions over which the Secretary has no control are met.
    Reservation means that area of land which has been set aside or 
which has been acknowledged as having been set aside by the United 
States for the use of the tribe, the exterior boundaries of which are 
more particularly defined in the final tribal treaty, agreement, 
Executive Order, federal statute, Secretarial Order, or judicial 
determination, except that in the State of Oklahoma, ``reservation'' 
means that area of land constituting the former reservation of the 
tribe. ``Former reservation'' means lands that are within the 
jurisdictional area of an Oklahoma Indian tribe and that are within the 
boundaries of the last reservation established by treaty, Executive 
Orders, or Secretarial Orders.
    Restricted fee land means land for which an individual Indian or a 
tribe holds fee simple title subject to limitations or restrictions 
against alienation or encumbrance as set forth in the title and/or by 
operation of law.
    Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or an authorized 
representative.
    Tribal Land Acquisition Area means a geographic boundary designated 
by a tribe that does not have a reservation, within which the tribe 
plans to acquire land over a specified period of time.
    Tribe means any Indian tribe, nation, band, pueblo, town, 
community, rancheria, colony, or other group of Indians, which is 
recognized by the Secretary as eligible for the special programs and 
services provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and listed in the 
Federal Register under Pub. L. 103-454, Act of Nov. 2, 1994 (108 Stat. 
4791; 25 U.S.C. 479a (1994)).
    Trust land means land, or an interest therein, for which the United 
States holds fee title in trust for the benefit of an individual Indian 
or a tribe.
    Undivided fractional interest means that the interest of co-owners 
is in the entire property and that such interest is indistinguishable. 
The interest has not been divided out from the whole parcel. (Example: 
If you own \1/4\ interest in 160 acres, you do not own 40 acres. You 
own \1/4\ of the whole 160 acres because your \1/4\ interest has not 
been divided out from the whole 160 acres.)
    We means the Secretary of the Interior or an authorized 
representative.


Sec. 151.3  To what types of transactions does this part apply?

    (a) Except as provided in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, 
this part

[[Page 17583]]

applies to all fee simple land-to-trust, restricted fee land-to-trust, 
trust-to-trust, and land exchange transactions.
    (b) This part does not apply to the following transactions:
    (1) Fee to restricted fee or restricted fee to restricted fee;
    (2) The transfer of title of trust land through inheritance or 
escheat; or
    (3) The Legislative transfer of title into trust status.
    (c) We will not accept title to land in trust in the State of 
Alaska, except for the Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette 
Island Reserve of Alaska or its members.


Sec. 151.4  How does an individual Indian or a tribe apply to have 
title to land conveyed to the United States in trust?

    Individual Indians and tribes must send us a written request asking 
that we accept title and place the land into trust.
    (a) The request must:
    (1) Identify the applicant (including the applicant's tribal 
affiliation);
    (2) Include the legal description of the land to be acquired; and
    (3) Include all information which shows that the proposed 
acquisition meets the applicable requirements in this section.
    (b) The request does not need to be in any special form. However, 
we strongly urge the applicant to address each section of this part 
that is relevant to the type of acquisition (e.g., on- or off-
reservation, discretionary or mandatory), in the order it appears here. 
Constructing the request in this way will enable us to review the 
request more efficiently.
    (c) We may also ask for additional information to aid us in 
reaching a decision.


Sec. 151.5  How do we process the request?

    (a) After we receive the request, we will notify the State, county, 
and municipal governments having regulatory jurisdiction over the land. 
We will send all notices under this section by certified mail, return 
receipt requested. The notice will contain the information described in 
paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section, as appropriate.
    (1) If the request is for on-reservation lands or lands inside an 
approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area, the notice we send under this 
section will:
    (i) Include the name of the applicant;
    (ii) Describe the lands proposed to be taken in trust;
    (iii) State the proposed use of the land; and
    (iv) Invite the State and local governments from the State in which 
the land is located to comment in writing within 30 days on the 
proposed acquisition.
    (2) If the request is for land outside a reservation and outside a 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area, the notice we send under this section 
will:
    (i) Include the name of the applicant;
    (ii) Describe the lands proposed to be taken in trust;
    (iii) Describe the proposed use of the land; and
    (iv) Invite the State and local governments from the State in which 
the land is located to comment in writing within 60 days on the 
acquisition's potential effects on the State and local governments, 
including on their regulatory jurisdiction, real property taxes, and 
special assessments.
    (b) After the comment period has ended, we will send to the 
applicant copies of any comments made by State or local governments on 
the applicant's request. We will give the applicant a reasonable time 
in which to reply to the comments.
    (c) Subject to restrictions on disclosure required by the Freedom 
of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a), and 
the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. 1905) the request will be available 
for review at the local BIA agency or area office having administrative 
jurisdiction over the land.
    (d) We will consider all the documentation that the applicant 
submits.


