[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 706 Referred in House (RFH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 706
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 27, 2005
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To convey all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to
the land described in this Act to the Secretary of the Interior for the
Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Prairie Island Land Conveyance Act
of 2005''.
SEC. 2. PRAIRIE ISLAND LAND CONVEYANCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of the Army shall convey all right,
title, and interest of the United States in and to the land described
in subsection (b), including all improvements, cultural resources, and
sites on the land, subject to the flowage and sloughing easement
described in subsection (d) and to the conditions stated in subsection
(f), to the Secretary of the Interior, to be--
(1) held in trust by the United States for the benefit of
the Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota; and
(2) included in the Prairie Island Indian Community
Reservation in Goodhue County, Minnesota.
(b) Land Description.--The land to be conveyed under subsection (a)
is the approximately 1290 acres of land associated with the Lock and
Dam #3 on the Mississippi River in Goodhue County, Minnesota, located
in tracts identified as GO-251, GO-252, GO-271, GO-277, GO-278, GO-284,
GO-301 through GO-313, GO-314A, GO-314B, GO-329, GO-330A, GO-330B, GO-
331A, GO-331B, GO-331C, GO-332, GO-333, GO-334, GO-335A, GO-335B, GO-
336 through GO-338, GO-339A, GO-339B, GO-339C, GO-339D, GO-339E, GO-
340A, GO-340B, GO-358, GO-359A, GO-359B, GO-359C, GO-359D, and GO-360,
as depicted on the map entitled ``United States Army Corps of Engineers
survey map of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Project, Lock & Dam
No. 3 (Red Wing), Land & Flowage Rights'' and dated December 1936.
(c) Boundary Survey.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
conveyance under subsection (a), the boundaries of the land conveyed
shall be surveyed as provided in section 2115 of the Revised Statutes
(25 U.S.C. 176).
(d) Easement.--
(1) In general.--The Corps of Engineers shall retain a
flowage and sloughing easement for the purpose of navigation
and purposes relating to the Lock and Dam No. 3 project over
the portion of the land described in subsection (b) that lies
below the elevation of 676.0.
(2) Inclusions.--The easement retained under paragraph (1)
includes--
(A) the perpetual right to overflow, flood, and
submerge property as the District Engineer determines
to be necessary in connection with the operation and
maintenance of the Mississippi River Navigation
Project; and
(B) the continuing right to clear and remove any
brush, debris, or natural obstructions that, in the
opinion of the District Engineer, may be detrimental to
the project.
(e) Ownership of Sturgeon Lake Bed Unaffected.--Nothing in this
section diminishes or otherwise affects the title of the State of
Minnesota to the bed of Sturgeon Lake located within the tracts of land
described in subsection (b).
(f) Conditions.--The conveyance under subsection (a) is subject to
the conditions that the Prairie Island Indian Community shall not--
(1) use the conveyed land for human habitation;
(2) construct any structure on the land without the written
approval of the District Engineer; or
(3) conduct gaming (within the meaning of section 4 of the
Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 2703)) on the land.
(g) No Effect on Eligibility for Certain Projects.--Notwithstanding
the conveyance under subsection (a), the land shall continue to be
eligible for environmental management planning and other recreational
or natural resource development projects on the same basis as before
the conveyance.
(h) Effect of Section.--Nothing in this section diminishes or
otherwise affects the rights granted to the United States pursuant to
letters of July 23, 1937, and November 20, 1937, from the Secretary of
the Interior to the Secretary of War and the letters of the Secretary
of War in response to the Secretary of the Interior dated August 18,
1937, and November 27, 1937, under which the Secretary of the Interior
granted certain rights to the Corps of Engineers to overflow the
portions of Tracts A, B, and C that lie within the Mississippi River 9-
Foot Channel Project boundary and as more particularly shown and
depicted on the map entitled ``United States Army Corps of Engineers
survey map of the Upper Mississippi River 9-Foot Project, Lock & Dam
No. 3 (Red Wing), Land & Flowage Rights'' and dated December 1936.
Passed the Senate July 26, 2005.
Attest:
EMILY J. REYNOLDS,
Secretary.