§ 3711 — Management Of Indian Rangelands And Farmlands

(a) Consistent with the provisions of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act [25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.], the Secretary shall provide for the management of Indian agricultural lands to achieve the following objectives: (1) To protect, conserve, utilize, and maintain the highest productive potential on Indian agricultural lands through the application of sound conservation practices and techniques. These practices and techniques shall be applied to planning, development, inventorying, classification, and management of agricultural resources. (2) To increase production and expand the diversity and availability of agricultural products for subsistence, income, and employment of Indians and Alaska Natives, through the development of agricultural resources on Indian lands. (3) To manage agricultural resources consistent with integrated resource management plans in order to protect and maintain other values such as wildlife, fisheries, cultural resources, recreation and to regulate water runoff and minimize soil erosion. (4) To enable Indian farmers and ranchers to maximize the potential benefits available to them through their land by providing technical assistance, training, and education in conservation practices, management and economics of agribusiness, sources and use of credit and marketing of agricultural products, and other applicable subject areas. (5) To develop Indian agricultural lands and associated value-added industries of Indians and Indian tribes to promote self-sustaining communities. (6) To assist trust and restricted Indian landowners in leasing their agricultural lands for a reasonable annual return, consistent with prudent management and conservation practices, and community goals as expressed in the tribal management plans and appropriate tribal ordinances. (1) To meet the management objectives of this section, a 10-year Indian agriculture resource management and monitoring plan shall be developed and implemented as follows: (A) Pursuant to a self-determination contract or self-governance compact, an Indian tribe may develop or implement an Indian agriculture resource plan. Subject to the provisions of subparagraph (C), the tribe shall have broad discretion in designing and carrying out the planning process. (B) If a tribe chooses not to contract the development or implementation of the plan, the Secretary shall develop or implement, as appropriate, the plan in close consultation with the affected tribe. (C) Whether developed directly by the tribe or by the Secretary, the plan shall— (i) determine available agriculture resources; (ii) identify specific tribal agricultural resource goals and objectives; (iii) establish management objectives for the resources; (iv) define critical values of the Indian tribe and its members and provide identified holistic management objectives; (v) identify actions to be taken to reach established objectives; (vi) be developed through public meetings; (vii) use the public meeting records, existing survey documents, reports, and other research from Federal agencies, tribal community colleges, and land grant universities; and (viii) be completed within three years of the initiation of activity to establish the plan. (2) Indian agriculture resource management plans developed and approved under this section shall govern the management and administration of Indian agricultural resources and Indian agricultural lands by the Bureau and the Indian tribal government.