Title 25—Indians--Volume 1
PART 168—GRAZING REGULATIONS FOR THE HOPI PARTITIONED LANDS AREA
§ 168.1   Definitions.
As used in this part, terms shall have the meanings set forth in this section.
(a) Secretary means the Secretary of Interior or his designee;
(b) Area Director means the officer in charge of the Phoenix Bureau of Indian Affairs Area Office (or his successor; and/or his authorized representative) to whom has been delegated the authority of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs to act in all matters pertaining to lands partitioned to the Hopi Tribe under its jurisdiction, within the boundaries of the former Joint Use Area.
(c) Superintendent means the Superintendent, Hopi Agency or his designee.
(d) Tribal Government means the Hopi Tribal Council, or its duly designated representative.
(e) Project Officer means the former Special Project Officer of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Administrative Office, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, who had been delegated the authority of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to act in matters respecting the former Joint Use Area.
(f) Former Joint Use Area means the area established by the United States District Court for the District of Arizona in the case entitled Healing v. Jones, 210 F. Supp. 125 (1962), which is inside the Executive order area (Executive order of December 16, 1882) but outside Land Management District 6 and which was partitioned by the judgment of partition dated April 18, 1979.
(g) Hopi Partition Area means that portion of the Former Joint Use Area which has been added to the Hopi Tribe's reservation.
(h) Range Unit means a tract of range land designated as a management unit for administration of grazing.
(i) Range improvements means fences, stockwater devices, corrals, trails and other similar devices or practices which are applied to the land to enhance range productivity or usability.
(j) Permit means a revocable privilege granted in writing limited to entering on and utilizing forage by domestic livestock on a specified tract of land. The term as used herein shall include written authorizations issued to enable the crossing or trailing of domestic livestock across specified tracts or range units.
(k) Interim permit means a permit granted to members of the Navajo tribe residing on Hopi Partitioned Lands who meet the qualifications of § 168.6(b) in accordance with Pub. L. 93-531 as amended.
(l) Animal unit (AU) means one adult cow with unweaned calf by her side or equivalent thereof based on comparative forage consumption. Accepted conversion factors are: sheep and goats, one ewe, doe, buck or ram equals 0.25 A.U.; one sheep unit year long (SUYL) equals 0.25 Animal Unit year long; horses and mules, one horse, mule, donkey or burro equals 1.25 A.U.
(m) Tribe means the Hopi Tribe including all villages and clans.
(n) Allocate means to apportion grazing, including the determination of who may graze livestock, the number and kind of livestock, and the place such livestock will be grazed.
(o) Person awaiting relocation means a resident of the Hopi Partitioned Area who meets each of the following criteria:
(1) Is listed on the Bureau of Indian Affairs enumeration (as defined in (q) below);
(2) Has a livestock inventory listed with the project Officer (see (r) below);
(3) Is awaiting relocation under the Settlement Act; and
(4) Was grazing livestock on the date of the entry of the Judgment of Partition, April 18, 1979.
(p) Carrying capacity means the maximum stocking rate possible without inducing damage to vegetation or related resources.
(q) BIA enumeration means the list of persons living on and improvements located within the former Joint Use Area obtained by interviews by the Project Officer's staff.
(r) Livestock inventory means the original list as amended (developed by the Project Officer in 1976-77) of livestock owned by persons having customary grazing use in the former Joint Use Area.
(s) Settlement Act means the Act of December 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 1712, as amended.
(t) Life tenant means a person who has applied for and been granted a life estate lease pursuant to section 30 of the Settlement Act, 25 U.S.C. 640d-28.
§ 168.2   Authority.
It is within the general authority of the Secretary to protect Indian trust lands against waste and to prescribe rules and regulations under which these lands may be leased or permitted for grazing. Also, under the Navajo-Hopi Settlement Act as amended, 25 U.S.C. 640d-8 and 18, the Secretary is authorized and directed to:
(a) Reduce livestock grazing within the former Joint Use Area to carrying capacity,
(b) Restore the grazing range potential of the resource to maximum grazing extent feasible,
(c) Survey, monument and fence the partition boundary,
(d) Protect the rights and property of individuals awaiting relocation or authorized to reside on life estates, and
(e) To administer conservation practices, including grazing control and range restoration activities on the Hopi Partitioned Lands.
§ 168.3   Purpose.
These regulations are issued to implement the Secretary's responsibilities mandated by the Settlement Act and subsequent U.S. District Court Judgement filed May 4, 1982, in the case, Hopi Tribe v. Watt, Civ. No. 81-272 PCT-EHC. This portion of the regulations apply only to lands partitioned to the Hopi Tribe within the former Joint Use Area.
§ 168.4   Establishment of range units.
