Section 108. (a) The Secretary of Interior shall administer any foreclosed, or otherwise acquired, land of former Indian Owners hereunder on constructive trust for the benefit of the Indian tribes in whose reservation those lands are located, subject to the redemption rights of the following Indian persons. The following Indian persons shall have the right to redeem the land, within one year from the date of foreclosure or acquisition by the Secretary, by payment of the capitalized value of those lands: (1) first priority shall be given to the former Indian owner; and (2) second priority shall be given to the tribally enrolled family members of the former Indian owner. (b) The Secretary shall be responsible for the leasing of these lands and shall credit the revenues so received to the reduction of the attached federal lien in the amount of the accumulated debt owed to the federal government. Further, the affected Indian tribe shall have the option, when the above specified redemption right in subsection (a) expire, to purchase those lands by the payment of the capitalized value of the lands, or the remaining lien hold value, which ever is less. In any event, after the federal lien on these lands are discharged, beneficial title shall be rested in the affected tribe and the lands shall be held in trust by the United States on behalf of that tribe. TITLE II ESTABLISHMENT OF A LOAN Section 201. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there is authorized to be appropriated $10,000,000 to establish an Indian Direct Loan Restructuring Fund to be administered by the Secretary of Interior and that shall be utilized to refinance, including the reamortization or rescheduling of debt, the debts of eligible Indian debtors whose loans have been restructured according to the provisions of Sections 103 through 106, as authorized herein. Section 202. Indian debtors whose loans have been restructured under this authority shall remain eligible for new farm loans, including operating loans, under the farm programs administered by the Farmers Home Administration and Bureau of Indian Affairs. TITLE III ESTABLISHMENT OF A NEW INDIAN Section 301. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated each year for three years the sum of $5,000,000 to establish a New Indian Farmer and Rancher Program, that will provide direct managerial training and assistance to selected eligible participants. The Secretary is authorized to provide low interest farm loans and grants, not to exceed $200,000, to new Indian farmers and ranchers who have not previously received farm loans or grants administered by the Farmers Home Administration or the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Section 302. The Secretary shall develop agriculture training programs, that emphasize direct farm managerial assistance, appropriate to the needs of Indian agriculture on a regional basis. The Secretary shall further, by regulation, adopt and make available such programs within one year from the date of this act. Section 303. The participating tribal farmers and ranchers will be required to attend, and complete, an appropriate established program in order to remain eligible for any loan or grant assistance hereunder. A participating tribal farmer and rancher shall be eligible for a living stipend, not to exceed $300 a month, while they attend such training up to a maximum of 24 months. Such training and education programs, as are needed to qualify the participants, may be provided by a recognized tribal community college under a contract with the Secretary. Section 304. Tribal farmers and ranchers who have been in an agricultural enterprise for less than fifteen years shall also be eligible for the program specified in Sections 301 to 303. However, the Secretary shall first determine that the needs of the new farmer and rancher are adequately being Bet before allowing such participation. Additionally, any loan delinquency that these farmers have with any federally administered farm loan program must have been cured before their participation in the program is allowed. United States Department of the Interior OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY Honorable Kent Conrad United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 SEP 25 1987. Dear Senator Conrad: Although I was unable to attend the September 1 hearing of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee in New Town, N.D., I would like to have entered into the hearing record a few comments that I hope will be of use to you and your colleagues as you explore the issue of agriculture on Indian lands. According to press accounts of the hearing, one of the witnesses chose to place blame on me personally for the loss of an Indian agricultural land base. One of the witnesses went further to say that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) provides no assistance to agriculture. The following facts set the record straight on the Administration's commitment to Indian agriculture: Local BIA offices are required to counsel with Indians who wish to use their trust land as collateral. Those who borrow money are well aware of the risks. The BIA has consistently requested an increase in funding for The BIA has formed a Joint BIA-Tribal Working Group on Indian The BIA has held 14 hearings across the country to get input from areas. Obviously, the BIA is taking great strides to improve agriculture on Indian lands. More needs to be done and the work your committee is doing will play a significant role in those improvements. Thank you for the opportunity to |