HR725-119

What This Bill Does

The Crow Revenue Act sets up a multi-party land and mineral exchange involving the Crow Tribe, the Department of the Interior, the Hope Family Trust, Musselshell Resources LLC, and the Bull Mountains Lease in Montana. The bill defines the lease, the Bull Mountains Mineral Tracts, the Bull Mountains Surface Tracts, the Hope Family Tracts, the Musselshell Resources Tracts, the Tribe, and the Secretary of the Interior.

Within 60 days of enactment, and in a single transaction, the Secretary must accept relinquishment of the Bull Mountains Lease if the lessee offers it. The Hope Family Trust must convey mineral interests in the Hope Family Tracts, located within the Crow Reservation, to the Crow Tribe. Subject to valid existing rights and lease relinquishment, the Secretary must convey the federal mineral interests in the Bull Mountains Mineral Tracts to the Hope Family Trust. At the Tribe's request, the mineral interests conveyed to the Tribe must be held in trust by the United States for the Tribe's benefit, and those interests are not subject to Montana state or local taxation. The Tribe must notify the Secretary that it has agreed with the Hope Family Trust on a revenue-sharing formula if the Bull Mountains interests are later developed.

The bill also requires Musselshell Resources LLC to convey its surface interests in specified tracts to the United States, while Interior conveys federal Bull Mountains Surface Tracts to Musselshell Resources LLC. A final section protects the Crow Tribe and tribal members from losing other federal services, benefits, or programs because of amounts or benefits received under the Act.

Who Benefits and How

The Crow tribal government benefits by receiving mineral interests in the Hope Family Tracts and having those interests held in federal trust on request. Crow tribal members benefit because the bill protects other federal benefits and creates potential mineral revenue without reducing existing program eligibility. Hope Family Trust benefits by receiving federal Bull Mountains mineral interests if the lease is relinquished and required conveyances occur. Musselshell Resources LLC benefits from a surface-land exchange for Bull Mountains Surface Tracts. Public land users in Musselshell County benefit if the surface swap improves access to the conveyed public lands.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Department of the Interior land managers must complete the exchange within 60 days, accept the lease relinquishment if offered, convey federal mineral and surface interests, hold tribal mineral interests in trust on request, and manage the temporary withdrawal from land and mineral laws. Montana tax agencies lose authority to tax mineral interests conveyed to the Tribe. The Bull Mountains leaseholder must relinquish the lease for the main mineral conveyance to proceed. Hope Family Trust must convey its Crow Reservation mineral interests to the Tribe and negotiate a revenue-sharing formula. Musselshell Resources LLC must convey its own surface interests to the United States as part of the access exchange.

Key Provisions

• Defines the Bull Mountains Lease, Bull Mountains Mineral Tracts, Bull Mountains Surface Tracts, Hope Family Tracts, and Musselshell Resources Tracts.
• Requires Interior to accept relinquishment of the Bull Mountains Lease if offered.
• Requires Hope Family Trust to convey Hope Family Tracts mineral interests to the Crow Tribe.
• Requires Interior to convey federal Bull Mountains mineral interests to Hope Family Trust after lease relinquishment.
• Requires federal trust status for Tribe-held mineral interests on request.
• Exempts Tribe-held mineral interests from Montana state and local taxation.
• Requires a revenue-sharing agreement between the Tribe and Hope Family Trust before conveyances.
• Requires a surface land exchange with Musselshell Resources LLC to unlock public access.
• Protects other federal services, benefits, and programs for the Tribe and tribal members.