TITLE 25 - US CODE - SUBCHAPTER VII - WASHINGTON INDIAN (PUYALLUP) LAND CLAIMS SETTLEMENT

25 USC 1773 - Congressional findings and purpose

(a) Findings 
The Congress finds and declares that:
(1) It is the policy of the United States to promote tribal self-determination and economic self-sufficiency and to support the resolution of disputes over historical claims through settlements mutually agreed to by Indian and non-Indian parties.
(2) Disputes over certain land claims of the Puyallup Tribe and other matters, including
(A) ownership of the Commencement Bay tidelands and areas of former Puyallup Riverbed, lands within the Puyallup Tribes Treaty Reservation, or intended reservation boundaries,
(B) railroad and other rights-of-way,
(C) control of fisheries resource and habitat,
(D) jurisdiction over law enforcement, environment, navigation, and authority and control in the areas of land use,
(E) business regulation and zoning,

have resulted in difficult community relations and negative economic impacts affecting both the Tribe and non-Indian parties.

(3) Some of the significant historical events that led to the present circumstances include
(A) the negotiation of the Treaty of Medicine Creek in December 1854, by the Puyallup Indians and others, by which the tribes ceded most of their territories but reserved certain lands and rights, including fishing rights;
(B) the Executive Order of 1857 creating the Puyallup Indian Reservation;
(C) the Executive Order of 1873, clarifying and extending the Puyallup Reservation in the Washington Territory;
(D) the March 11, 1891, Report of the Puyallup Indian Commission on allotments and the 1896 report by a second Puyallup Indian Commission describing the problems with sales of allotted lands; and
(E) the 1909 District Court for Tacoma decision of the United States of America against J.M. Ashton and the 1910 Supreme Court decision of United States of America against J.M. Ashton.
(4) It is recognized that both Indian and non-Indian parties enter into this settlement to resolve certain problems and claims and to derive certain benefits.
(5) There is a recognition that any final resolution of pending disputes through a process of litigation would take many years and entail great expense to all parties; continue economically and socially damaging controversies; prolong uncertainty as to the access, ownership, and jurisdictional status of issues in question; and seriously impair long-term economic planning and development for all parties.
(6) To advance the goals of Federal policy of Indian self-determination and to carry out the trust responsibility of the United States, and to advance the Federal policy of international trade and economic development, and in recognition of the Federal policy of settling these conflicts through comprehensive settlement agreements, it is appropriate that the United States participate in the funding and implementation of the Settlement Agreement.
(b) Purpose 
Therefore, it is the purpose of this subchapter
(1) to approve, ratify, and confirm the agreement entered into by the non-Indian settlement parties and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians,
(2) to authorize and direct the Secretary to implement the terms of such agreement, and
(3) to authorize the actions and appropriations necessary to implement the provisions of the Settlement Agreement and this subchapter.

