Sponsors (2)
The bill transfers ancestral land to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and secures environmental and cultural protections while reducing some federal oversight and imposing survey costs on the tribe.
The Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation (the tribe) receives clear title to ~1,460 acres of ancestral land, transferring ownership and enabling tribal control, use, and governance of that land.
The conveyed land is incorporated into the San Bernardino National Forest with clarified management and Forest Service easements that maintain public access and conserve forest values.
A required preservation agreement protects the Arrowhead landmark, safeguarding a cultural and historical site and its value to local communities and the tribe.
Exempting the exchange from the FLPMA §206 review reduces the normal public and administrative oversight applied to land exchanges, which may limit transparency and external input.
Conveying roughly 1,475 acres out of general National Forest ownership removes that acreage from standard federal management, which could reduce federal management flexibility and alter public uses in the area.
The Nation is required to pay for surveys of the non‑Federal land as part of the exchange, imposing a direct out‑of‑pocket cost on the tribe.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Transfers ~1,475 acres of National Forest land to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in exchange for ~1,460 acres of Nation land, with surveys, easements, and a recorded preservation agreement for the Arrowhead landmark.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress September 11, 2025
Requires the Forest Service to accept an offer from the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation to convey roughly 1,460 acres of Nation-owned land in exchange for about 1,475 acres of National Forest System land, with the exchanged federal land becoming part of the San Bernardino National Forest. The exchange reserves an easement for Forest Service access on specified roads, requires surveys and minor boundary adjustments, and conditions the swap on a recorded agreement to preserve the Arrowhead landmark. The Nation must pay for surveys of its lands and must enter the preservation agreement within 120 days of enactment; the Forest Service must convey the federal parcels within 120 days of receiving the Nation’s offer. Maps will be made available for public inspection, and the exchange is exempted from a specific FLPMA disposal provision.