The Area Director will use Soil and Range Inventory data to establish range units on the Hopi Partitioned Area to provide for a surface land management program to restore the land to its full grazing potential and maintain that potential to the maximum extent feasible. The establishment of range units on Hopi Partitioned Lands is subject to the concurrence of the Hopi Tribe in accordance with § 168.17 of these regulations.
§ 168.5   Grazing capacity.
(a) The Area Director shall prescribe the maximum number of each kind of livestock which may be grazed on land under his jurisdiction without inducing damage to vegetation or related resources on each range unit and the season or seasons of use to achieve the objectives of the land recovery program required by the Settlement Act.
(b) The Area Director shall review the stocking rate upon which the grazing permits are issued on a continuing basis and adjust that rate as conditions warrant.
§ 168.6   Grazing on range units authorized by permit.
Grazing use on range units is authorized only by permits granted under paragraph (a) or (b) of this section.
(a) Grazing permits to Hopi tribal members on their partitioned lands. The Area Director shall assign grazing privileges to the Hopi Tribe for lands within Hopi Partitioned Lands. The tribal government will then allocate use to their tribal members for permit periods not to exceed five years. Grazing use by Hopi tribal enterprises may be authorized. The Area Director will issue permits based on the determination of the Hopi tribal government.
(b) Interim Grazing Permit for persons awaiting relocation. Navajo Tribal members who have maintained both a permanent residence on Hopi Partitioned lands; a livestock inventory since enumeration; and meet all the criteria listed in § 168.1(o), shall be eligible for an interim grazing allocation on Hopi Partitioned Lands under the following terms and conditions:
(1) The Area Director shall first verify that an applicant meets the criteria of the definition in § 168.1(o) and will issue all permits.
(2) The permitted number shall not exceed either (i) 10 SUYL (See § 168.1(1)) for each eligible family member, or (ii) the grazing applicant's livestock inventory reduced by voluntary sales as adjusted by reproduction, in accordance with procedures developed by the Project Officer based upon the study by Stubblefield and Camfield, 1975 page 5. The determination of the person to whom permits will be issued and the number of livestock to be permitted will be based on information provided by the permit applicant and an assessment of the number of dependents residing in the immediate household.
(3) The permit shall authorize grazing for a specific number and kind of animal(s) in a specified range unit. Interim grazing permits will not be issued in excess of one-half the authorized carrying capacity of the Hopi Partition area.
(4) Subject to the provisions of § 168.9(b), permits shall expire when the person awaiting relocation is relocated pursuant to the Settlement Act. No interim permit will be issued for a term greater than one year. Permits may be reissued upon application and redetermination of eligibility. All interim permits will expire at the end of the period provided for completion of relocation, Pub. L. 99-190. When a Navajo permit holder discontinues grazing livestock or reduces the number being grazed whether by reason of his relocating or for any other reason, his grazing permit will be cancelled or reduced and no permit will be issued in lieu thereof. The total number of authorized animal units grazed by the Navajo permit holders awaiting relocation will reduced by the number of animal units authorized under the cancelled or reduced permit.
§ 168.7   Kind of livestock.
Unless determined otherwise by the Area Director for conservation purposes, the Hopi Tribe may determine, subject to the authorized carrying capacity, the kind of livestock that may be grazed by their tribal members on the range units within the Hopi Partitioned Land area.
§ 168.8   Grazing fees.
(a) The rental value of all uses of Hopi Partitioned lands by persons who are not members of the Hopi Tribe, including eligible holders of interim permits, will be determined, and assessed by the Area Director and paid in accordance with 25 U.S.C. 640d-15.
(b) The Hopi Tribe has established an annual grazing fee to be assessed all range users on Hopi Partitioned Lands. The annual Hopi grazing fee shall be paid in full in advance of the annual effective date of the permit, prior to the issuance of a grazing permit. All interim permits will expire at the end of the period provided for completion of relocation, Pub. L. 99-190. Failure of the permittee to make payment in full in advance will be cause to deny issuance of the grazing permit.
§ 168.9   Assignment, modification and cancellation of permits.
(a) Grazing permits to Hopi tribal members shall not be reassigned, subpermitted or transferred without the approval of the permit issuer(s).
(b) The Area Director may revoke or withdraw all or any part of any grazing permit in Hopi Partitioned Lands by cancellation or modification on 30 days written notice of a violation of the permit or special conditions affecting the land or the safety of the livestock thereon, as may result from flood, disaster, drought, contagious diseases, etc. Except in the case of extreme necessity, cancellation or modification shall be effected on the next annual anniversay date of the grazing permit following the date of notice. Revocation or withdrawal of all or any of the grazing permit by cancellation or modification as provided herein is effective on the date the notice of cancellation or modification is received and shall be appealable under 25 CFR
§ 168.10   Conservation and land use provisions.
