Land Acquisitions

Section 5 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA or Act) authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to acquire lands in trust for the benefit of Tribal governments and individual Indians. This final rule provides the procedures governing the discretionary acquisition of lands into trust, often referred to as the fee-to-trust process, under the Act. Since these regulations were first promulgated in 1980, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has developed extensive experience in the fee-to-trust acquisition process. Relying on that experience and input from multiple stakeholders, this final rule makes the fee-to-trust process more efficient, simpler, and less expensive to support restoration of Tribal homelands.