Sponsors (2)
The bill transfers ancestral lands to the San Manuel Nation and secures conservation protections for the forest and a cultural landmark—speeding conveyance and clarity—while leaving limited federal easements in place, imposing some upfront costs on the tribe, and narrowing certain public review rights.
The Yuhaaviatam of the San Manuel Nation (and other indigenous-tribal communities) regain clear title to about 1,475 acres of ancestral land and a recorded preservation agreement protecting the Arrowhead landmark, restoring tribal landholdings, cultural stewardship, and formal protections for a culturally significant site.
Approximately 1,475 acres are added to the San Bernardino National Forest under federal management, keeping those acres in conservation and subject to long-term environmental protections.
The bill requires surveys, clear map controls, and a 120-day conveyance timeframe, providing greater certainty and faster resolution of land-title transfers and reducing the chance of prolonged disputes for local governments and stakeholders.
The Forest Service retains easements for road access on conveyed lands, limiting the Nation's full control and authority over those parcels and potentially constraining tribal use or management.
The Nation is required to pay for the Non‑Federal land survey, imposing an upfront administrative and financial cost on the tribe.
The bill exempts the exchange from certain FLPMA §206 provisions, which may reduce standard public procedural review and limits opportunities for broader public input or challenge to the land exchange.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Authorizes an exchange of ~1,475 acres of National Forest land for ~1,460 acres owned by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation, with surveys, easements, and a landmark‑preservation requirement.
Introduced September 11, 2025 by Alejandro Padilla · Last progress September 11, 2025
Requires an exchange of federal National Forest System land in the San Bernardino National Forest for land owned by the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation if the Nation offers to convey its parcels. The Forest Service must accept a valid offer and convey the specified federal parcels within 120 days of receiving the offer, while reserving an easement for Forest Service access on specified roads and putting the newly acquired federal land under San Bernardino National Forest management. The Nation must provide surveyed legal descriptions acceptable to both parties (and pay for the non‑Federal survey), may agree with the Secretary on minor boundary corrections, and must record an agreement to preserve a landmark on the federal parcel within 120 days of enactment. The exchange is exempted from a federal land exchange provision in 43 U.S.C. §1716.