PUBLIC LAW 108–34—JUNE 23, 2003
117 STAT. 783
communities in the Little Colorado River basin, the parties have entered into a Settlement Agreement to resolve all of the Zuni Indian Tribe’s water rights claims and to assist the Tribe in acquiring surface water rights, to provide for the Tribe’s use of groundwater, and to provide for the wetland restoration of the Tribe’s lands in Arizona. (7) To facilitate the wetland restoration project contemplated under the Settlement Agreement, the Zuni Indian Tribe acquired certain lands along the Little Colorado River near or adjacent to its Reservation that are important for the success of the project and will likely acquire a small amount of similarly situated additional lands. The parties have agreed not to object to the United States taking title to certain of these lands into trust status; other lands shall remain in tribal fee status. The parties have worked extensively to resolve various governmental concerns regarding use of and control over those lands, and to provide a successful model for these types of situations, the State, local, and tribal governments intend to enter into an Intergovernmental Agreement that addresses the parties’ governmental concerns. (8) Pursuant to the Settlement Agreement, the neighboring non-Indian entities will assist in the Tribe’s acquisition of surface water rights and development of groundwater, store surface water supplies for the Zuni Indian Tribe, and make substantial additional contributions to carry out the Settlement Agreement’s provisions. (9) To advance the goals of Federal Indian policy and consistent with the trust responsibility of the United States to the Tribe, it is appropriate that the United States participate in the implementation of the Settlement Agreement and contribute funds for the rehabilitation of religious riparian areas and other purposes to enable the Tribe to use its water entitlement in developing its Reservation. (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— (1) to approve, ratify, and confirm the Settlement Agreement entered into by the Tribe and neighboring non-Indians; (2) to authorize and direct the Secretary of the Interior to execute and perform the Settlement Agreement and related waivers; (3) to authorize and direct the United States to take legal title and hold such title to certain lands in trust for the benefit of the Zuni Indian Tribe; and (4) to authorize the actions, agreements, and appropriations as provided for in the Settlement Agreement and this Act. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act: (1) EASTERN LCR BASIN.—The term ‘‘Eastern LCR basin’’ means the portion of the Little Colorado River basin in Arizona upstream of the confluence of Silver Creek and the Little Colorado River, as identified on Exhibit 2.10 of the Settlement Agreement. (2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Development Fund established by section 6(a). (3) INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT.—The term ‘‘Intergovernmental Agreement’’ means the intergovernmental agreement between the Zuni Indian Tribe, Apache County, Arizona and
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