(a) Unless otherwise provided for in this part, any person or legal entity, including an independent legal entity owned and operated by a tribe, must obtain a permit under these regulations before taking possession of Indian land for grazing purposes.

(b) An Indian landowner who owns 100% of the trust or restricted interests in a tract may take possession of that Indian land without a permit or any other prior authorization from us.

(c) If an Indian landowner does not own 100 percent (%) of his or her Indian land and wants to use the Indian land for grazing purposes, a permit must be granted by the majority interest of the fractionated tract.

Parents or guardians need not obtain a permit for Indian lands owned by their minor Indian children if:

(a) Those minor children own 100 percent (%) of the land; and

(b) The minor children directly benefit from the use of the land. We may require the user to provide evidence of the direct benefits to the minor children. When one of the minor children becomes an adult, the permit will have to be obtained from the majority interest.

Yes. An emancipated minor may grant a permit.

(a) Tribes grant permits of tribal land, including any tribally-owned undivided interest(s) in a fractionated tract. A permit granted by the tribe must be approved by us, unless the permit is authorized by a charter approved by us under 25 U.S.C. § 477, or unless our approval is not required under other applicable federal law. In order to permit tribal land in which the beneficial interest has been assigned to another party, the assignee and the tribe must both grant the permit, subject to our approval.

(b) Individual Indian landowners may grant a permit of their land, including their undivided interest in a fractionated tract, subject to our approval. Except as otherwise provided in this part, these Indian landowners may include the owner of a life estate holding 100 percent (%) interest in their land.

(c) The owners of a majority interest in the Indian ownership of a fractionated tract may grant a permit, subject to our approval, without giving prior notice to the minority Indian landowners as long as the minority interest owners receive fair annual rental.

The following individuals or entities may represent an individual Indian landowner in granting a permit:

(a) An adult with custody acting on behalf of their minor children;

(b) A guardian, conservator, or other fiduciary appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction to act on behalf of an individual Indian landowner;

(c) An adult or legal entity who has been given a written power of attorney that:

(1) Meets all of the formal requirements of any applicable tribal or state law;

(2) Identifies the attorney-in-fact and the land to be permitted; and

(3) Describes the scope of the power granted and any limits thereon.

(a) We may grant a permit on behalf of:

(1) An individual who is adjudicated to be non compos mentis by a court of competent jurisdiction;

(2) An orphaned minor;

(3) An Indian landowner who has granted us written authority to permit his or her land;

(4) The undetermined heirs and devisees of a deceased Indian landowner;

(5) An Indian landowner whose whereabouts are unknown to us after a reasonable attempt is made to locate the Indian landowner;

(6) Indian landowners, where:

(i) We have provided written notice of our intent to grant a permit on their behalf, but the Indian landowners are unable to agree upon a permit during a three-month negotiation period immediately following such notice, or any other notice period established by a tribe under § 166.100(c)(2) of this part; and

(ii) The land is not being used by an individual Indian landowner under § 166.200 of this part.

(7) The individual Indian owners of fractionated Indian land, when necessary to protect the interests of the individual Indian landowners.

We may grant a permit on behalf of all Indian landowners of a fractionated tract as long as the owners receive fair annual rental. Before granting such a permit, we may offer a preference right to any Indian landowner who:

(a) Is in possession of the entire tract;

(b) Submits a written offer to permit the land, subject to any required or negotiated terms and conditions, prior to our granting a permit to another party; and

(c) Provides any supporting documents needed to demonstrate the ability to perform all of the obligations under the proposed permit.

A permit, at a minimum, must include:

(a) Authorized user(s);

(b) Conservation plan requirements;

(c) Prohibition against creating a nuisance, any illegal activity, and negligent use or waste or resources;

(d) Numbers and types of livestock allowed;

(e) Season(s) of use;

(f) Grazing rental payment, payment schedule, and late payment interest and penalties;

(g) Administrative fees;

(h) Tribal fees, if applicable;

(i) Payment method;

(j) Range unit number or name;

(k) Animal identification requirements;

(l) A description (preferably a legal description) of the permitted area;

(m) Term of permit (including beginning and ending dates of the term allowed, as well as any option to renew, extend or terminate);

(n) Conditions for making improvements, if any;

(o) A right of entry by the BIA for purposes of inspection or enforcement purposes;

(p) A provision concerning the applicability of tribal jurisdiction;

(q) A provision stating how trespass proceeds are to be distributed; and

(r) A provision for the permittee to indemnify the United States and the Indian landowners against all liabilities or costs relating to the use, handling, treatment, removal, storage, transportation, or disposal of hazardous materials or the release or discharge of any hazardous material from the permitted premises that occur during the permit term, regardless of fault.

