I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3847 
To revise the Yurok Reservation, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 27, 2017 
Mr. HUFFMAN (for himself, Mr. COLE, and Mrs. TORRES) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To revise the Yurok Reservation, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Yurok Lands Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) FEDERAL
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
agency’’ has the same meaning given that term in 
section 1508.12 of title 40, Code of Federal Regula-
tions, except that such term shall not include States, 
units of general local government, and Indian 
Tribes. 
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(2) NEPA.—The term ‘‘NEPA’’ means the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.). 
(3) REVISED YUROK RESERVATION.—The term 
‘‘revised Yurok Reservation’’ means the land within 
the Yurok Reservation exterior boundary as revised 
in section 5(a), except land owned in fee by or held 
in trust by the United States for the benefit of a 
federally recognized Indian Tribe other than the 
Yurok Tribe. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agri-
culture, or the Secretary of Transportation, as ap-
propriate. 
(5) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Yurok Tribe, a federally recognized Indian Tribe. 
SEC. 3. TRIBAL-FEDERAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR FEDERAL 
LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of any process 
triggered by a requirement under NEPA regarding a 
major Federal action on Federal land within the revised 
Yurok Reservation, at the Tribe’s option, the Tribe shall— 
(1) act as a joint lead agency in accordance 
with a Memorandum of Understanding entered into 
between the lead Federal agency and the Tribe not 
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later than 30 days after the date of notice of initi-
ation of the process; or 
(2) act as a participating or cooperating agency 
if a Memorandum of Understanding is not executed 
within the 30-day period (or an additional time pe-
riod agreed to by the Tribe and the Federal lead 
agency) or is terminated. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMORANDUM OF UNDER-
STANDING.—A Memorandum of Understanding entered 
into under this section shall— 
(1) be negotiated in good faith; 
(2) comply with NEPA regulations; and 
(3) include— 
(A) the respective roles and responsibilities 
of the Tribe and the lead Federal agency in the 
NEPA process; 
(B) mechanisms for dispute resolution; and 
(C) a requirement that environmental im-
pact statements shall discuss any inconsistency 
of a proposed action with any plan or environ-
mental requirement of the Tribe (whether or 
not federally sanctioned), and, where such an 
inconsistency exists, a requirement that the en-
vironmental impact statement shall describe— 
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(i) the extent to which the lead Fed-
eral agency would reconcile its proposed 
action with the plan or environmental re-
quirement; and 
(ii) what mitigation measures are 
being imposed to lessen adverse environ-
mental impacts of the proposal identified 
by the Tribe. 
(c) COOPERATING AGENCY.—For the purpose of any 
process triggered by a requirement under NEPA regard-
ing a major Federal action on Federal land that may af-
fect the revised Yurok Reservation, at the option of the 
Tribe, the Tribe shall act as a cooperating agency. 
(d) NO LIMITATION
ON EXISTING AUTHORITY.— 
Nothing in this section shall limit ability of the Tribe or 
any other federally recognized Indian Tribe to participate 
in any process triggered by a requirement under NEPA 
as a joint lead or a cooperating agency. 
(e) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE TRIBE.— 
(1) REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK.—The Secretary 
shall enter into a cooperative agreement with the 
Tribe for system unit natural resource protection for 
the purpose of protecting natural resources of Red-
wood National Park pursuant to section 101702 of 
title 54, United States Code. 
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(2) FOREST SERVICE.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall enter into a cooperative agreement with 
the Tribe that includes, at a minimum, provisions 
that implement section 4. 
(3) TRIBE AS AN AGENCY.—The Tribe shall be 
considered a State or local government agency for 
purposes of section 101703 of title 54, United 
States Code, and the Secretary shall enter into a co-
operative management agreement with the Tribe 
pursuant to that section. 
