The "Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025" transfers approximately 583.79 acres of federal land and up to 40.18 acres of fee land into trust for the Pit River Tribe, prohibiting gaming activities on the land.
Doug LaMalfa
Representative
CA-1
The Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025 transfers approximately 583.79 acres of federal land, excluding roads and rights-of-way, into trust for the Pit River Tribe, designating it as part of their reservation. Additionally, it allows the Secretary of Agriculture to accept and take into trust approximately 40.18 acres of fee land at the Tribe's request. The land cannot be used for Class II or Class III gaming.
Pit River Tribe Poised to Regain ~624 Acres of Ancestral Land in California Under Proposed Act
This bill, the Pit River Land Transfer Act of 2025, directs the federal government to place nearly 624 acres of land into trust for the Pit River Tribe in California. Specifically, it mandates transferring approximately 583.79 acres of federally managed 'Four Corners Federal land' (minus about 20 acres for roads) and outlines a process for the Tribe to potentially add another 40.18 acres of 'Four Corners Fee land' it currently owns. The core purpose is to return ancestral lands to the Tribe, formally recognizing their historical ties as stated in Section 2.
Reclaiming Roots
The big move here is taking federal land, currently managed by the Forest Service, and putting it into trust status for the Pit River Tribe. Think of 'trust land' as property the U.S. government holds title to, but manages for the benefit of a tribe. This act acknowledges the Four Corners area is within the Tribe's ancestral territory (Sec. 2) and essentially returns stewardship of this specific parcel (the ~584 acres defined in Sec. 3) back to them. This land will officially become part of the Pit River Tribe Reservation.
How the Transfer Works
It's not just a handshake deal. The bill sets a timeline: the Secretary of Agriculture has 180 days after the Act passes to get the federal land surveyed (Sec. 3). For the additional ~40 acres the Tribe already owns (the 'Fee land'), the process is slightly different: the Tribe needs to request that the Secretary of the Interior accept the title. Once that title transfer is done, the Interior Secretary has another 180 days to take that land into trust as well (Sec. 3). It lays out a clear, step-by-step bureaucratic path for the land to change hands legally.
Land Use: What's In, What's Out
Once the land is in trust, it's officially part of the Tribe's reservation. This opens the door for various uses aligned with tribal goals – think cultural preservation, resource management, maybe community facilities or certain types of economic development. However, the bill explicitly prohibits using this specific land for Class II or Class III gaming (Sec. 3). That means no casinos or bingo halls as defined under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. This restriction shapes the potential future use of the land, focusing it away from large-scale gaming operations.