117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4439 

AN ACT 

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, 
2 

†S 4439 ES

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

3 Ameekya ́araam Sacred Lands Act’’. 

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

5 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

6 (1) the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land is lo7 cated in the ancestral territory of the Karuk Tribe; 

8 and 

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

10 has an ongoing relationship with, the Katimiıˆn and 

11 Ameekya ́araam land. 

12 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) KATIMIIˆN AND AMEEKYA ́ARAAM LAND.— 

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

15 means the approximately 1,031 acres of Federal 

16 land, including improvements and appurtenances to 

17 the Federal land, located in Siskiyou County, Cali18 fornia, and Humboldt County, California, and gen19 erally depicted as ‘‘Proposed Area’’ on the map of 

20 the Forest Service entitled ‘‘Katimiıˆn Area Bound21 ary Proposal’’ and dated August 9, 2021. 

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

23 the Secretary of the Interior. 

24 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE TRANSFER.—Administrative ju25 risdiction of the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land is 

26 hereby transferred from the Secretary of Agriculture to 
3 

†S 4439 ES

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

2 the Forest Service shall continue to manage the compo3 nent of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that 

4 flows through the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam land. 

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

6 Ameekya ́araam land is hereby taken into trust by the Sec7 retary for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe, subject to— 

8 (1) valid existing rights, contracts, and manage9 ment agreements relating to easements and rights10 of-way; and 

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

12 Service for the purpose of managing the component 

13 of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System that 

14 flows through the Katimiıˆn and Ameekya ́araam 

15 land. 

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

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

18 provide to the Secretary a complete survey of the land 

19 taken into trust under subsection (d). 

20 (f) USE OF LAND.— 

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

22 subsection (d) may be used for traditional and cus23 tomary uses for the benefit of the Karuk Tribe. 

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

25 under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (25 U.S.C. 
4 

†S 4439 ES

1 2701 et seq.) shall not be allowed on the land taken 

2 into trust under subsection (d). 

3 (g) WILD AND SCENIC RIVERS MANAGEMENT.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this section af5 fects the status or administration of any component 

6 of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, in7 cluding any component that flows through the land 

8 taken into trust under subsection (d). 

9 (2) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING.—The 

10 Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memo11 randum of understanding with the Karuk Tribe, 

12 consistent with the obligations of the Secretary of 

13 Agriculture under subsection (c), to establish mutual 

14 goals for the protection and enhancement of the 

15 river values of any component of the National Wild 

16 and Scenic Rivers System that flows through the 

17 land taken into trust under subsection (d). 

Passed the Senate December 21, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4439 

AN ACT 

To take certain Federal land located in Siskiyou 

Tribe, and for other purposes. fornia, into trust for the benefit of the Karuk County, California, and Humboldt County, Cali-