(4) CONFIRMATION
AND
AUTHORIZATION
OF 
COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT RELATED TO THE KLAM-
ATH RIVER BASIN.—The 2006 ‘‘Cooperative Agree-
ment between the Department of the Interior and 
the Yurok Tribe for the Cooperative Management of 
Tribal and Federal Lands and Resources in the 
Klamath River Basin of California’’ is confirmed 
and the Secretary is authorized to take such actions 
as are necessary to effectuate the agreement. 
(f) 
SELF-GOVERNANCE
AGREEMENTS.—Federal 
agencies, as appropriate, shall negotiate, in good faith, 
self-governance agreements under this Act pursuant to the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.). Program functions, services, and 
activities, or portions thereof, carried out by the National 
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Park Service on Federal land within the revised Yurok 
Reservation shall be included in a contract or compact to 
the extent allowed under title I or title IV of the Indian 
Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act. 
SEC. 4. LAND TO BE HELD IN TRUST FOR THE TRIBE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to any valid existing 
rights, the Secretary of Agriculture shall transfer to the 
Secretary of the Interior administrative jurisdiction over 
approximately 1,229 acres in the Yurok Experimental 
Forest administered by the Forest Service, as generally 
depicted on the map entitled ‘‘Experimental Forest’’ and 
dated October 4, 2016. The map shall be on file and avail-
able for public inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
Forest Service. 
(b) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary of the Interior 
shall hold the land transferred under subsection (a) in 
trust for the benefit of the Tribe. 
(c) TRIBAL LAND USE MANAGEMENT PLAN.—The 
Tribe shall develop a Tribal Land Use Management Plan 
in accordance with NEPA requirements for the land held 
in trust pursuant to subsection (b). 
(d) 
GOVERNMENT-TO-GOVERNMENT
AGREE-
MENTS.—Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and 
the Tribe— 
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(1) shall enter into government-to-government 
consultations; 
(2) shall develop protocols to ensure that re-
search activities of the Forest Service on lands taken 
into trust pursuant to subsection (b) shall continue 
in perpetuity; and 
(3) may enter into cooperative agreements be-
tween the Secretary of Agriculture and the Tribe for 
the purpose of implementing this section. 
(e) SURVEY.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior 
shall complete a survey to establish the exterior bound-
aries of the land taken into trust pursuant to subsection 
(b). 
(f) USE OF TRUST LAND.—Land taken into trust 
pursuant to subsection (b) shall— 
(1) be managed by the Tribe for conservation 
and research purposes; 
(2) not be eligible or used for any gaming activ-
ity carried out under the Indian Gaming Regulatory 
Act (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.); and 
(3) not be subject to old growth logging. 
SEC. 5. YUROK RESERVATION BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall revise the 
boundary of the Yurok Reservation as depicted on the map 
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entitled ‘‘Revised Yurok Reservation Boundary’’ and 
dated September 20, 2017, copies of which shall be on 
file and available for public inspection in the appropriate 
offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
(b) LAND MANAGEMENT.—Subject to the require-
ments of sections 3 and 4— 
(1) all National Forest System land within the 
revised Yurok Reservation shall continue to be ad-
ministered by the Forest Service in accordance with 
applicable laws and regulations; and 
(2) all National Park System land within the 
revised Yurok Reservation shall continue to be ad-
ministered by the National Park Service in accord-
ance with applicable laws and regulations. 
SEC. 6. YUROK SCENIC BYWAY DESIGNATION. 
(a) DESIGNATION OF THE YUROK SCENIC BYWAY.— 
Bald Hills Road from its junction with U.S. Highway 101 
to its terminus on the Klamath River shall be designated 
as the ‘‘Yurok Scenic Byway’’, an Indian Tribe scenic 
byway, and the Tribe shall be eligible for appropriate 
grants and technical assistance as authorized in section 
162(b) of title 23, United States Code. 
(b) CONTINUED ACCESS AND USE RETAINED.—The 
Tribe shall not prohibit or limit, and the Secretary of Inte-
rior shall allow, continued access and use of the Bald Hills 
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