(a) Indian agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe must be managed in accordance with the goals and objectives in any agricultural resource management plan developed by the tribe, or by us in close consultation with the tribe, under the AIARMA.

(b) The ten-year agricultural resource management and monitoring plan must be developed through public meetings and completed within three years of the initiation of the planning activity. Such a plan must be developed through public meetings, and be based on the public meeting records and existing survey documents, reports, and other research from federal agencies, tribal community colleges, and land grant universities. When completed, the plan must:

(1) Determine available agricultural resources;

(2) Identify specific tribal agricultural resource goals and objectives;

(3) Establish management objectives for the resources;

(4) Define critical values of the tribe and its members and provide identified holistic management objectives; and

(5) Identify actions to be taken to reach established objectives.

(c) Where the regulations in this subpart are inconsistent with a tribe's agricultural resource management plan, we may waive the regulations under part 1 of this title, so long as the waiver does not violate a federal statute or judicial decision or conflict with our general trust responsibility under federal law.

A conservation plan must be developed for each permit with the permittee and approved by us prior to the issuance of the permit. The conservation plan must be consistent with the tribe's agricultural resource management plan and must address the permittee's management objectives regarding animal husbandry and resource conservation. The conservation plan must cover the entire permit period and reviewed by us on an annual basis.

Actions taken by the BIA under the regulations in this part must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), applicable regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR part 1500), and applicable tribal laws and regulations.

Tribes, individual Indian landowners, and the BIA will manage Indian agricultural land either directly or through contracts, compacts, cooperative agreements, or grants under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (Public Law 93-638, as amended).

Indian land for grazing purposes should be described by legal description (e.g., aliquot parts, metes and bounds) or other acceptable description. Where there are undivided interests owned in fee status, the aggregate portion of trust and restricted interests should be identified in the description of the permitted land.

We create a range unit after we consult with the Indian landowners of rangeland, by designating units of compatible size, availability, and location.

Yes. A permit may include more than one parcel of Indian land. Permits may include tribal land, individually-owned Indian land, or government land, or any combination thereof.

Yes. There can be more than one permit for each range unit.

Before we grant, modify, or approve a permit, in consultation with the Indian landowners, we will establish the total grazing capacity for each range unit based on the summation of each parcel's productivity. We will also establish the season(s) of use on Indian lands.

Yes. In consultation with the Indian landowners or in the BIA's discretion based on good cause, we may adjust the grazing capacity using the best evaluation method(s) relevant to the ecological region.

No. You will not receive an increase in grazing capacity in the permit if you graze trust or non-trust rangeland in common with the permitted land. Grazing capacity will be established only for Indian land covered by your permit.

Yes. The number of animals and/or season of use may be modified on permitted Indian land with an on-and-off grazing permit only when a conservation plan includes the use of adjacent trust or non-trust rangelands not covered by the permit and when that land is used in common with permitted land.

(a) Tribes determine the class of livestock and livestock ownership requirements for livestock that may be grazed on range units composed entirely of tribal land or which include government land, subject to the grazing capacity prescribed by us under § 166.305 of this part.

(b) For permits on range units containing, in whole or part, individually-owned Indian land, we will adopt the tribal determination in paragraph (a) of this section.

In accordance with applicable law, permittees must:

(a) Vaccinate livestock;

(b) Treat all livestock exposed to or infected with contagious or infectious diseases; and

(c) Restrict the movement of exposed or infected livestock.

Yes. A permittee can apply a conservation practice on permitted Indian land as long as the permittee has approval from the BIA and majority interest and the conservation practice is consistent with the conservation plan.

Prior to undertaking a conservation practice, the BIA, landowner, and permittee will negotiate who will complete and maintain a conservation practice if the permit expires or is canceled before the conservation practice is completed. That conservation practice agreement will be reflected in the conservation plan and permit.

Improvements may be constructed on permitted Indian land if the permit contains a provision allowing improvements.

(a) If improvements are to be constructed on Indian land, the permit must contain a provision that improvements will either:

(1) Remain on the land upon termination of the permit, in a condition that is in compliance with applicable codes, to become the property of the Indian landowner; or

(2) Be removed and the land restored within a time period specified in the permit. The land must be restored as close as possible to the original condition prior to construction of such improvements. At the request of the permittee we may, at our discretion, grant an extension of time for the removal of improvements and restoration of the land for circumstances beyond the control of the permittee.

(b) If the permittee fails to remove improvements within the time allowed in the permit, the permittee may forfeit the right to remove the improvements and the improvements may become the property of the Indian landowner or at the request of the Indian landowner, we will apply the bond for the removal of the improvement and restoration of the land.