Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 120.djvu/2697

 120 STAT. 2666

PUBLIC LAW 109–379—DEC. 1, 2006

Public Law 109–379 109th Congress An Act Dec. 1, 2006 [H.R. 5842]

Pueblo of Isleta Settlement and Natural Resources Restoration Act of 2006.

To compromise and settle all claims in the case of Pueblo of Isleta v. United States, to restore, improve, and develop the valuable on-reservation land and natural resources of the Pueblo, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Pueblo of Isleta Settlement and Natural Resources Restoration Act of 2006’’. SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.

(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— (1) there is pending before the United States Court of Federal Claims a civil action filed by the Pueblo against the United States in which the Pueblo seeks to recover damages pursuant to the Isleta Jurisdictional Act; (2) the Pueblo and the United States, after a diligent investigation of the Pueblo claims, have negotiated a Settlement Agreement, the validity and effectiveness of which is contingent on the enactment of enabling legislation; (3) certain land of the Pueblo is waterlogged, and it would be to the benefit of the Pueblo and other water users to drain the land and return water to the Rio Grande River; and (4) there is Pueblo forest land in need of remediation in order to improve timber yields, reduce the threat of fire, reduce erosion, and improve grazing conditions. (b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are— (1) to improve the drainage of the irrigated land, the health of the forest land, and other natural resources of the Pueblo; and (2) to settle all claims that were raised or could have been raised by the Pueblo against the United States under the Isleta Jurisdictional Act in accordance with section 5. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act: (1) ISLETA JURISDICTIONAL ACT.—The term ‘‘Isleta Jurisdictional Act’’ means Public Law 104–198 (110 Stat. 2418). (2) PUEBLO.—The term ‘‘Pueblo’’ means the Pueblo of Isleta, a federally recognized Indian tribe. (3) RESTORATION FUND.—The term ‘‘Restoration Fund’’ means the Pueblo of Isleta Natural Resources Restoration Fund established by section 4(a).

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