An Act to provide for an exchange of lands between the United States and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, and for other purposes
PL 87-828 (H.R.9342), enacted 10/15/1962

954 
PUBLIC LAW 87-828-OCT. 15, 1962 
[76 STAT. 
October 15, 1962 
[H. R. 9342] 
Indians. 
Southern Ute 
Tribe, Colo. 
Exchange of 
lands. 
Public Law 87-828 
AN ACT 
To provide for an exchange of lands between the United States and the Southern 
Ute Indian Tribe, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That (a) there is 
hereby transferred to the United States all of the right, title, and 
interest of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe in the following lands, 
which are needed for the Navajo Dam and Reservoir project, except 
the minerals therein and the right to prospect for and remove them in 
a manner that does not impair the project, as prescribed by the 
Secretary of the Interior: 
NEW MEXICO PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN, COLORADO 
TOWNSHIP 32 NORTH, RANGE 4 WEST 
Section 16: West half northwest quarter southwest quarter south-
west quarter, northwest quarter southwest quarter southwest quarter 
southwest quarter. 
Section 17: South half south half northwest quarter southeast 
quarter, north half southwest quarter southwest quarter, north half 
south half southwest quarter southwest quarter, south half southwest 
quarter northeast quarter southeast quarter. 
Section 18: North half northwest quarter southwest quarter, north-
east quarter southeast quarter northwest quarter southwest quarter, 
north half southeast quarter southeast quarter, north half south half 
southeast quarter southeast quarter, northeast quarter southwest quar-
ter southeast quarter, north half northwest quarter southwest quarter 
southeast quarter, north half northeast quarter southeast quarter 
southwest quarter. 
TOWNSHIP 32 NORTH, RANGE 5 WEST 
Section 5: Southeast quarter northeast quarter southeast quarter 
northwest quarter, east half southeast quarter southeast quarter north-
west quarter. 
Section 9: West half, east half southeast quarter southeast quarter, 
west half southeast quarter southeast quarter, southwest quarter south-
east quarter, southeast quarter southeast quarter southeast quarter 
southeast quarter. 
Section 10: Southeast quarter southeast quarter, southwest quarter 
southeast quarter, northeast quarter southeast quarter northeast quar-
ter southeast quarter, south half south half northeast quarter south-
east quarter, southeast quarter southeast quarter southwest quarter, 
south half southwest quarter southeast quarter southwest quarter, 
northeast quarter southwest quarter southeast quarter southwest quar-
ter, southeast quarter southeast quarter southwest quarter southwest 
quarter. 
Section 11: South half south half northwest quarter southwest 
quarter, northwest quarter southwest quarter northwest quarter south-
west quarter, south half southwest quarter northeast quarter southwest 
quarter. 
Section 12: Southeast quarter southwest quarter southwest quarter 
southwest quarter, south half southeast quarter southwest quarter 
southwest quarter, south half south half southeast quarter southwest 
quarter. 
76 STAT.] 
PUBUC LAW 87-828-OCT. 15, 1962 
955 
Section 13: Northeast quarter northeast quarter southwest quarter, 
north half northwest quarter southeast quarter, north half north half 
northeast quarter southeast quarter, 
Section 14: North half north half northeast quarter southwest quar-
ter, north half northeast quarter northwest quarter southwest quarter, 
north half northwest quarter northwest quarter southeast quarter. 
Section 15: West half northwest quarter northeast quarter south-
east quarter, west half northeast quarter, northwest quarter southeast 
quarter, north half north half southwest quarter southeast quarter, 
Section 16: Northeast quarter. 
Containing 707.5 acres, more or less. 
(b) In exchange for such conveyance, the Secretary of the Interior 
is authorized to transfer to the United States in trust for the Southern 
Ute Indian Tribe, subject to valid existing rights, public lands on the 
Archuleta Mesa, reserving to the United States the minerals therein 
and the right to prospect for and remove them under regulations of 
the Secretary of the Interior, that are contiguous to the present eastern 
boundary of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation, and that have a 
value equal to or not materially greater than the value of the lands 
conveyed by the tribe, such values to be determined by the Secretary: 
Provided^ That such public lands shall be selected in a manner that 
will not increase the Government's management problem for other 
f
ublic lands, the selection shall be approved by the Southern Ute 
ndian Tribe, and the Southern Ute Indian Tribe shall pay to the 
United States any difference in the values of the lands exchanged. 
(c) The owners of the range improvements of a permanent nature 
placed, under the authority of a permit from or agreement with the 
United States, on the public lands conveyed to the tribe shall be 
compensated for the reasonable value of such improvements, as deter-
mined by the Secretary, out of appropriations available for the con-
struction of the Navajo unit, Colorado River storage project. 
(d) Persons whose grazing permits, licenses, or leases on the public 
lands conveyed to the tribe are canceled because of such conveyance 
shall be compensated in accordance with the standard prescribed by 
the Act of July 9,1942, as amended (43 U.S.C. 315q), out of appropri-
ations available for the construction of the Navajo unit, Colorado 
River storage project. 
(e) The public lands conveyed to the tribe shall be a part of the 
Southern Ute Indian Reservation and shall be subject to the laws and 
regulations applicable to other tribal lands in that reservation. 
(f) The tribal lands conveyed to the United States shall no longer 
be "Indian country" within the meaning of section 1151 of title 18 of 
the United States Code. They shall have the status of public lands 
withdrawn for administration pursuant to the Federal reclamation 
laws, and they shall be subject to all laws and regulations governing 
the use and disposition of public lands in that status. 
(g) In any right-of-way granted by the United States for a railroad 
over the tribal lands conveyed to the United States, the Secretary 
shall provide the Southern Ute Indians, at such points as he deter-
mines to be reasonable, the privilege of crossing such right-of-way. 
(h) The tribal lands conveyed to the United States shall not be 
utilized for public recreational facilities without the approval of the 
Southern Ute Tribal Council. 
(i) Nothing in this Act shall be construed to abridge any fishing 
rights that are vested in the Indians. 
Approved October 15, 1962. 
Archuleta Mesa, 
reservatioBi of 
mineral rights by 
U. S. 
Compensation 
for improvements. 
56 Stat. 654. 
••Indian country.** 
62 Stat. 757. 
R R. right-of-
way. 
Crossing priv-
ileges. 
Public recrea-
tional facilities, 
approval. 
Fishing rights.