Sec. 151.6  How do we proceed after making a decision on the request?

    (a) We will send the applicant a certified letter describing our 
decision to accept or deny a request. We will also send a copy of the 
decision letter to everyone (including State and local governments) who 
sent us written comments on the request. The notice to interested 
parties will explain that they have a right to appeal our decision 
under part 2 of this title.
    (b) If our decision is to deny the request, we will take no further 
action.
    (c) If our decision is to approve the request, after the exhaustion 
of administrative remedies we will:
    (1) Complete a preliminary title examination. For both 
discretionary and mandatory acquisitions, after we examine the title 
evidence, we will notify the applicant of any liens, encumbrances, or 
infirmities. If the liens, encumbrances, or infirmities make title to 
the land unmarketable, we will require the applicant to eliminate the 
liens, encumbrances, or infirmities before we act on the application.
    (2) Publish in the Federal Register, or in a newspaper of general 
circulation serving the affected area, a notice of the decision to take 
land into trust under this part. The notice will state that we have 
made a final decision to take land in trust and that we will accept 
title in the name of the United States no sooner than 30 days after the 
notice is published;
    (3) Act on any judicial appeals that may be filed; and
    (4) After the exhaustion of judicial remedies, accept trust title 
to the land by issuing or approving an appropriate instrument of 
conveyance.


Sec. 151.7  When does land attain trust status?

    After the Secretary has published notice of intent to take the land 
into trust pursuant to Sec. 151.6 (c)(2), the time period for appeal 
has run, all appeals rights have been exhausted, and all title 
objections have been cleared, we will approve or issue the appropriate 
instrument of conveyance. Only after these steps have been completed 
will the land attain trust status. The approved deed will then be 
recorded in the county where located, title evidence will be updated, a 
final title opinion will be issued and the deed will be recorded in the 
appropriate Bureau of Indian Affairs title plant under part 150 of this 
chapter.


Sec. 151.8  Will we accept and hold in trust an undivided fractional 
interest in land for an individual Indian or a tribe?

    We will not accept and hold in trust for an individual Indian or a 
tribe an undivided fractional interest in land, except under one of the 
following conditions:
    (a) The individual Indian or tribe already owns an undivided 
fractional restricted or trust interest in the land, and is acquiring 
the additional interest(s) to consolidate ownership.
    (b) The individual Indian or tribe acquires the undivided 
fractional interest as the result of a gift under Sec. 152.25(d) of 
this chapter and the conveyance does not result in further 
fractionation of interest in the land.
    (c) The individual Indian or tribe is acquiring interest in fee and 
there are existing undivided fractional trust or restricted interests 
in the same land.
    (d) The individual Indian or tribe offers and agrees to purchase 
the remaining undivided fractional trust or restricted interest in the 
land, at not less than fair market value.
    (e) A specific statute grants the individual Indian or tribe the 
right to purchase an undivided fractional interest in trust or 
restricted land without offering to purchase all interests.

[[Page 17584]]

    (f) A majority of the owners of the remaining undivided trust or 
restricted fractional interest agree in writing that the individual 
Indian or tribe may acquire the interest.
    (g) Under the Indian Land Consolidation Act, 25 U.S.C. 2201 et 
seq., a tribe may acquire an undivided fractional interest in trust or 
restricted land under these conditions:
    (1) The land is inside the tribe's reservation, or inside an 
approved Tribal Land Consolidation Area, or is otherwise subject to the 
tribe's jurisdiction, and
    (2) The tribe acquires the land:
    (i) At not less than the fair market value; and
    (ii) With the written consent of a majority of the owners of the 
remaining undivided fractional trust or restricted interest of this 
land.
    (h) The tribe acquires, at not less than the fair market value, 
part or all of the undivided fractional interests in a parcel of trust 
or restricted land within the tribe's reservation, or subject to the 
tribe's jurisdiction and:
    (1) Over 50 percent of the owners of the undivided fractional 
interests consent in writing to the acquisition; or
    (2) An individual Indian makes an offer under paragraph (e) of this 
section.
    (i) An individual Indian:
    (1) Already owns an undivided fractional interest in the land;
    (2) Offers to match a tribal offer to purchase under paragraph (d) 
of this section; and
    (3) Has used and possessed the land for at least 3 years preceding 
the tribe's offer to purchase.

