An Act To Remove Time and Acreage Limits for Placing Land in Trust Status under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0921
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: DANA, MAKER
Amends: 30 MRSA §6205

Legislative Document
No. 921
H.P. 649
House of Representatives, March 7, 2017
An Act To Remove Time and Acreage Limits for Placing Land in 
Trust Status under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement
Reference to the Committee on Judiciary suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DANA of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
Cosponsored by Senator MAKER of Washington.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  30 MRSA §6205, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 91, §§1 and 2 and 
affected by §3, is further amended to read: 
1.  Passamaquoddy Indian territory. Subject to subsections 3, 4 and 5, the 
following lands within the State are known as the "Passamaquoddy Indian territory:" 
A.    The Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation; 
B.    The first 150,000 acres of land Land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of 
the Passamaquoddy Tribe from the following areas or lands to the extent that those 
lands are acquired by the secretary prior to January 31, 1991, are not held in common 
with any other person or entity and are certified by the secretary by January 31, 1991, 
as held for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe: 
The lands of Great Northern Nekoosa Corporation located in T.1, R.8, W.B.K.P. 
(Lowelltown), T.6, R.1, N.B.K.P. (Holeb), T.2, R.10, W.E.L.S. and T.2, R.9, 
W.E.L.S.; the land of Raymidga Company located in T.1, R.5, W.B.K.P. (Jim Pond), 
T.4, R.5, B.K.P.W.K.R. (King and Bartlett), T.5, R.6, B.K.P.W.K.R. and T.3, R.5, 
B.K.P.W.K.R.; the land of the heirs of David Pingree located in T.6, R.8, W.E.L.S.; 
any portion of Sugar Island in Moosehead Lake; the lands of Prentiss and Carlisle 
Company located in T.9, S.D.; any portion of T.24, M.D.B.P.P.; the lands of Bertram 
C. Tackeff or Northeastern Blueberry Company, Inc. in T.19, M.D.B.P.P.; any 
portion of T.2, R.8, N.W.P.; any portion of T.2, R.5, W.B.K.P. (Alder Stream); the 
lands of Dead River Company in T.3, R.9, N.W.P., T.2, R.9, N.W.P., T.5, R.1, 
N.B.P.P. and T.5, N.D.B.P.P.; any portion of T.3, R.1, N.B.P.P.; any portion of T.3, 
N.D.; any portion of T.4, N.D.; any portion of T.39, M.D.; any portion of T.40, M.D.; 
any portion of T.41, M.D.; any portion of T.42, M.D.B.P.P.; the lands of Diamond 
International Corporation, International Paper Company and Lincoln Pulp and Paper 
Company located in Argyle; and the lands of the Dyer Interests in T.A.R.7 W.E.L.S., 
T.3 R.9 N.W.P., T.3 R.3. N.B.K.P. (Alder Brook Township), T.3 R.4 N.B.K.P. 
(Hammond Township), T.2 R.4 N.B.K.P. (Pittston Academy Grant), T.2 R.3 
N.B.K.P. (Soldiertown Township), and T.4 R.4 N.B.K.P. (Prentiss Township), and 
any lands in Albany Township acquired by the Passamaquoddy Tribe before January 
1, 1991; 
C.    Any land not exceeding 100 acres in the City of Calais acquired by the secretary 
for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe as long as the land is acquired by the 
secretary prior to January 1, 2001, is not held in common with any other person or 
entity and is certified by the secretary by January 31, 2001, as held for the benefit of 
the Passamaquoddy Tribe, if: 
 (1) The acquisition of the land by the tribe is approved by the legislative body of 
that city; and 
 (2) A tribal-state compact under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act is 
agreed to by the State and the Passamaquoddy Tribe or the State is ordered by a 
court to negotiate such a compact; 
D.    All land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in 
T. 19, M.D. to the extent that the land is acquired by the secretary prior to January 31, 
2020, is not held in common with any other person or entity and is certified by the 
secretary by January 31, 2020 as held for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe; 
D-1.   Land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in 
Centerville consisting of Parcels A, B and C conveyed by Bertram C. Tackeff to the 
Passamaquoddy Tribe by quitclaim deed dated July 27, 1981, recorded in the 
Washington County Registry of Deeds in Book 1147, Page 251, to the extent that the 
land is acquired by the secretary prior to January 31, 2017, is not held in common 
with any other person or entity and is certified by the secretary by January 31, 2017 
as held for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe; 
D-2.  Land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in 
Centerville conveyed by Bertram C. Tackeff to the Passamaquoddy Tribe by 
quitclaim deed dated May 4, 1982, recorded in the Washington County Registry of 
Deeds in Book 1178, Page 35, to the extent that the land is acquired by the secretary 
prior to January 31, 2023, is not held in common with any other person or entity and 
is certified by the secretary by January 31, 2023 as held for the benefit of the 
Passamaquoddy Tribe; and 
E.  Land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe in 
Township 21 consisting of Gordon Island in Big Lake, conveyed by Domtar Maine 
Corporation to the Passamaquoddy Tribe by corporate quitclaim deed dated April 30, 
2002, recorded in the Washington County Registry of Deeds in Book 2624, Page 301, 
to the extent that the land is acquired by the secretary prior to January 31, 2017, is not 
held in common with any other person or entity and is certified by the secretary by 
January 31, 2017 as held for the benefit of the Passamaquoddy Tribe. 
