HR-7240 : Still Just a Bill

The Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act of 2024, also known as H.R. 7240, aims to resolve water rights claims in Montana for the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Key provisions of the bill include:

• Ratification of Water Rights Compact: Authorizes, ratifies, and confirms the water rights compact between the Fort Belknap Indian Community and the State of Montana, ensuring it aligns with the Act.
• Tribal Water Rights: Confirms and validates the Tribal water rights, held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the Community and allottees (individuals holding property interests in trust land).
• Land Exchange and Transfer: Facilitates the exchange and transfer of Federal and State lands to be held in trust for the Fort Belknap Indian Community, expanding the Reservation.
• Water Storage Allocation: Allocates 20,000 acre-feet of water per year from Lake Elwell to the Fort Belknap Indian Community for various beneficial uses.
• Milk River Project Mitigation: Mandates activities to restore the St. Mary Canal and enlarge the Dodson South Canal to mitigate impacts from the Milk River Project.
• Irrigation Project Rehabilitation: Provides for the rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the Fort Belknap Indian Irrigation Project.
• Establishment of Trust Funds: Creates the Aaniiih Nakoda Settlement Trust Fund and the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Settlement Implementation Fund to manage and distribute settlement funds.
• Waivers and Releases of Claims: Requires the Fort Belknap Indian Community and the United States to waive certain claims related to water rights in exchange for the benefits provided in the Act.
• Funding: Authorizes appropriations for the various projects and activities outlined in the Act.

The Act intends to provide equivalent or exceeding benefits to the allottees, considering the risks, costs, and time associated with litigation. It also specifies conditions for water use, leasing, and administration, and includes provisions for environmental compliance and the establishment of a Tribal water code.