Subpart Part B--Discretionary Acquisitions of Title On-Reservation


Sec. 151.9  What information must be provided in a request involving 
land inside a reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area?

    A request from an individual Indian or a tribe asking that the 
United States accept title to land inside a reservation boundary or to 
land inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area must include:
    (a) A complete description, or a copy, of the federal statute that 
authorizes the United States to accept the land in trust and any 
limitations contained in the authority.
    (b) An explanation of why the individual Indian or tribe needs land 
to be in trust and how the land will be used. This explanation is a 
crucial factor in determining if the request should be approved.
    (c) If the applicant is a tribe, an explanation of whether the 
tribe:
    (1) Already owns an undivided fractional trust or restricted 
interest in the land; and
    (2) Maintains jurisdiction over the land.
    (d) If the applicant is an individual Indian, an explanation of:
    (1) Whether the applicant already owns an undivided fractional 
trust or restricted interest in the land;
    (2) The amount of land that the applicant already owns and the 
status of the land (fee, restricted, or trust); and
    (3) Whether the applicant needs assistance in handling real estate 
affairs. For example, tell us if the applicant is a minor or has been 
declared legally incompetent.
    (e) Title insurance or an abstract of title that meets the 
Standards for the Preparation of Title Evidence in Land Acquisitions by 
the United States, issued by the U. S. Department of Justice.
    (f) Documentation that we need to comply with 516 DM 6, Appendix 4, 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Revised Implementing 
Procedures, and 602 DM 2, Land Acquisitions: Hazardous Substances 
Determinations. (For copies of these directives, see the Department of 
Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs web site at: <http://www.doi.gov/
bureau-indian-affairs.html>.) Include a record of consultation with 
appropriate authorities regarding environmental, endangered species, 
water quality, fish and wildlife, wetlands, transportation, air 
quality, cultural, historical value, hazardous waste, and toxic 
material issues.


Sec. 151. 10  What criteria will we use to evaluate requests involving 
land inside a reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area?

    We will review all information submitted under Sec. 151.9. We may 
decide to accept trust title to the land if the acquisition meets all 
of the following criteria:
    (a) We determine that the conveyance is necessary to facilitate 
tribal self-determination, economic development, Indian housing, or 
land consolidation;
    (b) There is legal authority that authorizes us to accept the land 
in trust;
    (c) The request is complete (including all supporting documents);
    (d) The request will benefit the economic and/or social condition 
of the applicant;
    (e) There is title insurance or an abstract of title that meets the 
Standards for the Preparation of Title Evidence in Land Acquisitions by 
the United States, issued by the U. S. Department of Justice;
    (f) There is information sufficient for compliance with 516 DM 6, 
Appendix 4, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Revised 
Implementing Procedures, and 602 DM 2, Land Acquisitions: Hazardous 
Substances Determinations, including, a record of coordination with 
agencies having jurisdiction over cultural, historic, or natural 
resources; and
    (g) We determine after mitigation of effects on the environment, 
cultural resources, historic resources, and endangered or threatened 
species, that the conveyance is consistent with applicable 
environmental, cultural, historic, or natural resources law.


Sec. 151.11  Can an individual Indian or a tribe acquire land inside a 
reservation or inside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area of 
another tribe?

    An individual Indian or a tribe, including individual Indians and 
tribes in Oklahoma, may acquire land in trust on another tribe's 
reservation, or inside another tribe's approved Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area, if the host tribe's governing body consents in writing. No 
consent is required if:
    (a) An individual Indian or tribe already owns an undivided 
fractional trust or restricted interest in the parcel of land to be 
acquired; or
    (b) The proposed acquisition is inside a reservation or an approved 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area that is shared by two or more tribes, and 
the acquisition is for one of these tribes, or one of these tribes' 
members.

Subpart C--Discretionary Acquisitions Off-Reservation


Sec. 151.12  What information must be provided in a request involving 
land outside a reservation or outside a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?

