An Act to provide for settlement in part of certain claims of the Uintah and White River Bands of Ute Indians in Court of Claims case No. 47568, through restoration of subsurface rights in certain lands formerly a part of the Uintah Indian Reservation
PL 84-717 (H.R.7663), enacted 07/14/1956

546 
PUBLIC LAW 717-JULY U, 1956 
[70 STAT. 
SEC. 6. Act 249 of the Session Laws of Hawaii, 1955, as amended 
by section 5 above is hereby approved and ratified. 
Approved July 14, 1956. 
Public Law 717 
CHAPTER 603 
July 14. 1956 
AN A C T 
———'• 
.— To provide for settlement in part of certain claims of the Uintah and White 
River Bands of Ute Indians in Court of Claims case numbered 47568, through 
restoration of subsurface rights in certain lands formerly a part of the Uintah 
Indian Reservation. 
Uintah and White 
R i v e r B a n d s of 
68 Stat. 873. 
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That after accept-
indians. 
ance by the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, 
'"^' 
in Utah, of the provisions of this Act and the filing by the Uintah 
and White River Bands of Ute Indians of an amendment to the peti-
tion in Court of Claims case numbered 47568, as provided in section 
5 hereof, all right, title, and interest in and to the mineral and oil 
and gas resources of the land described in section 6, shall be restored 
to tribal ownership and vested in the United States in trust for the 
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Utah, 
subject to valid leases, locations, or other claims that are outstanding 
as of the effective date of this Act and that are thereafter maintained 
in compliance with the laws under which they were initiated, and all 
rentals, royalties, or other payments received by the United States 
under or on account of such leases after the effective date of this Act 
shall be deposited into the Treasury of the United States to the credit 
of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservations, in 
Utah, pursuant to the provisions of the Act of May 17,1926 (44 Stat. 
560), as amended (25 U. S. C , sec. 155), and shall be subject to divi-
sion between the full-blood and the mixed-blood groups, and shall be 
available for advance or expenditure, in accordance with the provi-
sions of sections 10 and 11 of the Act of August 27,1954 (68 Stat. 868). 
SEC. 2. The Ute Indian tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, 
in Utah, acting by the tribal business committee representing the full-
blood group, and the authorized representatives of the mixed-blood 
group (in accordance with section 10 of the Act of August 27, 1954, 
68 Stat. 868), may prospect, mine, drill, remove, process, or otherwise 
exploit any or all of the mineral and oil and gas resources of the land 
described in section 6 of this Act that are not covered by valid leases, 
locations, or other claims as of the effective date of this Act; may sell 
or otherwise dispose of any or all of the production obtained through 
the exploitation of such resources by said tribe; and may issue leases 
or permits for the prospecting, mining, drilling, removal, or processing 
of such resources. 
Each such action shall be in accordance with the 
provisions of law and of the constitution, bylaws, and corporate charter 
of said tribe that would be applicable to the taking of like action 
with respect to mineral resources within the Uintah and Ouray Res-
ervation. Any operations conducted pursuant to this section or under 
a lease or permit issued pursuant to this section shall also be subject 
to the direction and control of the Secretary of Agriculture to the 
extent provided in section 3 of this Act. The mineral resources of 
the land described in section 6 shall not be subject to disposition other-
wise than as provided in this section, except in pursuance of valid 
leases, locations or other claims existing at the time this Act becomes 
effective and thereafter maintained in compliance with the laws under 
which the same w^ere initiated. 
Y
O STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 717-JULY 14, 1956 
547 
SEC. 3. The term "direction and control of the Secretary of Agri-
culture" as used herein means such administrative supervision by the 
Secretary of Agriculture as is reasonably necessary to prevent serious 
injury to the surface resources of the land described in section 6, or 
the adjoining lands of the Uintah National Forest, but shall not be 
construed to prohibit the use of the surface, under accepted engineer-
ing or mining standards, for installation of mining equipment or 
machinery, building and maintaining roadways, free ingress and 
egress for mining and removal of subsurface resources to market, and 
the mining and removal of subsurface resources, including the sinking 
of shafts, driving tunnels or other standard mining methods, except 
that strip or hydraulic mining shall be permitted only if, and under 
conditions, approved by the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 4. The benefits herein granted to the Ute Indian Tribe of the 
Uintah and Ouray Reservation, in Utah, shall be in partial settlement 
of the claims of the Uintah and White River Bands of Ute Indians 
pending before the Court of Claims in docket numbered 47568, and 
upon acceptance, as provided in section 5, shall have the effect of re-
leasing the United States from any claimed liability for the payment 
of such damages as might be based upon the mineral and oil and gas 
resources or value thereof attributable to the lands which are the sub-
ject matter of that said action. Any jurisdiction of the Court of 
Claims to make an award of damages including or based upon mineral 
and oil and gas values in docket numbered 47568 shall be withdrawn 
upon this Act's taking effect as provided in section 5, and jurisdiction 
of the Court of Claims in docket numbered 47568 shall thereafter be 
continued only as to a claim for just compensation based upon the 
value of the surface rights of the lands which are the subject of that 
action: Provided^ That the standard of liability and measure of dam-
ages in such action shall in all other respects be determined by the 
provisions of the Ute Jurisdictional Act of June 28, 1938 (52 Stat. 
