Bill > S1088

This bill, the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2023, authorizes the relinquishment and in-lieu selection of land and minerals in the state of North Dakota, as well as the restoration of land and minerals to Indian tribes within the state. The key provisions include: allowing the state to relinquish its rights to certain state land grant parcels located within Indian reservations in exchange for selecting and receiving substantially equivalent unappropriated federal land; requiring the Secretary of the Interior to convey the selected federal land to the state and the state to convey the relinquished state land grant parcels to the Secretary; and specifying the process for valuing the exchanged lands, including the use of appraisals and ledger accounts to reconcile any value imbalances. The bill also addresses issues related to hazardous materials, grazing permits, and the protection of Indian treaty rights and trust lands.