    A request from an individual Indian or a tribe asking that the 
United States accept title to land outside a reservation boundary and 
outside an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area, must include:
    (a) A complete description, or a copy of, the statutory authority 
that authorizes the United States to accept land in trust and any 
limitations contained in the authority;
    (b) An explanation of the need of the individual Indian or tribe 
for land in trust and how the land will be used. This explanation is a 
crucial factor in determining if the request should be approved. The 
request must explain:
    (1) Why the present land base is not appropriate for the activity 
contemplated in the request;
    (2) Why the applicant needs the land in trust for the proposed use; 
and

[[Page 17585]]

    (3) How trust status will benefit the applicant's economic and/or 
social conditions.
    (c) A description of how the applicant will use the land. This 
description must include an explanation of:
    (1) The past uses of the land;
    (2) The present use of the land;
    (3) The anticipated future uses of the land;
    (4) The cultural or historical interest in the land;
    (5) The objectives that the individual Indian or tribe hopes to 
attain; and
    (6) If the acquisition is for housing:
    (i) The projected number of units to be built; and
    (ii) The number of members who will benefit.
    (7) If the applicant is acquiring the land for business purposes, 
the tribe must provide a business plan that specifies the anticipated 
economic benefits of the proposed use.
    (d) A description of the following:
    (1) The location of the land relative to State boundaries;
    (2) The distance of the land from the boundaries of the tribe's 
reservation;
    (3) The distance of the land from the Bureau's agency or area 
office;
    (4) The location of roads and rights-of-way that provide access to 
the land; and
    (5) The location of land in relation to the tribe's other trust 
lands.
    (e) A description of the effect on the State and its political 
subdivisions of removing the land from tax rolls. Describe any measures 
the applicant will take to reduce these effects. The description of 
effects must include an explanation of:
    (1) The amount of annual taxes currently assessed by the local 
governments;
    (2) The amount of annual revenue lost from special assessments to 
the local governments, if any;
    (3) The amount of annual revenue lost from mineral receipts to the 
local governments, if any; and
    (4) The local governments' ability to provide public safety 
services for the land.
    (f) A description of any jurisdictional and land use infrastructure 
issues that might arise. The description must address each of the 
following issues.
    (1) Zoning, including:
    (i) The current zoning of the land;
    (ii) Any proposed use conflicts with current zoning; and
    (iii) Any tribal zoning ordinances.
    (2) Law enforcement and cross-deputization, including:
    (i) Who currently provides law enforcement services for the land;
    (ii) Whether the tribe already has its own law enforcement;
    (iii) Who will supply law enforcement if the land is approved for 
trust status; and
    (iv) Any additional resources required to provide adequate law 
enforcement and how they will be funded.
    (3) Safety factors, including:
    (i) Who supplies fire protection service for the land;
    (ii) Who supplies emergency medical service for the land; and
    (iii) If the land is in a flood area or flood control area.
    (4) Traffic, roads, and streets, including:
    (i) Access to the land;
    (ii) A description and quantification of anticipated increased 
traffic in the area from proposed use; and
    (iii) A description of whether existing roads and streets are 
adequate to handle any anticipated increase in traffic caused by the 
proposed use.
    (5) Sanitation, including whether:
    (i) The land is on a city sewage system;
    (ii) The land is served by an adequate sewage system that meets 
applicable standards;
    (iii)Trash pickup service or another method of trash disposal is 
available for the land;
    (iv) The city or another facility supplies services to the land;
    (v) There is an adequate water supply for the proposed use and any 
future anticipated uses; and
    (vi) Whether the tribe has water rights to the available water 
supply.
    (6) Utilities, including:
    (i) Whether a city or a rural electric company supplies electricity 
to the land; and
    (ii) The source of heating for the land, such as: natural gas, 
propane, oil, coal, wood, electric, or solar.
    (7) Whether there are any cooperative agreements or voluntary 
actions intended to address jurisdictional and land use conflicts.
    (8) Whether the tribe has made any provisions to compensate the 
State or local governments for revenue lost because of the removal of 
the land from the tax rolls. (Include any increases in Title IX funding 
from the Indian Education Act or Impact Aid funding.)
    (g) Whether there is title evidence that meets the Standards for 
the Preparation of Title Evidence in Land Acquisitions by the United 
States, issued by the U. S. Department of Justice. The evidence will be 
examined to determine if the applicant has marketable title.
    (h) The documentation that we need to comply with 516 DM 6, 
Appendix 4, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Revised 
Implementing Procedures, and 602 DM 2, Land Acquisitions: Hazardous 
Substances Determinations. (For copies of these directives, see the 
Bureau of Indian Affairs web site at: <http://www.doi.gov/bureau-
indian-affairs.html>.) Include a record of consultation with 
appropriate authorities regarding environmental, endangered species, 
water quality, fish and wildlife, wetlands, transportation, air 
quality, cultural, historical value, hazardous waste, and toxic 
material issues.
    (i) If the request is for an individual Indian, documentation 
demonstrating that the applicant's request meets one of the criteria 
described in Sec. 151.13.


