Conveying Federal Land to Oregon Indian Tribes and Modifying Forestry Management Policies (H.R. 2791)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 2791?
(Updated August 14, 2017)
This bill conveys land to several Native American tribes in Oregon, and addresses the restoration of Oregon forests. This bill is the packaging of three bills that had been previously introduced individually.
The Cow Creek Umpqua Land Conveyance Act requires that 17,519 acres of federal land be held in trust for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians’ and become part of their reservation. Gaming and casinos are prohibited on this land, and federal law applies to forest management activities and the export of unprocessed logs. The Dept. of the Interior (DOI) would be required to reclassify public domain land as Oregon and California Railroad grant land in equal amounts as the acreage held in trust under this legislation.
The Oregon Coastal Lands Act requires that 14,408 acres of federal land be held in trust for Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. and would become part of their reservation. Additionally, the same provisions as those in the Cow Creek Umpqua Land Conveyance Act related to gaming, forest management, and land reclassification would apply for land held in trust for the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians.
The Coquille Forest Fairness Act removes the requirement that the DOI manage the Coquille Forest in a manner that complies with state and federal laws related to forestry and environmental protection. It also prevents certain legal claims from being directly under the jurisdiction of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.
Argument in favor
Transferring these federal lands to the Oregon tribes would be beneficial for economic development, as would enabling more forests to logging.
Argument opposed
The federal government should keep these areas under their jurisdiction to the greatest extent possible to prevent their misuse.
Impact
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians, the U.S. District Court for Oregon, and the DOI.
Cost of H.R. 2791
The CBO estimates that implementing this bill would have no impact on the federal budget.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) called this bill “a major step toward
long-overdue restoration for three of Oregon’s distinguished tribes.”
He added that:
“My bill will promote job creation and economic growth for the Coos and Cow Creek Tribes and provide the same land management rights to the Coquille Tribe that every other federally-recognized tribe in the United States already enjoy.”
Most of the lands that are to be transferred by this legislation are currently controlled by the Bureau of Land Management.
This bill was unanimously passed by the House Natural Resources Committee.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell(Photo Credit: Flickr user BLMOregon)
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