Title 25—Indians--Volume 1
PART 247—USE OF COLUMBIA RIVER TREATY FISHING ACCESS SITES
§ 247.1   What definitions apply to this part?
Abandoned property means property left at a site while the owner of the property is not actively engaged in fishing or drying or processing fish. Abandoned property may include:
(1) Vehicles;
(2) Mobile trailers;
(3) Campers;
(4) Tents;
(5) Tepees;
(6) Boats, or;
(7) Other personal property.
Archaeological Resource means material remains of prehistoric or historic human life or activities that are of archaeological interest and are at least 50 years of age, and the physical site, location, or context in which they are found.
Area Director means the position responsible for administration of the Portland Area of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Campfire means fire, not within any building, motor home or trailer, which is used for cooking, personal warmth, lighting, ceremonial or aesthetic purposes.
Damage means to injure, mutilate, deface, destroy, cut, chop, girdle, dig, excavate, kill or in any way harm or disturb.
Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior or his designee.
Sites means Treaty Fishing Access Sites.
Treaty Fishing Access Sites means all Federal lands acquired by the Secretary of the Army and Transferred to the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to Public Law 100-581, Title IV, November 1, 1988, to be administered to provide access to usual and accustomed fishing areas and ancillary fishing facilities.
Vehicle means any device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported, and including any motor, frame, chassis, or body of any motor vehicle, or camper shell, except devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks.
§ 247.2   What lands are subject to these regulations?
(a) Any treaty fishing access sites and ancillary fishing facilities.
(b) These sites and facilities are managed for the exclusive use of members of the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Reservation.
(c) The Area Director may suspend or withdraw the privileges of use of any or all of the facilities at the sites for any violation of the regulations in this part or of any rules issued under the regulations in this part.
§ 247.3   Who is eligible to use the sites?
(a) You may use the sites for access to usual and accustomed fishing areas and ancillary fishing facilities if you are a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakima Indian Nation (Yakima), the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (Warm Springs), the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Umatilla), and the Nez Perce Tribe (Nez Perce).
(b) The general public or people fishing who do not belong to the tribes listed above cannot use these sites.
(c) Families of such Indians may camp on the sites.
(d) You may not deny access to these sites to any eligible user.
§ 247.4   How can eligible users be identified?
(a) In order to use these sites you must posses an identification card issued by your tribe identifying you as a member of that tribe.
(b) You must exhibit the identification upon request of authorized Federal, State, local or tribal officials.
§ 247.5   What laws and regulations apply to the people who use these sites?
You may use access sites only if you obey the following rules:
(a) You may not use any of the sites for any activity that is contrary to the provisions of your tribe or contrary to Federal law or regulation, or in the absence of Federal law or regulation governing health, sanitation, and safety requirements, State or U.S. Public Health Service standards.
(b) The Area Director may suspend or withdraw the privileges of use of any or all of the facilities at the sites for any violation of the regulations in this part or for any violation of any rules issued under the regulations in this part. You cannot dig in, destroy, or remove any portion of a prehistoric or historic archaeological site or artifact.
(c) Nothing contained in the regulations in this part is intended or shall be construed as limiting or affecting any treaty rights of any tribe nor as subjecting any Indian properly exercising tribal treaty rights to State fishing laws or regulations that are not compatible with those rights.
§ 247.6   What will happen if I damage Government-owned property?
If you commit any act of vandalism, depredation, destruction, theft, or misuse of the land, buildings, fences, signs, or other structures that are the property of the United States you will be subject to prosecution under applicable Federal or State law.
§ 247.7   Can I build a structure?
(a) You may not build any structures at the sites except as allowed under paragraph (d) of this section .
(b) You may use the camping facilities that have been constructed at the sites.
(c) In addition to these structures, you may camp in tents, tepees, campers, and mobile trailers. You must remove any tents, tepees, campers, temporary drying sheds, and mobile trailers from the sites at any time you are not actively engaged in fishing, drying fish, or processing fish by other means, and during the time a site is closed for maintenance.
(d) Where the Area Director has designated areas for the construction of temporary drying sheds, you may construct a temporary drying shed where space is available. You must remove any temporary drying shed you build.
(e) If you erect or maintain a structure in violation of this section, the Area Director may order it removed at any time.
(f) The Area Director:
(1) Is not required to notify you before removing the structure; and
(2) Will charge you the cost of disposing of the structure.
