North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2026

The "North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act of 2025" establishes a mechanism for the State of North Dakota to exchange certain lands and minerals. Specifically, it authorizes the State to relinquish its right, title, and interest in State land grant parcels located wholly or partially within the boundaries of any Indian reservation in North Dakota. In return, the State is permitted to select one or more parcels of unappropriated Federal land of substantially equivalent value. The process involves the Secretary of the Interior approving or rejecting the State's selections within 180 days, and then conveying the selected Federal land to the State. Concurrently, the State must relinquish and convey its land grant parcels to the Secretary. Valuation is determined by independent appraisals, with provisions for equalizing values through payments or ledger accounts if there is an imbalance, ensuring fairness in the exchange. A key provision dictates that any State land grant parcel relinquished by the State and located within a reservation will be taken into trust by the Secretary on behalf of, and for the benefit of, the applicable Indian Tribe. This land will then be considered part of that Tribe's reservation. The bill also mandates consultation between the State, the Secretary, and affected Indian Tribes prior to any such conveyance. The Act includes definitions for "unappropriated Federal land," specifying exclusions such as critical environmental areas or withdrawn lands. It also contains miscellaneous provisions protecting existing treaty rights of Indian Tribes, land or minerals already held in trust, and individual Indian allotments. Furthermore, it addresses hazardous materials inspections and the continuation of grazing permits on conveyed lands, while explicitly stating that it does not affect pending litigation regarding land or mineral ownership.