§460t–1 Acquisition of land

Summary

The Secretary may acquire land and land rights inside the recreation area by donation, buying with donated or appropriated money, exchanging, or other means. He may also acquire up to 10 acres just outside the area near Lovell, Wyoming, for a visitor contact station and office site under rules he makes. He can trade non‑Federal property inside the area for Federal property in Montana or Wyoming that he says is suitable, even if other laws would otherwise limit such trades. The parties may add cash to equalize values in a trade. Land owned by the State of Montana, the State of Wyoming, or their local governments inside the area can only be taken by donation or by exchange. Tribal mountain lands or other Crow Indian Tribe lands cannot be included in the recreation area unless the tribe’s council asks for it. If included, those Indian lands may be developed and run under the recreation area’s laws and rules, but only with any limits the tribal council sets and the Secretary approves. The Crow Tribe may build and run water recreation facilities (like ramps, boathouses, and fishing sites) along the shoreline next to the Crow Reservation, keep the money they make, and have those parts managed under the area’s laws subject to tribal limits and Secretary approval. “Shoreline” here means the land that borders both Yellowtail Reservoir and the reservation boundary, plus the part of the reservoir needed for those facilities.