25 USC 1773a - Resolution of Puyallup tribal land claims

(a) Relinquishment 
In accordance with the Settlement Agreement and in return for the land and other benefits derived from the Settlement Agreement and this subchapter, the Tribe, and the United States as trustee for the Tribe and its members, relinquish all claims to tidelands, submerged lands, and any other lands, and including any mineral claims and nonfisheries water rights connected with such relinquished land, known or unknown, within the State of Washington, subject to the exceptions referred to in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Exception for certain lands 
Subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to the following:
(1) 12.5 acres of former riverbed land confirmed to the Tribe in Puyallup Tribe of Indians against Port of Tacoma (717 F. 2d 1251 (1983)), which land shall be subject to the terms and conditions described in the Settlement Agreement and document 6 of the Technical Documents.
(2) All land to which record title in the Tribe or the United States in trust for the Tribe or its members derives from a patent issued by the United States or from a conveyance of tideland by the State of Washington. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term record title means title documented by identifiable conveyances reflected in those records imparting constructive notice of conveyances according to the laws of the State (RCW chapters 65.04 and 65.08) and the final judgments of State or Federal courts.
(3) Certain land recognized to be owned on August 27, 1988, by the Tribe or the United States in trust for the Tribe within the Indian Addition to the city of Tacoma, Washington, as recorded in book 7 of plats at pages 30 and 31, records of Pierce County, Washington, as follows:
(A) Land owned on August 27, 1988:
(i) Portions of tracts 2, 5, 6, 10, and 11.
(ii) Tract 7 (school site).
(iii) Tract 8 (church site).
(iv) Tract 9 (cemetery site).
(v) Approximately 38 lots in blocks 8150, 8249, 8350, and 8442, inclusive.
(B) Land, wherever located, added to the above list of parcels on or before December 1, 1988, in accordance with paragraph A.3. of section IX of the Settlement Agreement.
(4) The lands transferred to the Tribe pursuant to the Settlement Agreement.
(5) The rights to underlying lands or the reversionary interest of the Tribe, if any, in the Union Pacific or Burlington Northern rights-of-way across the 1873 Survey Area, where the property over which they were granted belonged, at the time of the grant, to the United States in trust for the Tribe or to the Tribe.
(6) The submerged lands as of August 27, 1988, in the Puyallup River within the 1873 Survey Area below the mean high water line.
(c) Personal claims 
Nothing in this section or in the Settlement Agreement shall be construed to impair, eliminate, or in any way affect the title of any individual Indian to land held by such individual in fee or in trust, nor shall it affect the personal claim of any individual Indian as to claims regarding past sales of allotted lands or any claim which is pursued under any law of general applicability that protects non-Indians as well as Indians.

25 USC 1773b - Settlement lands

(a) Acceptance by Secretary 
The Secretary shall accept the conveyance of the lands described in subsection (c) of this section, and the Outer Hylebos tidelands property referred to in section VIII, A,1,c of the Settlement Agreement, subject to the terms and conditions of the Settlement Agreement and shall hold such lands in trust for the benefit of the Tribe.
(b) Contamination 

(1) Contamination audits and cleanup of settlement lands shall be carried out in accordance with the Settlement Agreement and document 1 of the Technical Documents.
(2) The Tribe shall not be liable for the cleanup costs or in any other manner for contamination on properties described in subsection (c) of this section except any contamination caused by the Tribes activities after conveyance of these properties to the Tribe under the terms of the Settlement Agreement and document 1 of the Technical Documents.
(c) Lands described 
The lands referred to in subsection (a) of this section, and more particularly described in the Settlement Agreement, are as follows:
(1) The Blair Waterway property, comprised of approximately 43.4 acres.
(2) The Blair Backup property, comprised of approximately 85.2 acres.
(3) The Inner Hylebos property, comprised of approximately 72.9 acres.
(4) The Upper Hylebos property, comprised of approximately 5.9 acres.
(5) The Union Pacific property (Fife), comprised of a parcel of approximately 57 acres, and an adjoining 22-acre parcel if the option relating to the Union Pacific property (Fife) (as described in document 1 of the Technical Documents) is exercised.
(6) The Torre property (Fife), comprised of approximately 27.4 acres, unless the Port elects to provide the cash value of such property.
(7) The Taylor Way and East-West Road properties, two properties totaling approximately 7.4 acres.
(8) The submerged lands in the Puyallup River within the 1873 Survey Area below the mean high water line, as provided in section I.B. of the Settlement Agreement. To the extent that the United States has title to any of the lands described in this subpart,[1] then such lands shall be held by the United States in trust for the use and benefit of the Puyallup Tribe.
(9) The approximately 600 acres of open space, forest, and cultural lands to be acquired by the Tribe with cash received pursuant to section I of the Settlement Agreement or other tribal funds.
(d) Reservation status 
Nothing in this subchapter is intended to affect the boundaries of the Puyallup Reservation, except that the lands described in subsection (c) of this section above in paragraphs (1) through (8), and the Outer Hylebos tidelands property referred to in section VIII of the Settlement Agreement, shall have on-reservation status.
(e) Authorization of appropriations 
There is authorized to be appropriated $500,000 for the Federal share for the purchase of the lands referred to in subsection (c)(9) of this section.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “subsection,”.

