Bill > S1513

This bill directs the federal government to take approximately 1,083 acres of federal land currently within Olympic National Park and hold it in trust for the benefit of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, a Native American tribe located in Washington State, meaning the United States holds the legal title for the tribe's benefit. Once transferred, this property will officially become part of the tribe's existing reservation, exempt from standard federal land appraisal or valuation requirements, and managed in coordination with existing laws protecting the Elwha River ecosystem and wild rivers. Additionally, the legislation explicitly prohibits the tribe from conducting any gaming or casino activities on this newly acquired trust land under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, a federal law that governs tribal gambling, and clarifies that the act does not alter or affect the tribe's pre-existing rights under the 1855 Treaty of Point No Point.