An Act To Extend Time Limits for Placing Land in Trust Status under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 0159
Committee: Judiciary
Sponsors: WOOD
Amends: 30 MRSA §6205

Legislative Document
No. 159
H.P. 115
House of Representatives, January 21, 2021
An Act To Extend Time Limits for Placing Land in Trust Status 
under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement
Received by the Clerk of the House on January 19, 2021.  Referred to the Committee on 
Judiciary pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative WOOD of Portland.
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 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 2030, are not held in common 
with any other person or entity and are certified by the secretary by January 31, 1991 
2030, 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 31, 1991 
2030;
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 31, 2001 2030, is not held in common with any other person 
or entity and is certified by the secretary by January 31, 2001 2030, 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 2030, is not held in common with any other person or entity and is certified by 
the secretary by January 31, 2020 2030 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 2030, is not held in common 
with any other person or entity and is certified by the secretary by January 31, 2017 
2030 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 2030, is not held in common with any other person or entity and is 
certified by the secretary by January 31, 2023 2030 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 2030, 
is not held in common with any other person or entity and is certified by the secretary 
by January 31, 2017 2030 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 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 2030, are not held in common with 
any other person or entity and are certified by the secretary by January 31, 2021 2030, 
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 
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 January 31, 1991 2030; any lands in Lakeville acquired by the Penobscot 
Nation before January 1 31, 1991 2030; 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 130th 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 130th Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill extends all time limits for both the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot 
Nation to add to their respective trust lands under the Act to Implement the Maine Indian 
Claims Settlement to January 31, 2030.
Because this bill amends the Act to Implement the Maine Indian Claims Settlement, 
this bill does not take effect unless the Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe 
and the Tribal Chief and Council of the Penobscot Nation agree to these changes and certify 
their agreement to the Secretary of State within 60 days of the adjournment of the First 
Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.