Sec. 151.13  Can an individual Indian acquire land outside his or her 
own reservation?

    Except as provided in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section, we 
will not accept title to land in trust outside an individual Indian's 
reservation. We may approve acquisitions of land outside an individual 
Indian's reservation if:
    (a) The individual Indian already owns an undivided fractional 
trust or restricted interest in the property being acquired; or
    (b) The individual Indian has sold trust or restricted interest in 
land and the money received from the sale is reinvested in other land 
selected and purchased with these funds, or the individual Indian is 
purchasing land with funds obtained as a result of a sale of trust or 
restricted land under 25 U.S.C. 409a.


Sec. 151.14  What criteria will we use to evaluate a request involving 
land outside a reservation or outside an approved Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area?

    We will review all information submitted under section Sec. 151.12. 
We may decide to place the land in trust if we determine that the 
application meets all of the following criteria:
    (a) We determine that the conveyance is necessary to facilitate 
tribal self-determination, economic development, Indian housing, or 
land consolidation;
    (b) There is legal authority that authorizes us to accept land in 
trust;
    (c) The request is complete (including all supporting documents);
    (d) The acquisition will benefit the tribe's economic and/or social 
conditions;
    (e) There is title evidence that meets the Standards for the 
Preparation of Title Evidence in Land Acquisitions by the United 
States, issued by the U. S. Department of Justice;
    (f) There is information sufficient for compliance with 516 DM 6, 
Appendix 4, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Revised 
Implementing

[[Page 17586]]

Procedures, and 602 DM 2, Land Acquisitions: Hazardous Substances 
Determinations: a record of coordination with agencies having 
jurisdiction over cultural, historic, and natural resources;
    (g) We determine after mitigation of impacts on the environment, 
cultural resources, historic resources, and endangered or threatened 
species, that the conveyance is consistent with applicable 
environmental, cultural and historic resources law, and the Endangered 
Species Act;
    (h) We determine that any adverse impacts on local governments and 
communities are reasonable compared to the benefits flowing to the 
applicant from taking the land in trust;
    (i) The Bureau of Indian Affairs is equipped to handle the 
additional responsibilities of this acquisition and has sufficient 
staff to perform inspections for rights-of-way, leasing, soil 
conservation, and oil and gas exploration, or any other 
responsibilities resulting from the acquisition of the land in trust 
status; and
    (j) The location of the land relative to State boundaries, and its 
distance from the boundaries of the tribe's reservation, is reasonable 
based in part on the following:
    (1) If the land is in a different state than the tribe's 
reservation, the tribe's justification of anticipated benefits from the 
acquisition will be subject to greater scrutiny.
    (2) As the distance between the tribe's reservation or approved 
Tribal Land Acquisition area and the land to be acquired increases, the 
tribe's justification of anticipated benefits from the acquisition will 
be subject to greater scrutiny.
    (3) As the distance between the tribe's reservation or approved 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area and the land to be acquired increases, the 
concerns raised by the state and local governments will be given 
greater weight.

Subpart D--Mandatory Acceptance of Title


Sec. 151.15  What information must be provided in a request to process 
a mandatory transfer of title into trust status, and how will we 
process the request?

    (a) To help us determine whether we are mandated by legislation to 
accept trust title to a specific tract of land, we require submission 
of the following documentation:
    (1) A complete description, or a copy of, the statutory authority 
that directs the United States to place the land in trust, and any 
limitations contained in that authority;
    (2) Title insurance or an abstract of title that meets the 
Standards for the Preparation of Title Evidence in Land Acquisitions by 
the United States, issued by the U.S. Department of Justice; and
    (3) Any additional information that we may request.
    (b) If we determine that the transfer of title into trust status is 
mandatory, we will publish that determination and a notice of intent to 
take the land in trust in the Federal Register.


Sec. 151.16  Can our determination that a transfer of title into trust 
status is mandatory be appealed?

    The Department's determination that a transfer of title into trust 
status is ``mandatory'' may be appealed according to requirements set 
forth in part 2 of this title.

Subpart E--Tribal Land Acquisition Areas


Sec. 151.17  What is a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?

