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Land Acquisitions; Tohono O’odham Nation, Arizona

The Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire Parcel 2 consisting of 53.54 acres of land into trust for the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona on July 23, 2010. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1.

This notice is published to comply with the requirement of 25 CFR part 151.12(b) that notice be given to the public of the Secretary’s decision to acquire land in trust at least 30 days prior to signatory acceptance of the land into trust. The purpose of the 30-day waiting period in 25 CFR part 151.12(b) is to afford interested parties the opportunity to seek judicial review of final administrative decisions to take land in trust for Indian tribes and individual Indians before transfer of title to the property occurs. On July 23, 2010, the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs decided to accept Parcel 2, consisting of 53.54 acres of land into trust for the Tohono O’odham Nation of Arizona. Pursuant to the Gila Bend Indian Reservation Lands Replacement Act, Public Law 99-503, 100 Stat. 1798 (1986) Section 6(d) mandates: “The Secretary, at the request of the Tribe, shall hold in trust for the benefit of the Tribe any land which the Tribe acquires pursuant to subsection (c) which meets the requirements of this subsection. Any land which the Secretary holds in trust shall be deemed to be a Federal Indian Reservation for all purposes. Land does not meet the requirements of this subsection if it is outside the counties of Maricopa, Pinal, and Pima, Arizona, or within the corporate limits of any city or town. Land meets the requirements of this subsection only if it constitutes not more than three separate areas consisting of contiguous tracts, at least one of which areas shall be contiguous to San Lucy Village. The Secretary may waive the requirements set forth in the preceding sentence if he determines that additional areas are appropriate.” The 53.54 acre parcel is located in Maricopa County, Arizona, and the parcel is not “within the corporate limits of any city or town.”

FederalRegister.Gov:
2010-21130