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119-s-5440119th CongressWALLET

Grand Ronde Land Transfer Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

Introduced

Summary

Places roughly 18,628 acres into trust for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and defines how that land will be managed and accessed. The bill would transfer administrative control from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior and set clear rules for use, access, and limited federal controls.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.

Permanent access and right-of-way rules

If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary to sign an agreement with the Tribe within 180 days to secure existing administrative access to the land. On the date that agreement is entered, the Secretary must provide the Tribe all reciprocal right-of-way and cooperative agreements that exist on the date of enactment. Beginning when the land is taken into trust, the Tribe must continue those access arrangements in perpetuity.

Transfer and trust of Grand Ronde land

If enacted, the bill would move administrative control of about 18,628 acres shown on a Forest Service map dated July 23, 2026, from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior. It would direct that U.S. interests in that land, including improvements and mineral rights, be held in trust for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde and be added to the Tribe's reservation. The Secretary must complete and file a legal description and survey within two years, and the trust would begin the day after the Secretary records the agreement required by the bill. The bill would preserve any Tribal rights or claims that existed on the date of enactment unless the Act says otherwise.

Log export rules for timber businesses

If enacted, the bill would make Federal export laws for unprocessed logs apply to logs harvested from the Grand Ronde Conveyance Land. Timber harvesters and exporters operating on that land would need to follow those federal export rules and any licensing or compliance requirements.

Tribal land use and public access

If enacted, the bill would require that forest management on the land follow applicable Federal and Tribal laws. The land would remain open for hunting, fishing, and recreation, but the Tribe could restrict access for safety, administration, wildlife management, or emergencies. The bill would ban Class II and Class III gaming on the land taken into trust. When the land is taken into trust, certain Federal land planning laws would no longer apply to that land, except where the bill says otherwise.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]

OR • D

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR]

    OR • D

    Sponsored 9/17/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
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