25 USC 1773c - Future trust lands

In accepting lands in trust (other than those described in section 1773b of this title) for the Puyallup Tribe or its members, the Secretary shall exercise the authority provided him in section 465 of this title, and shall apply the standards set forth in part 151 of title 25, Code of Federal Regulations, as those standards now exist or as they may be amended in the future.

25 USC 1773d - Funds to members of Puyallup Tribe

(a) Payment to individual members 

(1) To the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts or to the extent funds are provided by other parties to the Settlement Agreement, the Secretary shall place with a financial institution the amount of $24,000,000 in an annuity fund or other investment program (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the fund). The selection of the institution or institutions where the funds will be held and the administration of the funds shall be in accordance with section II of the Settlement Agreement and documents 2 and 3 of the Technical Documents. Amounts earned pursuant to any investment of the fund shall be added to, and become part of, the fund.
(2) Upon attaining the age of 21 years, each enrolled member of the Tribe (determined by the Tribe pursuant to its constitution to have been a member as of the date of ratification of the Settlement Agreement by the Tribe) shall receive a one-time payment from the fund. The amount of such payment shall be determined in accordance with section II of the Settlement Agreement and document 2 of the Technical Documents.
(3) A reasonable and customary fee for the administration of the fund may be paid out of the income earned by the fund to the financial institution with which the fund is established.
(4) Upon payment to all eligible members of the Tribe pursuant to paragraph (2), any amount remaining in the fund shall be utilized in the manner determined by a vote of the members of the Tribe.
(5) There is authorized to be appropriated $22,350,000 for the Federal share of the fund.
(b) Permanent trust fund for tribal members 

(1) In order to provide a permanent resource to enhance the ability of the Tribe to provide services to its members, there is established the Puyallup Tribe of Indians Settlement Trust Fund (hereafter in this subsection referred to as the trust fund).
(2) Upon appropriation by Congress or to the extent funds are provided by other parties to the Settlement Agreement, the Secretary shall deposit $22,000,000 into the trust fund. The trust fund shall be invested in accordance with section 162a of this title, so as to earn the maximum interest on principal and interest available under that section. No part of the $22,000,000 principal may be expended for any purpose. Income earned on the principal or interest of the trust fund shall be available for expenditure as provided in paragraph (3).
(3) 
(A) The trust fund shall be administered and the funds shall be expended in accordance with section III of the Settlement Agreement and document 3 of the Technical Documents. Income from the trust fund may be used only for the following purposes unless modified in accordance with subparagraph (B):
(i) Housing.
(ii) Elderly needs.
(iii) Burial and cemetery maintenance.
(iv) Education and cultural preservation.
(v) Supplemental health care.
(vi) Day care.
(vii) Other social services.
(B) The purposes of the trust fund may be modified only as provided in document 3 of the Technical Documents.
(4) The fund established under this subsection shall be in perpetuity and inviolate.
(5) There is authorized to be appropriated $18,800,000 for the Federal share of the trust fund.

25 USC 1773e - Fisheries

In order to carry out the Federal part of the fisheries aspect of the Settlement Agreement, there is authorized to be appropriated $100,000 for navigation equipment at Commencement Bay to be used in accordance with section A of document 4 of the Technical Documents.

25 USC 1773f - Economic development and land acquisition

(a) Economic development and land acquisition fund 
To the extent provided in advance in appropriation Acts, the Secretary shall disburse $10,000,000 to the Tribe of which
(1) $9,500,000 shall be available for the Tribe to carry out economic development consistent with section VI of the Settlement Agreement or to acquire lands; and
(2) $500,000 shall be available only to support and assist the development of business enterprises by members of the Tribe in a manner consistent with the Settlement Agreement.

There is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to carry out this subsection.