Grazing operations shall be conducted in accordance with recognized principles of good range management. Conservation management plans necessary to accomplish this will be made a part of the grazing permit by stipulation.
§ 168.11   Range improvements; ownership; new construction.
Except as provided by the Relocation Act, range improvements placed on the permitted land shall be considered affixed to the land unless specifically excepted therefrom under the permit terms. Written permission to construct or remove improvements must be obtained from the Hopi Tribe.
§ 168.12   Special permit requirements and provisions.
All grazing permits shall contain the following provisions:
(a) Because the lands covered by the permit are in trust status, all of the permittees' obligations on the permit and the obligations of his sureties are to the United States as well as to the beneficial owners of the lands.
(b) The permittee agrees he will not use, cause, or allow to be used any part of the permitted area for any unlawful conduct or purpose.
(c) The permit authorizes only the grazing of livestock.
§ 168.13   Fences.
Fencing will be erected by the Federal Government around the perimeter of the 1882 Executive Order Area, Land Management District 6, and on the boundary of the former Joint Use Area partitioned to each tribe by the Judgment of Partition of April 18, 1979. Fencing of other areas in the former Joint Use Area will be required for a range recovery program in accordance with the range units established under § 168.4. Such fencing shall be erected at Government expense and ownership shall be clearly identified by appropriate posting on the fencing. Intentional destruction of Federal property will be treated as a violation of 18 U.S.C. 1164.
§ 168.14   Livestock trespass.
The owner of any livestock grazing in trespass on the Hopi Partitioned Lands Area is liable to a civil penalty of $1 per head per day for each animal in trespass, together with the replacement value of the forage consumed and a reasonable value for damages to property injured or destroyed. The Superintendent may take appropriate action to collect all such penalties and damages and seek injunctive relief when appropriate. All payments for such penalties and damages shall be credited to the Tribe. The following acts are prohibited:
(a) The grazing upon or driving across any of the Hopi Partitioned Lands of any livestock without an approved grazing or crossing permit;
(b) Allowing livestock to drift and graze on lands without an approved permit;
(c) The grazing of livestock upon lands within an area closed to grazing of that class of livestock;
(d) The grazing of livestock by permittees upon any land withdrawn from use for grazing purpose to protect it from damage, after the receipt of notice from the Area Director; and
(e) Grazing livestock in excess of those numbers and kinds authorized on a livestock grazing permit approved by the Area Director.
§ 168.15   Control of livestock diseases and parasites.
Whenever livestock within the Hopi Partitioned Lands become infected with contagious or infectious diseases or parasites or have been exposed thereto, such livestock must be treated and the movement thereof restricted in accordance with applicable laws.
§ 168.16   Impoundment and disposal of unauthorized livestock.
Unauthorized livestock within any range unit of the Hopi Partitioned Lands which are not removed therefrom within the periods prescribed by the regulation will be impounded and disposed of by the Superintendent as provided herein.
(a) When the Area Director determines that unauthorized livestock use is occurring and has definite knowledge of the kind of unauthorized livestock, and knows the name and address of the owners, such livestock may be impounded any time five days after written notice of intent to impound unauthorized livestock is mailed by certified mail or personally delivered to such owners or their agent.
(b) When the Area Director determines that unauthorized livestock use is occurring but does not have complete knowledge of the number and class of livestock or if the name and address of the owner thereof are unknown, such livestock will be impounded anytime 15 days after the date of a General Notice of Intent to Impound unauthorized livestock is first published in the local newspaper, posted at the nearest chapter house, and in one or more local trading posts.
(c) Unauthorized livestock on the Hopi Partitioned Lands which are owned by persons given notice under paragraph (a) of this section, and any unauthorized livestock in areas for which a notice has been posted and published under paragraph (b) of this section, will be impounded without further notice anytime within the twelve-month period immediately following the effective date of the notice.
(d) Following the impoundment of unauthorized livestock a notice of sale of impounded livestock will be published in the local newspaper, posted at the nearest chapter house, and in one or more local trading posts. The notice will describe the livestock and specify the date, time and place of sale. The date set shall be at least 5 days after the publication and posting of such notice.
(e) The owners or their agent may redeem the livestock anytime before the time set for the sale by submitting proof of ownership and paying for all expenses incurred in gathering, impounding and feeding or pasturing the livestock and any trespass fees and/or damages caused by the animals.
(f) Livestock erroneously impounded shall be returned to the rightful owner and all expenses accruing thereto shall be waived.
