Arizona senators introduce bill to transfer over 3,000 acres of forest land to tribal control

PHOENIX — Arizona’s U.S. senators are introducing legislation to transfer thousands of acres of federal land to the Tonto Apache Tribe.

Their proposed bill would respect the cultural significance the land holds to the tribe, Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema announced Monday.

Kelly, a Democrat, and Sinema, an independent, call their proposed legislation the Tonto Apache Land Transfer Act.

“My legislation transferring culturally significant land to the Tonto Apache Tribe represents our continued work honoring and respecting Tribal sovereignty and protecting culturally significant land,” Sinema said in a news release.

What would the Tonto Apache Land Transfer Act do?

The act proposes the transfer 3,060 acres of U.S. Forest Service land to the tribe.

The Tonto Apache Tribe is adjacent to Payson, a town that sits in northwestern Gila County around 96 miles northeast of Phoenix.

If the legislation becomes law, the tribe — which has the smallest land base reservation in Arizona — would vastly expand from its current size of 85 acres.

“Transferring this land to the Tonto Apache Tribe is about respecting their history and ensuring their community has the resources to grow and thrive,” Kelly said in the release.

Attaining this land would also allow the tribe to build additional housing for community members.

“This bill will give them more control over land that holds deep cultural significance, strengthening their community and connection to their heritage,” Kelly said.