    A Tribal Land Acquisition Area is a geographic boundary designated 
by a reservation-less tribe within which the tribe plans to acquire 
land within a 10-year period. If the Secretary approves the Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area under this part, the reservation-less tribe can 
acquire parcels of land within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area during 
that 10-year period under the on-reservation provisions of this part.


Sec. 151.18  What must be included in a request for Secretarial 
approval of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area?

    A request for Secretarial approval of a Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area must be made in writing, although we do not require that it take 
any special form. However, we strongly urge the applicant to address 
each applicable section of this part in the order it appears here. 
Constructing the application in this way will help us review the 
request more efficiently. To be complete, a request for Secretarial 
approval of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area must identify the applicant 
tribe, and must include:
    (a) A complete description, or a copy, of the federal statute(s) 
that authorize the United States to accept land in trust on behalf of 
the tribe, and any limitations contained in that authority.
    (b) Copies of tribal documents relating to the establishment of the 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area and the acquisition of land within it, 
including:
    (1) A copy of the tribe's constitution and by-laws, corporate 
charter, resolution, or excerpts from those documents that identify and 
grant tribal officials the authority to acquire tribal lands on behalf 
of the tribe;
    (2) A copy of a tribal resolution designating the Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area, including a legal description of the lands located 
within it; and
    (3) A copy of a tribal resolution requesting that the Secretary 
approve the proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area.
    (c) A narrative summary that describes the purposes and goals for 
acquiring lands in trust within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area, 
including general information about whether the lands are to be used 
for residential, governmental, educational, economic development, or 
other purposes.
    (d) A narrative of the tribe's history that explains:
    (1) When the tribe was federally recognized, and whether it was 
through legislation, treaty, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Federal 
Acknowledgment Process; and
    (2) If applicable, how the tribe became dispossessed of its former 
reservation lands.
    (e) A description of the Tribal Land Acquisition Area, including:
    (1) A legal description of the lands within the Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area;
    (2) Information about whether the lands are within the tribe's 
former reservation or aboriginal homelands;
    (3) Information about whether the lands are Federal lands, State 
lands, or private lands;
    (4) Information about whether the lands overlap with another 
tribe's jurisdictional area;
    (5) Information about the significance of the land to the tribe, 
including whether the land has any particular historical, cultural, 
religious, or other value to the tribe; and
    (6) Information about the distance of the Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area from the Bureau's nearest agency or area office.
    (f) A description of the location of roads and rights-of-way, or of 
additional rights-of-way that may be needed to provide access to lands 
located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area.
    (g) A description of the reasonably anticipated overall effect on 
the State and its political subdivisions of removing lands located 
within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area from tax rolls, and a 
description of any measures the applicant will take to reduce these 
effects. The description of effects must include an explanation of:
    (1) The amount of annual taxes currently assessed by the local 
governments for lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area;

[[Page 17587]]

    (2) The amount of annual revenue which would be lost from special 
assessments to the local governments, if any;
    (3) The amount of annual revenue lost from mineral receipts to the 
local governments, if any; and
    (4) The local governments' ability to provide public safety 
services for lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area.
    (h) A description of any overall jurisdictional and land use 
infrastructure issues that might arise if the lands within the Tribal 
Land Acquisition Area is taken into trust. The description must address 
each of the following issues.
    (1) Zoning, including:
    (i) The current zoning of the land;
    (ii) Any proposed use conflicts with current zoning; and
    (iii) Applicable tribal zoning ordinances.
    (2) Law enforcement and cross-deputization, including:
    (i) Who currently provides law enforcement services for the land;
    (ii) Whether the tribe already has its own law enforcement;
    (iii) Who will supply law enforcement if the land is approved for 
trust status; and
    (iv) Whether additional resources would be needed to provide 
adequate law enforcement.
    (3) Safety factors, including:
    (i) Who supplies fire protection service for lands located within 
the Tribal Land Acquisition Area;
    (ii) Who supplies emergency medical service for lands located 
within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area; and
    (iii) Information about whether lands located within the Tribal 
Land Acquisition Area are in a flood area or flood control area.
    (4) Traffic, roads, and streets, including:
    (i) A description of current access to the land;
    (ii) A description and quantification of anticipated increased 
traffic in the area from proposed use; and
    (iii) A description of whether existing roads and streets are 
adequate to handle any anticipated increase in traffic caused by the 
proposed use.
    (5) Sanitation, including whether:
    (i) The lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area are 
on a city sewage system;
    (ii) The lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area are 
served by an adequate sewage system that meets applicable standards;
    (iii) Trash pickup service or another method of trash disposal is 
available for lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area;
    (iv) The city or another facility supplies sanitation services to 
the lands located within the Tribe Land Acquisition Area;
    (v) There is an adequate water supply for the proposed use and any 
future anticipated uses; and
    (vi) Whether the tribe has water rights to the available water 
supply.
    (6) Utilities, including:
    (i) Whether a city or a rural electric company supplies electricity 
to lands located within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area; and
    (ii) The source of heating for lands located within the Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area, such as: natural gas, propane, oil, coal, wood, 
electric, or solar.
    (7) Whether there exist any cooperative agreements or voluntary 
actions intended to address jurisdictional and land use conflicts.
    (8) Whether the tribe has made any provisions to compensate the 
State and local governments for revenue lost because of the removal of 
the lands from the tax rolls. (Include any increases in Title IX 
funding from the Indian Education Act or Impact Aid funding.)