(g) If the livestock are not redeemed before the time fixed for their sale, they shall be sold at public sale to the highest bidder, provided his bid is at or above the minimum amount set by the Superintendent based upon U.S.D.A.'s current Agricultural Statistic's Report for Arizona. If a bid at or above the minimum is not received the livestock may be sold at private sale at or above the minimum amount, reoffered at public sale, condemned and destroyed, or otherwise disposed of. When livestock are sold pursuant to this regulation, the superintendent shall furnish the buyer a bill of sale or other written instrument evidencing the sale.
(h) The proceeds of any sale of impounded livestock shall be applied as follows:
(1) To the payment of all expenses incurred by the United States in gathering, impounding, and feeding or pasturing the livestock;
(2) In payment of any penalties or damages assessed pursuant to § 168.14 of this part which penalties or damages shall be credited to the Hopi tribe as provided in said section;
(3) Any remaining amount shall be paid over to the owner of said livestock upon his submitting proof of ownership.
§ 168.17   Concurrence procedures.
(a) Definitions. As used in this section, terms shall have the meaning set forth as follows:
(1) Concurrence means agreement by the Area Director and the Hopi Tribe, speaking through the Chairman of the Tribe (or his designee).
(2) Non-concurrence means disagreement between the Area Director and the Hopi Tribe, speaking through the Chairman of the Hopi Tribe (or his designee), or a failure of the Hopi Tribe to respond to a proposal by the Area Director in a timely manner.
(3) Timely manner means a period of thirty days, unless this period is shortened by the existence of an emergency. Upon request by the Tribal Council, the Area Director may extend the 30 day period. In instances where this period applies to the Area Director, he may extend the period by so notifying the Tribe.
(4) An emergency is a condition that the Area Director finds threatens the rights and property of life tenants and persons awaiting relocation or one that the Area Director finds is causing the condition of the range land to deteriorate.
(5) Conservation practice is a program consisting of a series of acts in conformance with the Bureau's range management policies and procedures which maintains or seeks to achieve the grazing potential of range lands on a continuing basis.
(6) Range restoration activities is a program consisting of a series of range management acts, including but not limited to procedures which increase range forage production, reduce erosion, improve range usability and reduce stocking by issuing grazing permits to persons residing on Hopi partitioned lands at rates which maximize the carrying capacity of the range lands on a continuing basis.
(7) Grazing control is a program consisting of a series of range management acts, including but not limited to procedures by which grazing permits are issued to persons residing on Hopi partitioned lands, which limit the grazing on range lands to its carrying capacity.
(b) The Area Director will seek the participation of the Hopi Tribe in his investigation, formulation and planning of conservation practices for Hopi partitioned lands. The Area Director will submit, in writing, the proposed plan to the Hopi Tribe.
(c) Upon receipt of the Area Director's proposed conservation practices, the Hopi Tribe will deliver, in writing, to the Area Director its concurrence or non-concurrence on all of the proposed conservation practices in a timely manner. The Area Director will continue to seek Hopi Tribal participation during the review process.
(d) Concurrence of the Hopi Tribe will be sought on all conservation practices, range restoration activities, and grazing control programs on the Hopi Partitioned Lands.
(1) If the Area Director and the Hopi Tribe concur on all or part of the proposed conservation practices in writing in a timely manner, those practices concurred upon may be immediately implemented.
(2) If the Hopi Tribe does not concur on all or part of the proposed conservation practices in a timely manner, the Area Director will submit in writing to the Hopi Tribe a declaration of non-concurrence. The Area Director will then notify the Hopi Tribe in writing of a formal hearing to be held not sooner than 15 days from the date of the non-concurrence declaration.
(i) The formal hearing on non-concurrence will permit the submission of written evidence and argument concerning the proposal. Minutes of the hearing will be taken. Following the hearing, the Area Director may amend, alter or otherwise change his proposed conservation practices. Except as provided in § 168.17(d)(1) of this section, if following the hearing, the Area Director altered or amends portions of his proposed plan of action, he will submit those individual altered or amended portions of the plan to the Tribe in a timely manner for their concurrence.
(ii) In the event the Tribe fails or refuses to give its concurrence to the proposal at the hearing, then the implementation of such proposal may only be undertaken in those situations where the Area Director expressly determines in a written order, based upon findings of fact, that the proposed action is necessary to protect the rights and property of life tenants and/or persons awaiting relocation.
§ 168.18   Appeals.
Appeals from decisions issued under this part will be in accordance with procedures in 25 CFR part 2.
§ 168.19   Information collection.
The information collection requirement(s) contained in this regulation have been approved by the Office of Management and Budget under 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. and assigned clearance number 1076-0027. The information is being collected in order to ascertain eligibility for the issuance of a grazing permit. Response is mandatory in order to obtain a permit.