§460t–1 Acquisition of Land

Summary

The Secretary can acquire land and land rights inside the recreation area by donation, purchase, exchange, or other methods. He can also get up to ten acres just outside the area near Lovell, Wyoming, to use as a visitor contact station and office under special rules he creates. He may trade federal land he manages in Montana and Wyoming for non‑federal land in the area, as long as the values are about equal. Cash can be paid or accepted to make values equal. Land owned by the State of Montana, the State of Wyoming, or their local governments can only be taken by donation or by exchange. The Crow Indian Tribe’s lands cannot be put into the recreation area unless the tribe’s council asks for it. If the tribe asks, those lands can be developed and run under the recreation area rules, but the tribal council can set limits and the Secretary must approve. The Crow Tribe may build and run water recreation sites (like boat ramps, boathouses, and fishing spots) along the shoreline of Yellowtail Reservoir next to the Crow Reservation and keep the money they earn. “Shoreline” means the land next to both Yellowtail Reservoir and the reservation boundary, plus the part of the reservoir needed for those facilities.