OPA

SHINNECOCK NATION, N.Y. – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will visit the Shinnecock Nation in New York today, Thursday, October 1 to kick off the Tribal Solarthon as part of the Obama Administration’s commitment to helping build clean energy and strong economies in Indian Country. GRID Alternatives, the nation’s largest nonprofit solar installer, is partnering with the Shinnecock Nation to bring solar power to this northeastern coastal community, which suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Sandy three years ago.

This event helps to kick off part of GRID Alternative’s two-week Tribal Solarthon to bring solar power and job training to four tribal communities in New York, California, Arizona and South Dakota. GRID Alternatives is working to raise funds and install solar energy infrastructure for 50 families on the Shinnecock Nation and a battery backup system, starting with two installations this week that will also provide hands-on job training for tribal members.

“Grid Alternative’s partnership with the Shinnecock Nation and other tribal communities serves as a model for helping to build a sustainable energy future and solar technology workforce in Indian Country,” Secretary Jewell said. “This partnership shows how the tribal, federal and private sectors can work together to remove barriers to economic development, advance tribal self-determination and add clean energy to the grid.”

Tribal solar development harnesses renewable resources on tribal lands as a reliable and cost-effective way to provide jobs and power homes, businesses and economies. It also aligns with President Obama's Climate Action Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the deployment of renewable energy technologies and community resilience measures.

Last week, Secretary Jewell participated in the National Tribal Energy Summit to discuss progress on energy projects and clean energy jobs in Indian Country. The Summit was a joint effort between the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development and the National Congress of State Legislatures with participation from the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce, among others. Its purpose was to further tribal energy investment and economic development across Indian Country.

Last year, Secretary Jewell approved the 200-megawatt Moapa Solar Energy Center Project on the Moapa River Indian Reservation, located about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The project – the second approved Moapa solar installation – will provide enough energy to power about 60,000 homes and support an estimated 500 jobs during peak constriction along with 10 permanent positions.

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior

Bryan Polite, Tribal Chairman, Shinnecock Nation

Stan Greschner, VP of Government Relations and Market Development, GRID Alternatives

WHAT: Remarks at Shinnecock Nation Tribal Solarthon

WHEN: TODAY, Thursday, October 1, 2015

9:55 AM EDT – Media check-in

10:10 AM EDT – Press conference and media availability

10:40 AM EDT – Work on Solarthon project – opportunity for b-roll

WHERE: Shinnecock Community Center

100 Church Street Southampton, NY 11968

MEDIA: Credentialed members of the media are encouraged to RSVP here.

DURANT, Okla. – As part of the Obama Administration's commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with tribal nations and fulfill federal trust obligations, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby and Choctaw Nation Chief Gary Batton on Tuesday, October 6, to announce a historic settlement regarding the U.S. government's management of funds and resources it holds in trust for these tribal nations.

Interior Solicitor Hilary C. Tompkins, a member of the Navajo Nation, and Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Lawrence S. Roberts, a member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, will also join the signing ceremony and announcement at the Choctaw Event Center. Tuesday's announcement marks a significant milestone in the Obama Administration's commitment to resolving tribal trust management lawsuits with Native American tribes.

The Choctaw Nation is the third largest Native American tribe in the United States, with approximately 176,000 enrolled members and 10,864 square miles of tribal lands in southeastern Oklahoma. The tribe’s growing business enterprises have allowed it to work to improve the lives of tribal members who have a rich tradition of serving in the military, maintaining a strong tribal government based on their cultural heritage, and serving as leaders in the State of Oklahoma.

The Chickasaw Nation has more than 60,000 enrolled members and includes 7,648 square miles of south-central Oklahoma, encompassing all or parts of 13 Oklahoma counties. The Chickasaw Nation has a strong history of self-sufficiency and self-governance guided by their cultural values and traditions.

WHO: Sally Jewell, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Hilary C. Tompkins, Interior Solicitor Lawrence S. Roberts, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Jack Austin, Assistant Chief, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Joe Coley, Tribal Chaplain, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Gary Batton, Chief, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Bill Anoatubby, Governor, The Chickasaw Nation

WHAT: Historic settlement announcement with Chickasaw, Choctaw Nations

WHEN: Tuesday, October 6, 2015 10:15 a.m. CDT – Media check-in 10:30 a.m. CDT – Announcement 11:00 a.m. CDT – Media availability

WHERE: Choctaw Event Center 4451 Choctaw Road Durant, OK 74701

MEDIA: Credentialed members of the media are encouraged to RSVP here

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Department of the Interior has accepted from the State of Washington the partial civil and criminal jurisdiction it held over the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. The state has held this authority over the Yakama Nation, a federally recognized tribe located in the southwestern portion of Washington, for more than half a century.

