§ 1780. Definitions and purposes

(a) Definitions In this subchapter:

(1) Administrative access

The term “administrative access” means the unrestricted use of land and interests in land for ingress and egress by an agency of the United States (including a permittee, contractor, agent, or assignee of the United States) in order to carry out an activity authorized by law or regulation, or otherwise in furtherance of the management of federally-owned land and resources.

(2) County

The term “County” means the incorporated county of Los Alamos, New Mexico.

(3) Los Alamos Agreement

The term “Los Alamos Agreement” means the agreement among the County, the Pueblo, the Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs dated January 22, 2004.

(4) Los Alamos Townsite Land

“Los Alamos Townsite Land” means the land identified as Attachment B (dated December 12, 2003) to the Los Alamos Agreement.

(5) Northern Tier Land

“Northern Tier Land” means the land comprising approximately 739.71 acres and identified as “Northern Tier Lands” in Appendix B (dated August 3, 2004) to the Settlement Agreement.

(6) Pending Litigation

The term “Pending Litigation” means the case styled Pueblo of San Ildefonso v. United States, Docket Number 354, originally filed with the Indian Claims Commission and pending in the United States Court of Federal Claims on September 27, 2006.

(7) Pueblo

The term “Pueblo” means the Pueblo de San Ildefonso, a federally recognized Indian tribe (also known as the “Pueblo of San Ildefonso”).

(8) Settlement Agreement

The term “Settlement Agreement” means the agreement entitled “Settlement Agreement between the United States and the Pueblo de San Ildefonso to Resolve All of the Pueblo’s Land Title and Trespass Claims” and dated June 7, 2005.

(9) Settlement Area Land

The term “Settlement Area Land” means the National Forest System land located within the Santa Fe National Forest, as described in Appendix B to the Settlement Agreement, that is available for purchase by the Pueblo under section 9(a) of the Settlement Agreement.

(10) Settlement Fund

The term “Settlement Fund” means the Pueblo de San Ildefonso Land Claims Settlement Fund established by section 1780d of this title.

(11) Sisk Act

The term “Sisk Act” means Public Law 90–171 (commonly known as the “Sisk Act”) (16 U.S.C. 484a).

(12) Water System Land

The term “Water System Land” means the federally-owned land located within the Santa Fe National Forest to be conveyed to the County under the Los Alamos Agreement.

(b) Purposes The purposes of this subchapter are—

(1) to finally dispose, as set forth in sections 1780b and 1780c of this title, of all rights, claims, or demands that the Pueblo has asserted or could have asserted against the United States with respect to any and all claims in the Pending Litigation;

(2) to extinguish claims based on aboriginal title, Indian title, or recognized title, or any other title claims under section 1780c of this title;

(3) to authorize the Pueblo to acquire the Settlement Area Land, and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to convey the Water System Land, the Northern Tier Land, and the Los Alamos Townsite Land for market value consideration, and for such consideration to be paid to the Secretary of Agriculture for the acquisition of replacement National Forest land elsewhere in New Mexico;

(4) to provide that the Settlement Area Land acquired by the Pueblo shall be held by the Secretary of the Interior in trust for the benefit of the Pueblo;

(5) to facilitate government-to-government relations between the United States and the Pueblo regarding cooperation in the management of certain land administered by the National Park Service and the Bureau of Land Management as described in sections 7 and 8 of the Settlement Agreement;

(6) to ratify the Settlement Agreement; and,

(7) to ratify the Los Alamos Agreement.

(Pub. L. 109–286, § 2, Sept. 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 1218.)

References In Text

References in Text

The Sisk Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(11), is Pub. L. 90–171, Dec. 4, 1967, 81 Stat. 531, which is classified to section 484a of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 484a of Title 16 and Tables.

Short Title

Short Title

Pub. L. 109–286, § 1, Sept. 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 1218, provided that: “This Act [enacting this subchapter] may be cited as the ‘Pueblo de San Ildefonso Claims Settlement Act of 2005’.”