Minerals Aggregates: Sand, Gravel and Crushed Stone

• According to the Division of Transportation, in 2012 83% of all roads in Indian Country were classified as not acceptable.
• From the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2009 Traffic Safety Fact Sheet, American Indians have the highest per capita number of road deaths of any demographic group in the country.

Mineral aggregates like sand gravel and crushed stone have many industrial uses, including building roads and highways. By capitalizing on construction aggregate production, distribution, and utilization, Tribes can strengthen sovereignty, utilize local materials for the benefit of their people and Nations, and boost and diversify their local economies.

Tribes can use a variety of business approaches to develop mineral aggregate production on their trust land. These include mining and using the resource themselves, leasing mineral rights to existing companies, contracting companies to handle operations, or some combination of these approaches. Each scenario requires different levels of costs, risks and expertise.