§ 247.8   What am I responsible for if I use the facilities?
You are responsible for:
(a) Campsites, drying sheds and other facilities during the time you occupy or use them; and
(b) Any personal property that you erect, place, or maintain on the site during the time you occupy the site, including:
(1) Tents;
(2) Tepees;
(3) Campers;
(4) Mobile trailers;
(5) Temporary drying sheds;
(6) Fishing platforms;
(7) Boats; and
(8) Other fishing equipment.
§ 247.9   What other rules apply while I am using the facilities?
(a) You cannot construct, take possession of, occupy or otherwise use any access site or structure for residential purposes at an access site.
(b) Neither the United States nor any officer or employee thereof warrants, makes any representation, or is responsible for the safety or condition of any personal property.
§ 247.10   What will happen if I abandon property?
If you abandon property at a site, it may be removed without your consent and disposed of at your expense, if the Area Director approves.
§ 247.11   What other restrictions apply to use of the sites?
The Area Director may prescribe and post at the sites regulations covering:
(a) Camping;
(b) Picnicking;
(c) Use of alcoholic beverages;
(d) Setting or use of fires;
(e) Use of the sites for cleaning fish;
(f) Deposit of garbage, paper, cans, bottles, or rubbish of any kind; or
(g) Use of the sites for any commercial activity (including commercial purchase of fish).
§ 247.12   Will I have to pay to use a site?
No. Neither you nor any member of your family will be charged for using a site in accordance with this part.
§ 247.13   Are the facilities available year around?
(a) The Area Director may close facilities at the sites for necessary maintenance during the winter or at other times if necessary. Before closing the facilities, the Area Director will consult with delegated tribal representatives, if possible.
(b) You will still be able to access your treaty fishing rights on the Columbia River through these sites while they are closed.
(c) If any sites are closed or restricted, any affected tribe can contact the Area Director and ask that the sites be opened. The Area Director will work together with the tribes to consider these requests.
§ 247.14   Can I hook up a campsite to on-site or off-site utilities?
(a) You must share access to all on-site facilities.
(b) Because there are a limited number of faucets available, only short-term hose use is allowed to ensure that others have access to water.
(c) You may not tap into electrical lines or outlets, or have electrical power brought in from an outside source for campsite use.
§ 247.15   May I reserve a campsite or drying shed?
No. You may not reserve a campsite, drying shed, or other facility.
(a) You must use campsites, drying sheds, and other facilities on a first-come, first-served basis.
(b) You may not occupy one or more campsites solely for the purpose of reserving a site for another tribal member.
§ 247.16   What fire is permitted?
(a) You may have a fire in designated fire places, and other areas designated for fires.
(b) You may have a fire inside a drying shed in a manner that does not jeopardize the structure.
§ 247.17   What are the restrictions on fires?
(a) You cannot burn timber, trees, slash, brush or grass unless you have a permit issued by the Area Director or his designee.
(b) You cannot build a fire in an unsafe location or leave a fire without completely extinguishing it.
(c) You must control all fire and not allow it to escape.
§ 247.18   What are the sanitation prohibitions?
(a) You cannot deposit in any toilet, toilet vault, or plumbing fixture anything that could damage or interfere with the operation or maintenance of the fixture.
(b) You must dispose of all garbage, including any paper, cans, bottle, sewage, waste water or material, either by removal from the site, or by depositing it into receptacles or at places provided for such purposes.
(c) You may not bring refuse, debris, or toxic or hazardous materials to the sites for disposal.
(d) All toxic or hazardous materials must be properly removed from the sites. You may not dispose of such materials in a sewer line, tank, drain, storm drain, or on the ground.
(e) You must not place in or near the river or other water any substance that pollutes or may pollute the water.
(f) If dumping stations are not available, you must transport sewage off site.
§ 247.19   Can a site be used for commercial enterprises other than fishing enterprises by the tribes?
(a) You may operate commercial activities during commercial fishing seasons, and subsistence activities, incidental to treaty fishing on the site.
(b) You may not construct or operate other types of commercial enterprises, such as firework stands.
§ 247.20   What are the road and trail prohibitions?
(a) You cannot damage or leave in a damaged condition any road, trail, or segment thereof.
(b) You cannot block, restrict, or otherwise interfere with the use of a road, trail, or gate.
§ 247.21   Can I appeal an administrative action?
You may appeal any decision made by the Area Director under this part to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. You may appeal any decision of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with part 2 of this chapter.