PUBLIC LAWS-CH. 340-MAY 25, 1948 Cancellation of cer- tain unpaid charges. Appropriations au- thorized. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. the construction costs chargeable against all irrigable lands embraced within the districts contracting (exclusive of Indian-owned lands on which the collection of construction costs is deferred) to the extent and in the manner prescribed by sections 1 and 2 of this Act; (2) consent to such revisions in the limits of cost for the project, or any division thereof, as the Secretary and the districts contracting may mutually agree upon in order to facilitate the making of needed improvements and extensions to the irrigation and power systems; (3) provide for redetermination by the Secretary of the irrigable area of the project, or any division thereof, and for the exclusion of lands from the project, with the consent of the holder of any water rights that would be canceled by such exclusion; and (4) make such other changes in the existing repayment contracts as the Secretary and the districts contracting may mutually agree upon for accomplishment of the purposes of this Act. In order to facilitate the commencement of repayment at the earliest practicable time, such contracts may pro- vide for adjusting the maturity dates or amounts of the annual install- ments in a manner which will ultimately place the repayment schedules on substantially the same basis as though such contracts had been entered into prior to their actual execution, but not earlier than January 1, 1949. SEc. 4 . Unpaid charges for operation and maintenance of the irriga- tion system which were assessed prior to May 10, 1926, against any lands within the project, amounting to a sum not exceeding $40,549.89, and unpaid charges due from consumers for electric energy sold through the power system between July 1, 1931, and June 30, 1942, amounting to a sum not exceeding $2,195.16, are hereby canceled. The cancellation of the operation and maintenance charges shall be reported in the reimbursable accounts rendered to the Comptroller General of the United States, pursuant to the Act of April 14, 1910 (36 Stat. 269, 270; 25 U. S . C., sec. 145), as deductions from the total indebtedness of the project without regard to the fiscal years in which, or the appropriations from which, the expenditures were made. SEc. 5. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following sums, for the following purposes, to be reimbursed to the United States as hereinafter provided: (a) The sum of $64,161.18, with interest thereon at the rate of 4 per centum per annum from May 18, 1916, and the sum of $409.38, with interest thereon at the same rate from December 1, 1925, to be used to repay the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana the balance remaining due them under the Act of May 18, 1916 (39 Stat. 123, 141). The aggregate principal amount of $64,570.56 so repaid shall be added to the construction costs of the project and shall be reimbursable. (b) The sum of $400,000 to be deposited in the United States Treas- ury to the credit of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation in Montana; of which sum one-half shall be in full settlement of all claims of said tribes on account of the past use of tribal lands for the physical works and facilities of the irrigation and power systems of the project, or for wildlife refuges; and the other one-half shall be in full payment to said tribes for a permanent easement to the United States, its grantees and assigns, for the continu- ation of any and all of the foregoing uses, whether heretofore or here- after initiated, upon the tribal lands now used or reserved for the foregoing purposes. The said tribes shall have the right to use such tribal lands, and to grant leases or concessions thereon, for any and all purposes not inconsistent with such permanent easement. The amount deposited in the Treasury pursuant to this subsection shall be added to the construction costs of the project and shall be reimbursable. 272 [62 STAT.
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