§ 3101 — Findings

The Congress finds and declares that— (1) the forest lands of Indians are among their most valuable resources and Indian forest lands— (A) encompass more than 15,990,000 acres, including more than 5,700,000 acres of commercial forest land and 8,700,000 acres of woodland, (B) are a perpetually renewable and manageable resource, (C) provide economic benefits, including income, employment, and subsistence, and (D) provide natural benefits, including ecological, cultural, and esthetic values; (2) the United States has a trust responsibility toward Indian forest lands; (3) existing Federal laws do not sufficiently assure the adequate and necessary trust management of Indian forest lands; (4) the Federal investment in, and the management of, Indian forest land is significantly below the level of investment in, and management of, National Forest Service forest land, Bureau of Land Management forest land, or private forest land; (5) tribal governments make substantial contributions to the overall management of Indian forest land; and (6) there is a serious threat to Indian forest lands arising from trespass and unauthorized harvesting of Indian forest land resources.