II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4439 

To take certain Federal land located in Siskiyou County, California, and 

Humboldt County, California, into trust for the benefit of the Karuk 

Tribe, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 22, 2022 

Mr. PADILLA (for himself and Mrs. FEINSTEIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs 

A BILL 

To take certain Federal land located in Siskiyou County, 

California, and Humboldt County, California, into trust 

for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Katimiıˆn and 

5 Ameekya ́araam Sacred Lands Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. LAND HELD IN TRUST FOR THE KARUK TRIBE. 

7 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 


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•S 4439 IS

1 (1) the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land is lo2 cated in the ancestral territory of the Karuk Tribe; 

3 and 

4 (2) the Karuk Tribe has historically used, and 

5 has an ongoing relationship with, the Katimiıˆn and 

6 Ameekya ́araam land. 

7 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) KATIMIIˆN AND AMEEKYA ́ARAAM LAND.— 

9 The term ‘‘Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land’’ 

10 means the approximately 1,031 acres of Federal 

11 land, including improvements and appurtenances to 

12 the Federal land, located in Siskiyou County, Cali13 fornia, and Humboldt County, California, and gen14 erally depicted as ‘‘Proposed Area’’ on the map of 

15 the Forest Service entitled ‘‘Katimiıˆn Area Bound16 ary Proposal’’ and dated August 9, 2021. 

17 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

18 the Secretary of the Interior. 

19 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSFER.—Administrative ju20 risdiction of the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land is 

21 hereby transferred from the Secretary of Agriculture to 

22 the Secretary, subject to the condition that the Chief of 

23 the Forest Service shall continue to manage the compo24 nent of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that 

25 flows through the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land. 


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•S 4439 IS

1 (d) LAND HELD IN TRUST.—The Katimiıˆn and 

2 Ameekya ́araam land is hereby taken into trust by the Sec3 retary for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe, subject to— 

4 (1) valid existing rights, contracts, and manage5 ment agreements relating to easements and rights6 of-way; and 

7 (2) continued access by the Chief of the Forest 

8 Service for the purpose of managing the component 

9 of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that 

10 flows through the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam 

11 land. 

12 (e) SURVEY.—Not later than 180 days after the date 

13 of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall 

14 provide to the Secretary a complete survey of the land 

15 taken into trust under subsection (d). 

16 (f) USE OF LAND.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—Land taken into trust under 

18 subsection (d) may be used for traditional and cus19 tomary uses for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe. 

20 (2) GAMING.—Class II and class III gaming 

21 under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 

22 2701 et seq.) shall not be allowed on the land taken 

23 into trust under subsection (d). 

24 (g) WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS MANAGEMENT.— 


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•S 4439 IS

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this section af2 fects the status or administration of any component 

3 of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, in4 cluding any component that flows through the land 

5 taken into trust under subsection (d). 

6 (2) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The 

7 Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memo8 randum of understanding with the Karuk Tribe, 

9 consistent with the obligations of the Secretary of 

10 Agriculture under subsection (c), to establish mutual 

11 goals for the protection and enhancement of the 

12 river values of any component of the National Wild 

13 and Scenic Rivers System that flows through the 

14 land taken into trust under subsection (d). 

Æ 


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