Yurok Lands Act

Federal agency— The term Federal agency has the same meaning given that term in section 1508.12 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations, except that such term shall not include States, units of general local government, and Indian Tribes.

NEPA— The term NEPA means the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).

Revised Yurok Reservation— The term revised Yurok Reservation means the land within the Yurok Reservation exterior boundary as revised in section 5(a), except land owned in fee by or held in trust by the United States for the benefit of a federally recognized Indian Tribe other than the Yurok Tribe.

Secretary— The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, or the Secretary of Transportation, as appropriate.

Tribe— The term Tribe means the Yurok Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe.

In general— For the purposes of any process triggered by a requirement under NEPA regarding a major Federal action on Federal land within the revised Yurok Reservation, at the Tribe’s option, the Tribe shall—

Requirements for Memorandum of Understanding— A Memorandum of Understanding entered into under this section shall—

Cooperating agency— For the purpose of any process triggered by a requirement under NEPA regarding a major Federal action on Federal land that may affect the revised Yurok Reservation, at the option of the Tribe, the Tribe shall act as a cooperating agency.

No limitation on existing authority— Nothing in this section shall limit ability of the Tribe or any other federally recognized Indian Tribe to participate in any process triggered by a requirement under NEPA as a joint lead or a cooperating agency.

Self-Governance agreements— Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall negotiate, in good faith, self-governance agreements under this Act pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.). Program functions, services, and activities, or portions thereof, carried out by the National Park Service on Federal land within the revised Yurok Reservation shall be included in a contract or compact to the extent allowed under title I or title IV of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.

In general— Subject to any valid existing rights, the Secretary of Agriculture shall transfer to the Secretary of the Interior administrative jurisdiction over approximately 1,229 acres in the Yurok Experimental Forest administered by the Forest Service, as generally depicted on the map entitled “Experimental Forest” and dated October 4, 2016. The map shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Forest Service.

Administration— The Secretary of the Interior shall hold the land transferred under subsection (a) in trust for the benefit of the Tribe.

Tribal Land Use Management Plan— The Tribe shall develop a Tribal Land Use Management Plan in accordance with NEPA requirements for the land held in trust pursuant to subsection (b).

Government-to-Government agreements— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Tribe—

Survey— Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall complete a survey to establish the exterior boundaries of the land taken into trust pursuant to subsection (b).

Use of trust land— Land taken into trust pursuant to subsection (b) shall—

In general— The Secretary shall revise the boundary of the Yurok Reservation as depicted on the map entitled “Revised Yurok Reservation Boundary” and dated September 20, 2017, copies of which shall be on file and available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Land management— Subject to the requirements of sections 3 and 4—

Designation of the Yurok Scenic Byway— Bald Hills Road from its junction with U.S. Highway 101 to its terminus on the Klamath River shall be designated as the “Yurok Scenic Byway”, an Indian Tribe scenic byway, and the Tribe shall be eligible for appropriate grants and technical assistance as authorized in section 162(b) of title 23, United States Code.

Continued access and use retained— The Tribe shall not prohibit or limit, and the Secretary of Interior shall allow, continued access and use of the Bald Hills Road in accordance with section 3(b)(1) of the Act entitled “An Act to establish a Redwood National Park in the State of California, and for other purposes”, approved October 2, 1968 (16 U.S.C. 79c).