Sec. 151.19  How is a tribal request for Secretarial approval 
processed?

    When we receive a request for Secretarial approval of a Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area, we will review the supporting documentation to 
determine if the request meets the requirements of this part. If the 
request is complete, we will:
    (a) Provide notice of the request for Secretarial approval to the 
Governor's Office, to appropriate local government officials, and to 
appropriate officials of tribes located within a 50-mile radius of the 
boundaries of the proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area. Recipients of 
the notice will be provided 60 days from the date of receipt in which 
to comment on the proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area and the request 
supporting it. Other interested parties may also submit comments during 
the 60-day consultation period.
    (b) After the close of the consultation period, based on the 
criteria described in Sec. 151.21, we will decide whether to approve 
the Tribal Land Acquisition Area. Our decision on whether to approve 
the Tribal Land Acquisition Area will be communicated in the form of a 
certified letter to the applicant. We also will provide notice of our 
decision to interested parties by sending a copy of the decision letter 
to everyone (including State and local governments) who sent us written 
comments on the request for approval.
    (c) If we decide not to approve the Tribal Land Acquisition Area, 
we will take no further action.
    (d) If we decide to approve the Tribal Land Acquisition Area, we 
will:
    (1) Publish in the Federal Register, or in a newspaper of general 
circulation serving the affected area, a notice of the decision to 
approve the Tribal Land Acquisition Area; and
    (2) Thereafter review requests to accept trust title land located 
within the Tribal Land Acquisition Area as ``on-reservation'' 
acquisitions under the applicable on-reservation provisions in this 
part.


Sec. 151.20  What criteria will we use to decide whether to approve a 
proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area?

    In general, because tribes without reservations are significantly 
disadvantaged, both in terms of cultural preservation and in terms of 
being ineligible for federal land-based programmatic funding and 
technical assistance, there is a presumption in favor of the tribe's 
need for at least some trust land. However, in determining whether to 
approve establishment of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area, we will 
consider the individual circumstances of each applicant tribe, 
surrounding community, and affected land base. There are some standard 
criteria which will help direct our decision-making process. These 
standard criteria include:
    (a) The request must be complete and contain all supporting 
documents;
    (b) The statutory basis upon which the tribe proposes creation of 
the Tribal Land Acquisition Area: if the tribe is the subject of a 
statute directing the Secretary to take some unspecified land into 
trust for the tribe's benefit the tribe will enjoy a greater 
presumption in favor of approval of its proposed Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area. (For example, there is statutory language such as 
``the Secretary shall take land into trust within the tribe's service 
area,'' or ``the Secretary shall take land into trust within X and Y 
counties.'')
    (c) The size of the proposed Tribal Land Acquisition Area in 
relation to the size of the tribe's membership: we will look for a 
reasonable connection between the amount of land the tribe wishes to 
take into trust, and the basic trust needs (housing, health, employment 
opportunities) of the tribe's membership.
    (d) The relationship of the tribe to the lands located within the 
Tribal Land Acquisition Area: we will give greater weight to a request 
for approval of a Tribal Land Acquisition Area that encompasses lands 
to which the tribe

[[Page 17588]]

has established a strong cultural, historical, and/or legal connection.
    (e) The ability of the tribe and the local non-Indian community to 
adjust to the jurisdictional changes that will occur if the lands 
within the Tribal Land Consolidation Area are taken into trust, 
including:
    (1) That there are adequate arrangements for provision of police 
and fire protecion and other emergency response for persons living 
within the Tribal Land Consolidation Area (whether living on trust or 
non-trust property);
    (2) That there are adequate arrangements for provision of other 
municipal-type services, such as garbage removal, water, sewage;
    (3) That adverse impacts on local governments and communities are 
reasonable compared to the benefits flowing to the applicant.