Sec. 2.  30 MRSA §6205, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 1999, c. 625, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
B.    The first 150,000 acres of land Land acquired by the secretary for the benefit of 
the Penobscot Nation from the following areas or lands to the extent that those lands 
are acquired by the secretary prior to January 31, 2021, are not held in common with 
any other person or entity and are certified by the secretary by January 31, 2021, as 
held for the Penobscot Nation: 
The lands of Great Northern Nekoosa Corporation located in T.1, R.8, W.B.K.P. 
(Lowelltown), T.6, R.1, N.B.K.P. (Holeb), T.2, R.10, W.E.L.S. and T.2, R.9, 
W.E.L.S.; the land of Raymidga Company located in T.1, R.5, W.B.K.P. (Jim Pond), 
T.4, R.5, B.K.P.W.K.R. (King and Bartlett), T.5, R.6, B.K.P.W.K.R. and T.3, R.5, 
B.K.P.W.K.R.; the land of the heirs of David Pingree located in T.6, R.8, W.E.L.S.; 
any portion of Sugar Island in Moosehead Lake; the lands of Prentiss and Carlisle 
Company located in T.9, S.D.; any portion of T.24, M.D.B.P.P.; the lands of Bertram 
C. Tackeff or Northeastern Blueberry Company, Inc. in T.19, M.D.B.P.P.; any 
portion of T.2, R.8, N.W.P.; any portion of T.2, R.5, W.B.K.P. (Alder Stream); the 
lands of Dead River Company in T.3, R.9, N.W.P., T.2, R.9, N.W.P., T.5, R.1, 
N.B.P.P. and T.5, N.D.B.P.P.; any portion of T.3, R.1, N.B.P.P.; any portion of T.3, 
N.D.; any portion of T.4, N.D.; any portion of T.39, M.D.; any portion of T.40, M.D.; 
any portion of T.41, M.D.; any portion of T.42, M.D.B.P.P.; the lands of Diamond 
International Corporation, International Paper Company and Lincoln Pulp and Paper 
Company located in Argyle; any land acquired in Williamsburg T.6, R.8, N.W.P.; 
any 300 acres lands in Old Town mutually agreed upon by the City of Old Town and 
the Penobscot Nation Tribal Government, provided that the mutual agreement must 
be finalized prior to August 31, 1991; any lands in Lakeville acquired by the 
Penobscot Nation before January 1, 1991; and all the property acquired by the 
Penobscot Indian Nation from Herbert C. Haynes, Jr., Herbert C. Haynes, Inc. and 
Five Islands Land Corporation located in Township 1, Range 6 W.E.L.S. 
Sec. 3.  Effective date; certification.  This Act does not take effect unless, within 
days of the adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature, the 
Secretary of State receives written certification by the Tribal Chief and Council of the 
Penobscot Nation and the Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe that the 
nation and tribe have agreed to the provisions of this Act pursuant to 25 United States 
Code, Section 1725(e), copies of which must be submitted by the Secretary of State to the 
Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Revisor of 
Statutes; except that in no event may this Act become effective until 90 days after the 
adjournment of the First Regular Session of the 128th Legislature. 
SUMMARY 
This bill removes the time and acreage limits for placing land in trust status for the 
Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Nation under the Maine Indian Claims 
Settlement.