Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 114 Part 3.djvu/793

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PUBLIC LAW 106-425—NOV. 1, 2000 114 STAT. 1891 mismanagement of the Pueblo's aboriginal and Spanish grant lands. (5) Litigation to resolve the land and trespass claims of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo would take many years, and the outcome of such litigation is unclear. The pendency of these claims has clouded private land titles and has created difficulties in the management of public lands within the claim area. (6) The United States and the Pueblo of Santo Domingo have negotiated a settlement to resolve all existing land claims, including the claims described in paragraphs (2) through (4). (b) PURPOSE. —It is the purpose of this Act— (1) to remove the cloud on titles to land in the State of New Mexico resulting from the claims of the Pueblo of Santo Domingo, and to settle all of the Pueblo's claims against the United States and third parties, and the land, boundary, and trespass claims of the Pueblo in a fair, equitable, and final manner; (2) to provide for the restoration of certain lands to the Pueblo of Santo Domingo and to confirm the Pueblo's boundaries; (3) to clarify governmental jurisdiction over the lands within the Pueblo's land claim area; and (4) to ratify a Settlement Agreement between the United States and the Pueblo which includes— (A) the Pueblo's agreement to relinquish and compromise its land and trespass claims; (B) the provision of $8,000,000 to compensate the Pueblo for the claims it has pursued pursuant to the Act of August 13, 1946 (60 Stat. 1049; commonly referred to as the Indian Claims Commission Act); (C) the transfer of approximately 4,577 acres of public land to the Pueblo; (D) the sale of approximately 7,355 acres of national forest lands to the Pueblo; and (E) the authorization of the appropriation of $15,000,000 over 3 consecutive years which would be deposited in a Santo Domingo Lands Claims Settlement Fund for expenditure by the Pueblo for land acquisition and other enumerated tribal purposes. (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— Nothing in this Act shall be construed to effectuate an extinguishment of, or to otherwise impair, the Pueblo's title to or interest in lands or water rights as described in section 5(a)(2). SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 25 USC 1777a. In this Act: (1) FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED LANDS.— The term "federally administered lands" means lands, waters, or interests therein, administered by Federal agencies, except for the lands, waters, or interests therein that are owned by, or for the benefit of, Indian tribes or individual Indians. (2) FUND. —The term "Fund" means the Pueblo of Santo Domingo Land Claims Settlement Fund established under section 5(b)(1). (3) PUEBLO. — The term "Pueblo" means the Pueblo of Santo Domingo.