Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act
This bill, the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act, would authorize a land swap between the United States and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (a federally recognized tribe also known as the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians) in San Bernardino County, California. The government would take in roughly 1,460 acres of land owned by the Nation, and in exchange would transfer about 1,475 acres of National Forest System land in the San Bernardino National Forest to the Nation. The transfer includes an exception: the United States would retain an easement to access specific Forest Service roads on the federally owned land. The exchange would be overseen by the Secretary of Agriculture (via the Forest Service) and would require surveys to confirm exact boundaries, with the Nation paying the survey costs for the non-federal land. The bill also requires the Nation to enter into a preservation agreement to protect the Arrowhead landmark site noted on the federal land maps. After the exchange, the federally owned land would become part of the San Bernardino National Forest. The exchange is exempt from a particular provision of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA).
Key Points
- 1Exchange details and maps: The bill defines both the Federal Land (about 1,475 acres) and the Non-Federal Land (about 1,460 acres) and references specific maps that delineate these parcels. The exchange hinges on the Nation offering to convey its land to the United States in exchange for the Federal Land.
- 2Federal Land access preserved: The United States would convey the Federal Land to the Nation but would reserve an easement allowing Forest Service access on portions of Forest Service roads 1N22, 1N24, and 1N25 that run on the Federal Land.
- 3Survey and boundary work: The exact acreage and legal descriptions for both lands would be set by surveys acceptable to both the Secretary and the Nation. The Nation would bear the cost of surveying the Non-Federal Land.
- 4Arrowhead Landmark preservation: As a condition of the conveyance, the Nation must enter into an agreement to preserve the historical and cultural integrity of the Arrowhead landmark site (Arrowhead Landmark GA), with the agreement recorded in local and Forest Service records.
- 5Management and legal framework: Land acquired by the Secretary would become part of the San Bernardino National Forest and managed under applicable federal law. The exchange is not subject to section 206 of FLPMA (a provision related to land disposal/land entry processes).