1209), as amended by the Acts of July 15, 1941 (55 Stat. 593), June 
22,1943 (57 Stat. 160), June 11,1946 (60 Stat. 255), and sections 1, 2, 
11, and 25 of the Act of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049), except that 70jf 7"o^no?e.' '°^' 
any money heretofore received by the United States, for or on account 
of the patenting or other disposition, without reservation of mineral 
rights, of any of the land covered by the claim, and paid over to or 
expended for the benefit of the Uintah and White River Bands shall 
be deemed to be in lieu of compensation for the subsurface values thus 
disposed of and shall not be allowed as a payment on the claim or an 
offset against any recovery which may be awarded as compensation for 
the surface rights. 
SEC. 5. This Act shall not become effective unless and until (1) the 
Effecuvity. 
Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation, in Utah, 
accepts its provisions, in such manner as may be designated by the 
Secretary of the Interior, within one year after the approval hereof; 
(2) the Uintah and White River Bands present to the Secretary of 
the Interior a release, satisfactory to him, of any claims they might 
have because the Uncompahgre IJtes are permitted to share in the 
benefits of this Act; and (3) an amendment to the petition in 
docket numbered 47568 is filed with the Court of Claims limiting the 
prayer for relief as to the claim presently stated therein to just com-
pensation based upon the value of surface rights only, in accordance 
with section 4 hereof. 
Such amendment when filed shall relate back 
to the date of filing of the original petition in docket numbered 47568. 
Upon the approval of this Act, and pending acceptance or rejection of 
its provisions by the Indians as provided herein, the land described in 
section 6 shall be withdrawn from lease, location, entry or any form 
of disposition under the public land laws except disposition pursuant 
to valid leases, locations, or other claims that are outstanding as of 
548 
PUBLIC LAW 717-JULY 14, 1956 
[70 STAT. 
the date of approval of this Act and that are thereafter maintained in 
compliance with the laws under which they were initiated. 
SEC. 6. The land covered by this Act is that portion of the one mil-
lion and ten thousand acres of the former Uintah Keservation added 
to the Uintah National Forest by Executive order dated July 14,1905 
(34 Stat. 3116), which was not included for payment in the Act of 
February 13, 1931 (46 Stat. 1092), having been separately classified 
therein as coal lands and described as comprising thirty-six thousand 
two hundred and twenty-three acres; excluding, however, such por-
tions thereof as have been patented or otherwise disposed of into 
private ownership without reservation of mineral rights as of the 
effective date of this Act; the said area being more particularly 
described as follows: 
Township 1 south, range 8 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: North half, 
and the north half of the south half of section 16; section 17; lots 2, 3, 
and 4, and the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter, and the east 
half of the southwest quarter, and the northeast quarter of the north-
east quarter, and the south half of the northeast quarter, and the south-
east quarter of section 18; lot 1, and the northeast quarter of the north-
west quarter, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 19. 
Township 1 south, range 9 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: Southeast 
quarter of the northeast quarter, and the south half of section 13; south 
half of the south half of section 14; south half of the south half of 
section 15; the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter, and the 
south half of the south half of section 16; southwest quarter of the 
northeast quarter, and the south half of the northwest quarter, and 
the south half of section 17; section 18; lots 1, 3, and 4, and the north-
east quarter of the northwest quarter, and the east half of the south-
west quarter, and the north half of the northeast quarter, and the 
southeast quarter of section 19; section 20; section 21; section 22; 
section 23; north half and the southwest quarter, and the northwest 
quarter of the southeast quarter of section 24; the northwest quarter of 
the northwest quarter of section 25; the north half of section 26; 
north half of section 27; the north half of section 28; the north half 
and the east half of the southwest quarter and the north half of the 
southeast quarter of section 29; lots 1,2, and 3, and the east half of the 
northwest quarter, and the northeast quarter of section 30. 
