25 CFR § 151.10 - How will the Secretary evaluate a request involving land contiguous to the boundaries of an Indian reservation?

§ 151.10 How will the Secretary evaluate a request involving land contiguous to the boundaries of an Indian reservation?

(a) The Secretary shall consider the criteria in this section when evaluating requests for the acquisition of land in trust status when the land is located contiguous to an Indian reservation:

(1) The existence of statutory authority for the acquisition and any limitations contained in such authority;

(2) If the applicant is an individual Indian, the need for additional land, the amount of trust or restricted land already owned by or for that individual, and the degree to which the individual needs assistance in handling their affairs;

(3) The purposes for which the land will be used; and

(4) If the land to be acquired is in fee status, whether the Bureau of Indian Affairs is equipped to discharge the additional responsibilities resulting from the acquisition of the land in trust status.

(b) The Secretary shall give great weight to acquiring land that serves any of the following purposes, in accordance with § 151.3:

(1) Furthers Tribal interests by establishing a Tribal land base or protects Tribal homelands;

(2) Protects sacred sites or cultural resources and practices;

(3) Establishes or maintains conservation or environmental mitigation areas;

(4) Consolidates land ownership;

(5) Reduces checkerboarding;

(6) Acquires land lost through allotment;

(7) Protects treaty or subsistence rights; or

(8) Facilitates Tribal self-determination, economic development, or Indian housing.

(c) When reviewing a Tribe's request for land contiguous to an Indian reservation, the Secretary presumes that the acquisition will further the Tribal interests described in paragraph (b) of this section, and adverse impacts to local governments' regulatory jurisdiction, real property taxes, and special assessments will be minimal, therefore the application should be approved.

(d) Upon receipt of a written request to have land contiguous to an Indian reservation acquired in trust status, the Secretary shall notify the State and local governments with regulatory jurisdiction over the land to be acquired. The notice will inform the State or local government that each will be given 30 calendar days in which to provide written comments to rebut the presumption of minimal adverse impacts to regulatory jurisdiction, real property taxes, and special assessments. If the State or local government responds within 30 calendar days, a copy of the comments will be provided to the applicant, who will be given a reasonable time in which to reply, if they choose to do so in their discretion, or request that the Secretary issue a decision. In considering such comments, the Secretary presumes that the Tribal community will benefit from the acquisition.