The Department of the Interior said today a petition from the combined tribal councils of the Ute Mountain and Southern Ute Indian Tribes that the Bureau of Indian Affairs split up the Consolidated Ute Agency at Ignacio, Colo., into the Ute Mountain Agency, Towaoc, Colo., and the Southern Ute Agency, Ignacio, Colo., has been approved.
No additional funds or employees will be needed to accomplish the changes. The division into two separate agencies will give both of the Ute tribes better service, Bureau of Indian Affairs officials said. The change was made effective December 29.
The Ute Mountain Agency will have a staff of 15 permanent positions, of which five will service the Southern Ute Agency on request.
The Ute Mountain Agency will serve a population of 1,068 Indians who have tribal trust lands in Colorado, 448,029 acres; in New Mexico, 107,520 acres; and in Utah, 2,328 acres. There are an additional 9,458 acres of Ute individually owned trust lands in Utah.
Espeedie G. Ruiz, who has been assistant superintendent in charge at Towaoc since July, 1967, is the new superintendent of the Ute Mountain Agency.
Raymond J. deKay will continue as superintendent at Ignacio, of the new Southern Ute Agency.
The Southern Ute Agency will service a population of 757 Indians, with 299,443 acres of tribal trust land and 4,967 acres of individually owned trust land in Colorado. This agency also will provide some services to the Ute Mountain Agency, such as plant maintenance when required.
The Southern Ute Agency will have a staff of 67 permanent positions, including 29 people in school dormitory operations at Ignacio.