(a) The duration must be reasonable given the purpose of the permit and the level of investment required by the permittee to place the property into productive use.

(b) On behalf of the undetermined heirs of an individual Indian decedent owning 100 percent (%) interest in the land, we will grant or approve permits for a maximum term of two years.

(c) Permits granted for agricultural purposes will not usually exceed ten years. A term longer than ten years, but not to exceed 25 years unless authorized by other federal law, may be authorized when a longer term is determined by us to be in the best interest of the Indian landowners and when such permit requires substantial investment in the development of the lands by the permittee.

(d) A tribe may determine the duration of permits composed entirely of its tribal land or in combination with government land, subject to the same limitations provided in paragraph (d) of this section.

(e) A permit will specify the beginning and ending dates of the term allowed, as well as any option to renew, extend, or terminate.

(f) Permits granted by us for protection of the Indian land will be for no more than two years.

A permit must be recorded in our Land Titles and Records Office which has jurisdiction over the land. We will record the permit immediately following our approval under this subpart.

Our decision to approve a permit will be effective immediately, notwithstanding any appeal which may be filed under Part 2 of this title. Copies of the approved permit will be provided to the permitee and made available to the Indian landowners upon request.

Unless otherwise provided in the permit, a permit will be effective on the date on which the permit is approved by us. A permit may be made effective on some past or future date, by agreement, but such a permit may not be granted or approved more than one year prior to the date on which the permit term is to commence.

The permittee may take possession of permitted Indian land on the date specified in the permit as the beginning date of the term, but not before we approve the permit.

Yes. Permittees are expected to:

(a) Conduct grazing operations in accordance with the principles of sustained yield management, agricultural resource management planning, sound conservation practices, and other community goals as expressed in tribal laws, agricultural resource management plans, and similar sources.

(b) Comply with all applicable laws, ordinances, rules, regulations, and other legal requirements. You must also pay all applicable penalties that may be assessed for non-compliance.

(c) Fulfill all financial obligations of your permit owed to the Indian landowners and the United States.

(d) Conduct only those activities authorized by the permit.

Yes. We will notify the permittee if a fee patent is issued or if restrictions are removed. After we notify the permittee our obligation under § 166.228 of this part ceases.

You may contact a local BIA office or tribal office to determine what Indian land may be available for grazing permits.

The Indian landowner is primarily responsible for granting permits on their Indian land, with the assistance and approval of the BIA, except where otherwise provided by law. You may contact the local BIA or tribal office for assistance in obtaining a permit for grazing purposes on Indian land.

(a) A tribe may grant a permit on tribal land through tribal allocation, negotiation, or advertisement in accordance with § 166.203 of this part. We must approve all permits of tribal land in order for the permit to be valid, except where otherwise provided by law.

(b) Individual Indian landowners may grant a permit on their Indian land through negotiation or advertisement in accordance with § 166.203 of this part. We must approve all permits of Individual Indian land in order for the permit to be valid.

(c) We will grant permits through negotiation or advertisement for range units containing, in whole or part, individually-owned Indian land and range units that consist of, or in combination with individually-owned Indian land, tribal or government land, under § 166.205 of this part. We will consult with tribes prior to granting permits for range units that include tribal land.

(a) A tribe may allocate grazing privileges on range units containing trust or restricted land which is entirely tribally-owned or which contains only tribal and government land under the control of the tribe.

(b) A tribe may allocate grazing privileges to its members and to tribally-authorized entities without competitive bidding on tribal and tribally-controlled government land.

(c) We will implement the tribe's allocation procedure by authorizing the grazing privileges on individually-owned Indian land and government land, subject to the rental rate provisions in § 166.400(b) and (c) of this part.

(d) A tribe may prescribe the eligibility requirements for allocations 60 days before granting a new permit or before an existing permit expires.