“While tribal self-governance has long been the Federal Government’s guiding principle for Federal Indian policy, it has been slow in coming in the area of criminal justice,” Washburn said in a letter conveying the decision to the Yakama Nation. “We believe that this step will advance tribal self-governance and tribal sovereignty for the Nation. More importantly, we believe that it will produce improved public safety for the Nation and its people.”

The Yakama Nation resides on a reservation comprised of over 1.1 million acres, which was established in 1855 by a treaty signed by Washington Territory Governor Isaac Stevens and tribal representatives. The Yakama Reservation is located on the east side of the Cascade Mountains in Yakima and Klickitat counties.

In 2012, the Washington State legislature enacted legislation providing a path for the state and tribal nations to follow in addressing retrocession. In July 2012, the Yakama Nation filed a petition for retrocession with the governor that was followed by government-to-government consultations with the state. In 2013, the Nation entered into a memorandum of understanding with Yakima County regarding the procedures to serve state court arrest warrants on tribal members on trust land within the reservation.

After following the procedures set forth in the state’s bill, which included a six-month extension by the state, the governor in January 2014 submitted his proclamation on retrocession to the Secretary of the Interior for approval. Since that time, the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (OJS) has been engaged with the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department and Corrections to determine the capacity of the Nation’s law enforcement services. In preparation for retrocession, the Nation committed additional resources to its law enforcement services, nearly doubling the size of its police department by funding 10 new officer positions.

In September 2014, OJS finalized an assessment of the police department which found that it would be prepared to handle increased responsibilities as a result of retrocession.

In addition, OJS began an assessment of the Yakama Nation Tribal Court in December 2014, which provided recommendations for improving tribal court operational activities and assisted in developing a strategic three- to five-year plan for it. In May 2015, OJS issued the assessment and strategic plan, which included findings and recommendations, resulting in one-time federal funding to improve the court that will help the Nation further the pursuit of justice and ensure that the rights of individuals are protected.

Washington is one of 16 states authorized by Congress under Public Law 280 (67 Stat. 588), enacted in 1953 during the period in federal Indian policy known as the Termination Era, to assume criminal jurisdiction over American Indians on federal Indian reservations and to allow civil litigation that had come under tribal or federal court jurisdiction to be handled by state courts.

Among other purposes, Public Law 280 altered criminal jurisdiction on federal Indian lands by transferring it from the federal government to certain states. The law has been widely criticized by tribes and states as creating more harm than good, such as gaps in jurisdiction. Today’s decision attempts to remedy some of the jurisdictional problems Public Law 280 created on the Yakama Reservation.

The states required by Public Law 280 to assume civil and criminal jurisdiction over federal Indian lands were Alaska (except the Metlakatla Indian Community of the Annette Island Reserve, which maintains criminal jurisdiction), California, Minnesota (except the Red Lake Reservation), Nebraska, Oregon (except the Warm Springs Reservation), and Wisconsin. In addition, the federal government gave up all special criminal jurisdiction in these states over Indian offenders and victims. The states that elected to assume full or partial jurisdiction include Arizona (1967), Florida (1961), Idaho (1963, subject to tribal consent), Iowa (1967), Montana (1963), Nevada (1955), North Dakota (1963, subject to tribal consent), South Dakota (1957- 1961), Utah (1971) and Washington (1957-1963).

In 1968, a legislative shift occurred when Congress authorized certain of these states to retrocede their civil and criminal jurisdiction back to the United States via the Secretary of the Interior.

The Secretary is authorized to accept retroceded authority from a state after consultation with the U.S. Attorney General, and the federal government has done so for 31 tribes since 1968. The most recent retrocession prior to today’s announcement occurred when the State of Nebraska retroceded its civil and criminal authority over the Santee Sioux Nation in 2006.

While there are misconceptions about what “retrocession” actually entails, it does not change the boundaries of a tribe’s reservation nor expand or contract a tribe’s formal legal authority or jurisdiction. The tribe’s jurisdiction will simply no longer be concurrent with the state’s; instead, tribal jurisdiction will be exclusive for certain purposes. Retrocession is accepted by the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with terms set forth in a proclamation by the governor of the state retroceding its jurisdiction.

As required by Executive Order, the Interior Department consulted on the retrocession request with the U.S. Department of Justice, which recommended a six-month waiting period between the date of acceptance and the actual transfer of jurisdiction in order to allow for an orderly transfer of authority from the State of Washington to the federal government and to ensure no jurisdictional gaps develop as a result. Accordingly, Interior’s decision is that retrocession will be fully implemented as of 12:01 a.m. PST on April 19, 2016.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, economic development, law enforcement and justice, social services (including child welfare), tribal governance, and trust land and natural and energy resources management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies.

