Can an agricultural lease provide for negotiated remedies in the event of a violation?

(a) A lease of tribal agricultural land may provide the tribe with certain negotiated remedies in the event of a lease violation, including the power to terminate the lease. An agricultural lease of individually-owned land may provide the individual Indian landowners with similar remedies, so long as the lease also specifies the manner in which those remedies may be exercised by or on behalf of the landowners.

(b) The negotiated remedies described in paragraph (a) of this section will apply in addition to the cancellation remedy available to us under § 162.252(c) of this subpart. If the lease specifically authorizes us to exercise any negotiated remedies on behalf of the Indian landowners, the exercise of such remedies may substitute for cancellation.

(c) An agricultural lease may provide for lease disputes to be resolved in tribal court or any other court of competent jurisdiction, or through arbitration or some other alternative dispute resolution method. We may not be bound by decisions made in such forums, but we will defer to ongoing proceedings, as appropriate, in deciding whether to exercise any of the remedies available to us under § 162.252 of this subpart.