Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act
Summary
HB3925, titled the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation Land Exchange Act, authorizes a direct land exchange between the United States and the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation in San Bernardino County, California. If the Nation offers to convey its approximately 1,460 acres of non-federal land to the United States, the Secretary of Agriculture must accept that offer and, within 120 days, convey to the Nation approximately 1,475 acres of National Forest System land identified on referenced maps. The bill also allows for minor boundary adjustments and correction of mapping or acreage errors by mutual agreement.
The measure requires surveys to establish the exact acreage and legal descriptions of the lands being exchanged, with the Nation bearing the cost of surveying the non-federal land. It also preserves Forest Service access over portions of roads 1N22, 1N24, and 1N25 through an easement, and it requires the Nation to enter into an agreement to preserve the historical and cultural integrity of the Arrowhead landmark site identified on the maps. Land acquired by the federal government would become part of the San Bernardino National Forest and be managed under applicable forest laws and regulations.
Impact
The bill would change federal land ownership in San Bernardino County by transferring specified National Forest System lands to the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and transferring the Nation’s lands to the United States. It creates a statutory exception to the usual Federal Land Policy and Management Act land-exchange process by stating that the exchange is not subject to section 206 of FLPMA. It also imposes a preservation condition tied to the Arrowhead landmark site and ensures continued Forest Service access on certain roads.
Sentiment
The available legislative history suggests broadly favorable treatment of the bill. The last recorded action was that it was ordered to be reported in the nature of a substitute by unanimous consent, which indicates no recorded opposition at that stage. No committee transcript or roll-call vote is provided, so the record does not show detailed debate or divided sentiment.
Contention
The main issues likely to draw attention are the transfer of federal forest land to a tribal nation, the preservation of the Arrowhead landmark site, and continued Forest Service access across roads on the exchanged land. The bill addresses these concerns by requiring a preservation agreement and reserving an easement for road access, but those provisions could still be points of interest for the Forest Service, local stakeholders, or preservation advocates. Because the bill bypasses the standard FLPMA exchange process, procedural concerns may also be relevant, though no explicit opposition appears in the provided record.