To declare that the United States holds certain public domain lands in trust for the Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 507 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 507

To declare that the United States holds certain public domain lands in
trust for the Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 29, 2003

Mr. Udall of New Mexico introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To declare that the United States holds certain public domain lands in
trust for the Pueblos of San Ildefonso and Santa Clara.

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

SECTION 1. TRANSFER OF LANDS INTO TRUST FOR PUEBLOS OF SAN ILDEFONSO
AND SANTA CLARA, NEW MEXICO.

(a) Lands Held in Trust for Pueblo of Santa Clara.--All right,
title, and interest of the United States in the lands described in
subsection (b), including all improvements thereon and appurtenances
thereto and rights to all minerals, including oil and gas, are hereby
declared to be held by the United States in trust for the Pueblo of
Santa Clara.
(b) Land Description.--The lands referred to in subsection (a)
consist of approximately 2,484 acres of land presently under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the
Interior situated within Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, and are more
particularly described as follows:
That portion of Section 22, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is north of the line
established in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a)
of this Act.
South half of Section 23, Township 20 North, Range 7 East,
New Mexico Principal Meridian.
South half of Section 24, Township 20 North, Range 7 East,
New Mexico Principal Meridian.
All of Section 25, Township 20 North, Range 7 East, New
Mexico Principal Meridian, except for the 5 acre tract in the
Southeast quarter owned by San Ildefonso Pueblo.
That portion of Section 26, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is north and east of
the line established in accordance with the provisions of
Section 2(a) of this Act.
That portion of Section 27, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is north of the line
established in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a)
of this Act.
That portion of Section 19, Township 20 North, Range 8
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is not included
within the Santa Clara Pueblo Grant or the Santa Clara Indian
Reservation.
That portion of Section 30, Township 20 North, Range 8
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is not included
within the Santa Clara Pueblo Grant or the San Ildefonso Grant.
(c) Lands Held in Trust for Pueblo of San Ildefonso.--All right,
title, and interest of the United States in the lands described in
subsection (d), including all improvements thereon and appurtenances
thereto and rights to all minerals, including oil and gas, are hereby
declared to be held by the United States in trust for the Pueblo of San
Ildefonso.
(d) Land Description.--The lands referred to in subsection (c)
consist of approximately 2,000 acres of land presently under the
jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management of the Department of the
Interior situated within Rio Arriba and Santa Fe Counties, New Mexico,
and are more particularly described as follows:
That portion of Section 22, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is south of the line
established in accordance with the provisions of Section 2 (a)
of this Act.
That portion of Section 26, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is south and west of
the line established in accordance with the provisions of
Section 2(a) of this Act.
That portion of Section 27, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is south of the line
established in accordance with the provisions of Section 2(a)
of this Act.
All of Section 34, Township 20 North, Range 7 East, New
Mexico Principal Meridian.
That portion of Section 35, Township 20 North, Range 7
East, New Mexico Principal Meridian, that is not included
within the San Ildefonso Pueblo Grant.

SEC. 2. SURVEY OF BOUNDARY LINE; PUBLICATION OF DESCRIPTION IN FEDERAL
REGISTER.

(a) Survey of Boundary Line.--In order to accurately establish on
the ground the boundary of the lands declared to be held in trust for
the Pueblo of Santa Clara and the boundary of the lands declared to be
held in trust for the Pueblo of San Ildefonso as described in section 1
of this Act, the Secretary of Interior shall, by the date that is 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act, cause a survey to be
conducted by the Office of Cadastral Survey of the Bureau of Land
Management of the boundary lines established under the provisions of
the Agreement to Affirm Boundary Between Pueblo of Santa Clara and
Pueblo of San Ildefonso Aboriginal Lands Within Garcia Canyon Tract,
that was executed on December 20, 2000, by the respective Governors of
the two Pueblos, which survey shall be undertaken in accordance with
the provisions of such Agreement.
(b) Publication of Land Descriptions in Federal Register.--Upon
completion of the survey described in subsection (a), and its
acceptance by the respective Governors of the 2 Pueblos, the Secretary
shall cause the full metes and bounds description of the lines
thus established, together with a full and accurate description of the
lands declared to be held in trust for each Pueblo by Section 1 of this
Act, respectively, to be published in the Federal Register, and such
descriptions shall, upon their publication, constitute the official
descriptions of the lands transferred into trust hereunder. In
preparing such publication, the Secretary is authorized to correct any
technical errors in the legal descriptions contained in this Act, so as
to make the descriptions of the lands declared to be held in trust for
the two Pueblos consistent with the terms of the Agreement described in
subsection (a).

SEC. 3. ADMINISTRATION OF LANDS DECLARED TO BE HELD IN TRUST.

Upon the enactment of this Act, and subject to the other provisions
of this Act, the lands described in section 1(b) are hereby declared to
be part of the Pueblo of Santa Clara's reservation and the lands
described in section 1(d) are hereby declared to be part of the Pueblo
of San Ildefonso's reservation. All lands described in Section 1 shall
be administered in accordance with the laws and rules of law generally
applicable to property held in trust by the United States for Indian
tribes.

SEC. 4. VALID EXISTING RIGHTS PRESERVED.

Nothing in this Act shall deprive any person (other than the United
States) of any legal existing right-of-way, lease, permit, mining
claim, grazing permit, water right, or any other right or interest
which such person may have in any of the trust lands within the purview
of this Act on the date preceding the date of enactment of this Act. No
existing right or claim of either Pueblo to any lands or interest in
lands based upon Aboriginal or Indian title shall be enlarged, impaired
or otherwise affected by this Act.

SEC. 5. LANDS SUBJECT TO SECTION 17 OF PUEBLO LANDS ACT.

The lands described in section 1, and all lands owned or acquired
by the Pueblo of Santa Clara within the Santa Clara Pueblo Grant, and
all lands owned or acquired by the Pueblo of San Ildefonso within the
San Ildefonso Pueblo Grant, shall be fully subject to the provisions of
Section 17 of the Act of June 7, 1924 (43 Stat. 641; commonly referred
to as the ``Pueblo Lands Act'').

SEC. 6. USE OF LANDS.

Land conveyed under this Act may only be used for traditional and
customary uses or stewardship conservation for the benefit of the
Pueblo of San Ildefonso or the Pueblo of Sanat Clara for whom the land
is held in trust. The Secretary of the Interior shall work with the
Pueblos to develop appropriate criteria for use of the land to ensure
that the land is preserved for traditional and customary uses or
stewardship conservation.

SEC. 7. WATER.

Nothing in this Act shall constitute or be construed to
constitute--
(1) an express or implied reservation of water or water
rights with respect to the land conveyed under this Act; or
(2) a creation, recognition, disclaimer, relinquishment, or
reduction of any water rights of Pueblo of San Ildefonso or the
Pueblo Santa Clara existing prior to the date of the enactment
of this Act.
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