(e) 120 days before the expiration of existing permits, we will notify the tribe of the 60-day period during which the tribe may prescribe eligibility requirements.

(f) We will prescribe the eligibility requirements after the expiration of the 60-day period in the event satisfactory action is not taken by the tribe.

(g) Grazing rental rates for grazing privileges allocated from an existing permit, in whole or in part, must equal or exceed the rates paid by the preceding permittee(s). Tribal members will pay grazing rental rates established by the tribe on tribal lands.

(a) Permits may be negotiated and granted by the Indian landowners with the permittee of their choice. The BIA may negotiate and grant permits on behalf of Indian landowners pursuant to § 166.205 of this part.

(b) Upon the conclusion of negotiations with the Indian landowners or their representatives, and the satisfaction of any applicable conditions, you may submit an executed permit and any required supporting documents to us for appropriate action. Where a permit is in a form that has previously been accepted or approved by us, and all of the documents needed to support the findings required by this part have been received, we will decide whether to approve the permit within 30 days of the date of our receipt of the permit and supporting documents. If we decide to approve or disapprove a permit, we will notify the parties immediately and advise them of their right to appeal the decision under part 2 of this title.

(c) In negotiating a permit, the Indian landowners may choose to include their land in the permit in exchange for their receipt of a share of the revenues or profits generated by the permit. Under such an arrangement, the permit may be granted to a joint venture or other legal entity owned, in part, by the Indian landowners.

(d) Receipt of permit payments based upon income received from the land will not, of itself, make the Indian landowner a partner, joint venturer, or associate of the permittees.

(e) We will assist prospective permittees in contacting the Indian landowners or their representatives, for the purpose of negotiating a permit.

The basic steps for acquiring a permit by negotiation are as follows:

(a) The BIA or the Indian landowner will:

(1) Receive a request to permit from an Indian landowner or the potential permittee;

(2) Prepare the permit documents; and

(3) Grant the permit.

(b) A potential permittee will complete the requirements for securing a permit, (e.g., bond, insurance, payment of administrative fee, etc.);

(c) We will:

(1) Review the permit for proper documentation and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations;

(2) Approve the permit after our review;

(3) Send the approved permit to the permittee and, upon request, to the Indian landowner; and

(4) Record and maintain the approved permit.

(a) As part of the negotiation of a permit, Indian landowners may advertise their Indian land to identify potential permittees with whom to negotiate.

(b) When the BIA grants and approves a permit on behalf of an individual Indian landowner using an advertisement for bids, we will:

(1) Prepare and distribute an advertisement of lands available for permit that identifies the terms and conditions of the permit sale, including, for agricultural permits, any preference rights;

(2) Solicit sealed bids and conduct the public permit sale;

(3) Determine and accept the highest or best responsible bidder(s), which may require further competitive bidding after the bid opening; and

(4) Prepare permits for successful bidders.

(c) After completion of the steps in paragraph (b) of this section, the successful bidder must complete and submit the permit and satisfy all applicable requirements, (e.g., bond, insurance, payment of administrative fee, etc.).

(d) After review of the permit documentation for proper completion and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, within 30 days we will:

(1) Grant and approve the permit on behalf of Indian landowners where we are authorized to do so by law;

(2) Distribute the approved permit to the permittee(s) and, upon request, to the Indian landowner(s); and

(3) Record and maintain the approved permit.

Yes. Standard permit forms, including bid forms, permit forms, and permit modification forms are available at our agency offices.

We may approve a permit containing a provision that authorizes the permittee to encumber the permit interest, known as a leasehold mortgage, for the development and improvement of the permitted Indian land. We must approve the leasehold mortgage that encumbers the permit interest before it can be effective. We will record the approved leasehold mortgage instrument.

(a) We will approve the leasehold mortgage if:

(1) All consents required in the permit have been obtained from the Indian landowners and any surety or guarantor;

(2) The mortgage covers only the permit interest, and no unrelated collateral belonging to the permittee;

(3) The financing being obtained will be used only in connection with the development or use of the permitted premises, and the mortgage does not secure any unrelated obligations owed by the permittee to the mortgagee; and

(4) We find no compelling reason to withhold our approval, in order to protect the best interests of the Indian landowner.

