Sponsor
Jay Obernolte
Representative · R-CA
Representative · R-CA
The bill returns a modest but meaningful parcel of ancestral land to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and secures public access and cultural protections, at the cost of removing acreage from National Forest management, shifting survey costs to the tribe, and narrowing federal review of the land transfer.
Indigenous-tribal communities (Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation) regain ~1,460 acres of ancestral land and associated jurisdictional control, restoring tribal holdings and cultural connection to the land.
Rural communities and recreationists retain public access to key forest roads because the bill reserves easements for Forest Service use and public passage, preserving access for recreation and land management.
Local governments, landowners, and the public benefit from clarified boundaries and public records because the bill requires surveys and filing of maps for public inspection, reducing future title disputes and uncertainty.
Rural communities, recreationists, and the general public may lose some public land management protections and access because ~1,475 acres are removed from National Forest control, potentially changing management priorities and uses.
Local and state governments and the public face reduced federal oversight because the land exchange is exempted from review under FLPMA §206, limiting standard public and Department of the Interior review processes.
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (tribal government) must bear the cost of surveying roughly 1,460 acres, creating a direct financial burden on the tribe.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Directs a land swap: about 1,475 acres of National Forest land exchanged for about 1,460 acres owned by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, with surveys, easements, and preservation conditions.
Introduced June 11, 2025 by Jay Obernolte · Last progress June 11, 2025
Requires the Forest Service to swap roughly 1,475 acres of National Forest land for about 1,460 acres owned by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation if the Nation conveys clear title to its parcels. The exchange must be completed on a fast timeline, includes a Forest Service easement over specific roads, requires the Nation to record an agreement to preserve a landmark site, and makes the acquired land part of San Bernardino National Forest.