United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1999-06-30 monographic deposited born digital 48 p. GA 1.13:RCED-99-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165 P0b002ee1803a1761 f:rc99165 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165 RCED-99-165 Land leases Comparative analysis Indian lands Appraisals User fees Rental rates Land management Land use agreements Letter Report RCED

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has jurisdiction over roughly 56 million acres of Indian-owned land that is held in trust by the federal government. In 1997, tribes and individual Indians received more than $104 million from 102,000 leases involving farming, livestock grazing, business development, and residential use. Members of Congress have raised concerns about how the rent for this land is set and how rent appraisals may affect the ability of Indians to lease their land and of lessees to rent it. This report discusses (1) how BIA uses appraisals and other methods to establish the lease value of Indian land; (2) how its appraisal methods compare with those of other federal and state agencies and of private appraisers and what other methods are used to value federal, state, and private leases; (3) impediments to leasing Indian trust land; (4) what alternatives to appraisals have been used to establish the lease value of Indian land, including any changes in federal laws and regulations that would be required; and (5) BIA's efforts to improve its appraisal methods. GAO also provides information on the leasing of Indian trust land, the residential leases of Indian trust and other land, and the acreage in Indian irrigation projects. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165.pdf GAO/RCED-99-165 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-99-165 Letter Report GAO/RCED-99-165; Indian Programs: BIA Should Streamline Its Processes for; Land leases Comparative analysis Indian lands Appraisals User fees Rental rates Land management Land use agreements Title 42 Section 4601 42 U.S.C. 4601 Title 1925 Section 348 1925 U.S.C. 348 Public Law 101-73 S. Rept. 105-56