Sec. 151.21  Can a tribe include in its Tribal Land Acquisition Area 
land inside another tribe's reservation or Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area?

    A tribe may include land inside the reservation boundaries or 
within an approved Tribal Land Acquisition Area of another tribe, if:
    (a) The host tribe's governing body consents in writing;
    (b) The tribe already owns undivided fractional trust or restricted 
interests in the tracts of land identified in its Tribal Land 
Acquisition Area; or
    (c) The tracts of land to be included in the plan are inside a 
reservation or an approved Tribal Land Acquisition area that is shared 
by two or more tribes, and the plan is for one of these tribes.


Sec. 151.22  If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is not approved, is the 
tribe prohibited from acquiring land within it?

    No. However, the tribe will have to apply to have individual 
parcels taken into trust under the off-reservation provisions of this 
part.


Sec. 151.23  If a Tribal Land Acquisition Area is approved, does the 
land taken into trust within it attain reservation status?

    No. Lands taken into trust within a Tribal Land Acqusition Area 
will enjoy ``Indian country'' status as that term has been defined in 
relevant federal statutes and caselaw. However, those lands do not 
attain ``reservation'' status by virtue of the Tribal Land Acquisition 
Area having been approved by the Secretary. Reservation status can only 
be attained if:
    (a) The tribe has applied to the Secretary under 12 U.S.C. 467; or
    (b) There is a specific federal statute designating the land as a 
reservation.


Sec. 151.24  Can a Tribal Land Acquisition Area be modified after 
approval?

    Yes. However, the changes must be submitted with a request for 
approval in compliance with the criteria in this part and must be 
approved by the Secretary.

Subpart F--False Statements, Recordkeeping, Information Collection


Sec. 151.25  What is the penalty for making false statements in 
connection with a request that we place land into trust?

    Anyone who knowingly and willfully makes a false statement in 
connection with a trust title acquisition request may be subject to 
criminal prosecution under the False Statements Accountability Act of 
1996, 18 U.S.C. 1001.


Sec. 151.26  What recordkeeping and reporting requirements apply to 
acquisitions of trust title under this part?

    (a) Each document that we hold or that is created in the 
development of a request asking for land to be placed in trust is a 
permanent federal case file record. The Bureau of Indian Affairs file 
will maintain each of the documents in accordance with National 
Archives and Records Administration requirements.
    (b) The Secretary will negotiate with Indian tribes and tribal 
organizations compacting and contracting under Title I or Title IV of 
the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, 25 U.S.C. 
250 et seq., to ensure that such tribes and tribal organizations also 
maintain each document in a case file in accordance with National 
Archives and Records Administration rules and requirements, and to 
ensure that they follow all Bureau reporting requirements concerning 
this part.


Sec. 151.27  Do information collections under this part have Office of 
Management and Budget approval?

    (a) The information collection requirements contained in 
Secs. 151.4; 151.9; 151.12; 151.15, 151.18, and 151.26 have been 
approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 33501 
et seq. and assigned clearance number 1076-xxxx. It is a requirement of 
the Paperwork Reduction Act that each respondent to any information 
collection be notified that an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a 
person is not required to respond to, a collection of information 
unless it displays a current valid OMB control number pursuant to 35 
U.S.C. 3506(c)(B)(V); 44 CFR 1320 8(b)(3)(vii). Indian tribes and 
individuals must submit the information required under these sections 
to acquire land into trust. We will use the information in making a 
determination on an application to take land into trust. The applicant 
must respond to this request to obtain a benefit.
    (b) Public reporting for on-reservation information collection is 
estimated to average 4 hours per response, including the time for 
reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing 
and reviewing the information collected. Public reporting for off-
reservation information collection is estimated to average 8 hours per 
response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and 
maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the information 
collected. Comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect 
of this information collection should be sent to the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, Information Collection Clearance Officer, 1849 C Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20240; and Attention: Desk Officer, for the Department 
of the Interior, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs [OMB 
Control Number 1076-xxxx], Office of Management and Budget, Docket 
Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20502.

    Dated: April 2, 1999.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-8851 Filed 4-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P