(b) In making the finding required by paragraph (a)(4) of this section, we will consider whether:

(1) The ability to perform the permit obligations would be adversely affected by the cumulative mortgage obligations;

(2) Any negotiated permit provisions as to the allocation or control of insurance or condemnation proceeds would be modified;

(3) The remedies available to us or the Indian landowners would be limited (beyond the additional notice and cure rights to be afforded to the mortgagee), if the permittee defaults on the permit;

(4) Any rights of the Indian landowners would be subordinated or adversely affected in the event of a foreclosure, assignment in lieu of foreclosure, or issuance of a “new permit” to the mortgagee.

(c) We will notify the Indian landowners of our approval of the leasehold mortgage.

With our approval, under an approved encumbrance, a permittee voluntarily may assign the leasehold interest to someone other than the holder of a leasehold mortgage if the assignee agrees in writing to be bound by the terms of the permit. A permit may provide the Indian landowners with a right of first refusal on the conveyance of the leasehold interest.

Yes. The holder of a leasehold mortgage may assign a leasehold interest obtained by a sale or foreclosure of an approved encumbrance without our approval if the assignee agrees in writing to be bound by the terms of the permit. A permit may provide the Indian landowners with a right of first refusal on the conveyance of the permit interest (leasehold).

(a) We will remove Indian land from the permit if:

(1) The trust status of the Indian land terminates;

(2) The Indian landowners request removal of their interest, with the written approval of the majority interest of the fractionated tract to be removed, and we determine that the removal is beneficial to such interests;

(3) A tribe allocates grazing privileges for Indian land covered by your permit under § 166.218 of this part;

(4) The permittee requests removal of the Indian land, the owners of the majority interest of the Indian land provides written approval of the removal of the Indian land, and we determine that the removal is warranted; or

(5) We determine that removal of the Indian land is appropriate, with the written approval of the owners of the majority interest of the Indian land.

(b) We will revise the grazing capacity to reflect the removal of Indian land and show it on the permit.

If the reason for removal is:

(a) Termination of trust status. We will notify the parties to the permit in writing within 30 days. The removal will be effective on the next anniversary date of the permit.

(b) A request from Indian landowners or the permittee, or our determination. We will notify the parties to the permit in writing within 30 days of such request. The removal will be effective immediately if all sureties, Indian landowners, and permittee agree. Otherwise, the removal will be effective upon the next anniversary date of the permit. If our written notice is within 180 days of the anniversary date of the permit, the removal of Indian land will be effective 180 days after the written notice.

(c) Tribal allocation under § 166.218 of this part. We will notify the parties to the permit in writing within 180 days of such action. The removal of tribal land will be effective on the next anniversary date of the permit. If our written notice is within 180 days of the anniversary date of the permit, the removal of Indian land will be effective 180 days after the written notice.

(a) We must approve an amendment, assignment, subpermit, or mortgage with the written consent of the parties to the permit in the same manner that the permit was approved, and the consent of the sureties.

(b) Indian landowners may designate in writing one or more of their co-owners or representatives to negotiate and/or agree to amendments on their behalf.

(1) The designated landowner or representative may:

(i) Negotiate or agree to amendments; and

(ii) Consent to or approve other items as necessary.

(2) The designated landowner or representative may not:

(i) Negotiate or agree to amendments that reduce the grazing rental payments payable to the other Indian landowners; or

(ii) Terminate the permit or modify the term of the permit.

(c) We may approve a permit for tribal land to individual members of a tribe which contains a provision permitting the assignment of the permit by the permittee or the lender without our approval when a lending institution or an agency of the United States:

(1) Accepts the interest in the permit (leasehold) as security for the loan; and

(2) Obtains the interest in the permit (leasehold) through foreclosure or otherwise.

(d) We will revise the grazing capacity and modify the permit.

Our decision to approve an amendment, assignment, subpermit, or mortgage under a permit will be effective immediately, notwithstanding any appeal which may be filed under Part 2 of this title. Copies of approved documents will be provided to the party requesting approval, and made available to the Indian landowners upon request.

An amendment, assignment, subpermit, or mortgage approved under a permit must be recorded in our Land Titles and Records Office which has jurisdiction over the Indian land. We will record the document immediately following our approval.