24.6.5.010 Findings

(a) The Pueblo is a party in the federal water adjudication State v. Aamodt, U.S. District Court of New Mexico No. 66CV6639;

(b) In 2006, the United States enacted the Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act, as part of the Claims Resolution Act of 2010, Pub. No. 11-129, Title VI, §§ 601-626, 124 Stat. 3064, 3134-56 (2010), which was signed into law by the President on December 8, 2010 ("Settlement Act" or "Act");

(c) The Pueblo, the United States and six other governments approved the Settlement Agreement (April 19, 2012) signed March 13, 2013 ("Revised Agreement") which includes terms required by the Settlement Act;

(d) A revised "Settlement Agreement" and Cost Sharing and System Integration Agreement ("CSSIA") were signed by the United States, the Pueblo de San Ildefonso and six other governments on March 14, 2013;

(e) The Council authorized the Governor to sign the "Memorandum of Agreement" between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Pueblo de San Ildefonso to Facililtate Pueblo de San Ildefonso Involvement in the Planning, Design and Construction of the Pojoaque Basin regional Water System" on behalf of the Pueblo in Resolution No. SI-R13-015;

(f) The "Settlement Agreement", appropriated $15 million to the Pueblos Conservation Fund, to be allocated as directed by the four Pueblos known as the Pueblo Economic Development Water Agreement;

(g) The Economic Development Water Agreement signed July 18, 2013, allows the Pueblo to use these funds for any water related infrastructure activity "that is more cost-effective when implemented in conjunction with the construction of the Regional Water System, as determined by the Secretary [of the Interior]";

(h) The Council and Governor, water representatives, and attorney(s) have taken the necessary steps to implement the "Settlement Agreement" in conformity with Act signed into Law by the President on December 8, 2010;

(i) The Pueblo de San Ildefonso Water Policy is to implement the "Settlement Agreement" deliverables and criteria objectives as approved and agreed upon in the Act, which includes but limited to survey of pipeline alignment, identification of easements, and land parcels;

(j) The Pueblo de San Ildefonso Tribal Council has determined that it is in the best interest of the Pueblo to reaffirm the prior Administration's Policy on water rights adjudication and subsequent agreements for the implementation of the Regional Water System.