(b) Foreign trade 
The Congress recognizes the right of the Tribe to engage in foreign trade consistent with Federal law and notwithstanding article XII of the treaty with the Nisqually and other bands of Indians entered into on December 26, 1854, and accepted, ratified, and confirmed on March 3, 1855 (11 Stat. 1132).
(c) Blair project 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary the amount of $25,500,000 for the Federal share of the costs associated with the Blair project, which shall be carried out in accordance with document 6 of the Technical Documents. For the purpose of this subsection, the Secretary shall transfer such amount to the Department of Transportation of the State of Washington. Such amount may only be used by the Department of Transportation of the State of Washington to carry out the Blair project in accordance with document 6 of the Technical Documents. Operation and maintenance of the Blair Waterway channel shall remain the responsibility of the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers.

25 USC 1773g - Jurisdiction

The Tribe shall retain and exercise jurisdiction, and the United States and the State and political subdivisions thereof shall retain and exercise jurisdiction, as provided in the Settlement Agreement and Technical Documents and, where not provided therein, as otherwise provided by Federal law.

25 USC 1773h - Miscellaneous provisions

(a) Liens and forfeitures, etc. 

(1) None of the funds, assets, or income from the trust fund established in section 1773d (b) of this title which are received by the Tribe under the Settlement Agreement shall be subject to levy, execution, forfeiture, garnishment, lien, encumbrance, or seizure.
(2) The annuity fund, or other investment program, established in section 1773d (a) of this title shall not be subject to levy, execution, forfeiture, garnishment, lien, encumbrance, or seizure. Payments from the fund shall be in accordance with the Act of August 2, 1983 (25 U.S.C. 117a et seq.; commonly referred to as the Per Capita Act).
(b) Eligibility for Federal programs; trust responsibility 
Nothing in this subchapter or the Settlement Agreement shall affect the eligibility of the Tribe or any of its members for any Federal program or the trust responsibility of the United States and its agencies to the Tribe and members of the Tribe.
(c) Permanent trust fund not counted for certain purposes 
None of the funds, assets, or income from the trust fund established in section 1773d (b) of this title shall at any time be used as a basis for denying or reducing funds to the Tribe or its members under any Federal, State, or local program.
(d) Tax treatment of funds and assets 
None of the funds or assets transferred to the Tribe or its members by the Settlement Agreement of[1] this subchapter, and none of the interest earned or income received on amounts in the funds established under section 1773d (a) and (b) of this title, shall be deemed to be taxable, nor shall such transfers be taxable events.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “or”.

25 USC 1773i - Actions by Secretary

The Secretary in administering this subchapter shall be aware of the trust responsibility of the United States to the Tribe and shall take such actions as may be necessary or appropriate to carry out this subchapter and the Settlement Agreement.

25 USC 1773j - Definitions

For the purposes of this subchapter
(1) the term 1873 Survey Area means the area which is within the area demarked by the high water line as meandered and the upland boundaries, as shown on the plat map of the 1873 Survey of the Puyallup Indian Reservation, conducted by the United States General Land Office, and filed in 1874;
(2) the term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior;
(3) the term Settlement Agreement means the document entitled Agreement between the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Local Governments in Pierce County, the State of Washington, the United States of America, and certain private property owners, dated August 27, 1988;
(4) the term State means the State of Washington;
(5) the term Technical Documents means the 7 documents which comprise the technical appendix to the Settlement Agreement and are dated August 27, 1988;
(6) the term Tribe means the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, a tribe of Indians recognized by the United States;
(7) the term below the mean high water line in reference to the submerged lands of the Puyallup Riverbed means below the ordinary high water mark in that portion of the river not subject to tidal influence and below the mean high water line in that portion of the river which is subject to tidal influence; and
(8) the term on-reservation status means a status under which Federal laws and regulations, treaty rights, and rights of sovereignty, which define the rights and responsibilities on trust or restricted lands (including rights-of-way and easements running through such lands within a Federal Indian reservation) apply: Provided, That such application is not inconsistent with any provision of the Settlement Agreement.