Township 1 south, range 10 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: The south 
half of the south half of section 10; the south half of the south half 
of section 11; the south half of the south half of section 12; section 13; 
section 14; section 15; section 16; the northeast quarter and south half 
of the northwest quarter, and the south half of section 17; the south-
east quarter of the northeast quarter, and the southeast quarter of the 
southwest quarter, and the southeast quarter of section 18; section 19; 
section 20; section 21; section 22; section 23; section 24; the north 
half and the north half of the south half of section 25; section 26; 
section 27; section 28; section 29; the east half and lots 1, 2, 3, and 
4, and the east half of the west half of section 30; lots 1,2,3, and 4, and 
the east half of the west half and the east half of section 31; section 
32; the north half and the north half of the southwest quarter of sec-
tion 33; and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter, and the 
west half of the northeast quarter, and the northwest quarter of sec-
tion 34; the north half of the north half of section 35. 
Township 1 south, range 11 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: Lots 1, 2, 
3, and 4, and the east half of the west half, and the southeast quarter 
of section 18; section 19; the northwest quarter of the northwest quar-
ter and the south half of the northwest quarter and the southwest 
quarter and the west half of the southeast quarter of section 20; the 
east half and the east half of the northwest quarter and the north-
east quarter of the southwest quarter of section 25; the west half of 
a 
70 S T A T . ] 
PUBLIC LAW 718-JULY 14, 1956 
549 
the southwest quarter and the southeast quarter of the southwest quar-
ter and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter, of section 28; 
section 29; section 30; the northeast quarter, and lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, 
and the east half of the west half, and the southeast quarter of section 
31; section 32; section 33; section 34; the west half of section 35; the 
northeast quarter and the east half of the southeast quarter of 
section 36. 
Township 1 south, range 12 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: Lots 1, 
2, 3, and 4, and the south half of the south half of section 12; section 
13; section 24; the northeast quarter, and the northwest quarter of 
the southeast quarter of section 25. 
Township 2 south, ran^e 10 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: Section 
4, section 5; section 6; section 7; section 8; section 9. 
Township 2 south, range 11 west, Uintah meridian, Utah: Lots 3 
and 4 of section 2; lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the south half of the north 
half and the south half of section 3; lots 1, 2, 3, and 4, and the south 
half of the north half and the south half of section 4. 
SEC. 7. This Act is for the purpose of effecting partial settlement 
P^njose. 
of the claims asserted by the Uintah and White Kiver Bands of Ute 
Indians against the United States in Court of Claims case numbered 
47568 and shall not be construed as giving recognition to any rights 
or title of the Uintah, White River, or Uncompahgre Bands of lite 
Indians except as provided for in this Act. 
improved July 14, 1956. 
Public Law 718 
CHAPTER 604 
AN ACT 
July 14, 1956 
Relating to the plan for control of the property of the Menominee Indian Tribe, 
[H. R. 9280] 
and for other purposes. 
Menominee In-
Be it enacted hy the Senate and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled^ That section 7 of the d
^
* 
Act entitled "An Act to provide for a per capita distribution of 
Menominee tribal funds and authorize the withdrawal of the Menom-
inee Tribe from Federal jurisdiction", approved June 17, 1954 (68 
Stat. 250), is amended to read as follows: 
"SEC. 7. The tribe shall as soon as possible and in no event later than control pim'.*^*"^ 
December 31, 1957, formulate and submit to the Secretary a plan for 
the future control of the tribal property and service functions now 
conducted by or under the supervision of the United States, including, 
but not limited to, services in the fields of health, education, welfare, 
credit, roads, and law and order, and for all other matters involved in 
the withdrawal of Federal supervision. 
The Secretary is authorized 
to provide such reasonable assistance as may be requested by officials 
of the tribe in the formulation of the plan heretofore referred to, 
including necessary consultations with representatives of Federal 
departments and agencies, officials of the State of Wisconsin and 
political subdivisions thereof, and members of the tribe: Provided^ 
That the responsibility of the United States to furnish all such super-
vision and services to the tribe and to the members thereof, because 
of their status as Indians, shall cease on December 31, 1958, or on 
such earlier date as may be agreed upon by the tribe and the Secretary. 
The plan shall contain provision for protection of the forest on a 
sustained yield basis, and for the protection of the water, soil, fish and 
wildlife. 
To the extent necessary, the plan shall provide for such 
terms of transfer pursuant to section 8 of this Act, by trust or other-
wise, as shall insure the continued fulfillment of the plan. 
The Secre- FR.' 
tary, after approving the plan, shall cause the plan to be published 
Publ i c ation in