The BIA Office of Justice Services’ mission is to enhance public safety and protect property in Indian Country by funding or providing law enforcement, corrections and tribal court services to the nation’s federally recognized tribes. It also coordinates emergency preparedness support on federal Indian lands by working cooperatively with other federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies throughout Indian Country. It also operates the Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M., which provides training and professional development to BIA and tribal law enforcement personnel. Visit www.indianaffairs.gov/bia/ojs for more information about OJS and its work.

The Department of the Interior (Department) is considering whether to propose an administrative rule that would comprehensively update 25 CFR part 140 (Licensed Indian Traders) in an effort to modernize the implementation of the Indian Trader statutes consistent with the Federal policies of Tribal self-determination and self-governance. The current regulations were promulgated in 1957 and have not been comprehensively updated since 1965. The purpose of this advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) is to solicit public comments on whether and how the Department should update 25 CFR part 140, including how the Indian Trader regulations might be updated to govern who trades on Indian land and how the regulations can better promote Tribal self-determination regarding trade on Indian lands. In this ANPRM, the Department also announces dates and locations for Tribal consultations and public meetings to consider this issue.

As part of our efforts to promote economic development in Indian Country, we are seeking your input on the need to update the "Licensed Indian Traders" Regulations currently found at 25 CFR 140. The current regulations were promulgated in 1957 and have not been comprehensively updated since 1965. We seek to modernize these regulations through the formal rulemaking process to reflect the current Federal policy of promoting tribal self-determination.

The Tribal Leader letter announcing the consultation sessions is available here. Consultation sessions have been added to the calendar and the deadline for comments has been extended to October 30, 2017. The Tribal Leader letter announcing the extension is available here.

To read more - visit the Indian Traders (25 CFR 140) page

WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services will offer the next in its series of training sessions for tribal court personnel on June 17-20, 2013, in Grand Forks, N.D., with cases focusing on sexual assault on children.

Because of a high level of interest, the Office of Justice Services is providing legal training it successfully held in 2012 to new groups of tribal court prosecutors, defenders and judges to improve their trial advocacy skills. The training focuses on cases involving the trafficking of illegal narcotics, domestic violence and sexual assault on adults and children.

The first session in the 2013 Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program series took place on May 14-16 in Missoula, Mont., with a focus on domestic violence cases. Remaining sessions and topics are: July 22-25 in Reno, Nev. (illegal narcotics), Aug. 6-9 in Philadelphia, Miss. (domestic violence); and Dec. 2-5 in Oklahoma City (sexual assault on adults). All of the sessions include a roundtable discussion on the Violence Against Women Act.

Tribal court trial advocacy training is mandated by the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 and is being conducted under the Tribal Court Trial Advocacy Training Program – a joint effort by the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Justice that furthers the mandate of the Act to strengthen tribal sovereignty over criminal justice matters on federal Indian lands by sharpening the skills of those who practice within the tribal court system.

The program is the result of a collaborative effort by the OJS and the DOJ’s Access to Justice Initiative to offer trial advocacy training with courses designed specifically for tribal courts and free training to the judges, public defenders and prosecutors who work in them. Training will be conducted by working law professionals using instructional materials prepared by experts knowledgeable about tribal court issues. The program is unique for its public defenders training.

President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Act on March 7, 2013. It includes important provisions for federally recognized tribes to combat violence against Native women such as homicide, rape, assault and battery in the home, workplace and on school campuses throughout Indian Country.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

-DOI-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, June 27, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will hold a news media conference call with reporters to discuss President Obama’s establishment of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. Members of the media may participate in the call by dialing 1-888-810-6756 and providing the access code INTERIOR.

The press call will immediately follow Secretary Jewell’s remarks at the closing session of the National Congress of American Indians Mid Year Conference in Reno, Nevada. Secretary Jewell will discuss Interior’s ongoing work to uphold President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the government-to-government relationship with Tribal Nations.

Established in 1944, the National Congress of American Indians is the oldest and largest association of tribal governments in the United States. Secretary’s Jewell’s remarks will begin at 9:30 am Pacific Time in the Grand Ballroom at the Atlantis Casino Resort.

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WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s commitment to strengthen the nation-to-nation relationship with Native Americans and Alaska Natives, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced the availability of a discussion draft of potential changes to the Department of the Interior’s Part 83 process for acknowledging certain Indian groups as federally recognized tribes. The discussion draft is intended to provide tribes and the public an early opportunity to provide input on potential changes to the Part 83 process.

The Federal recognition acknowledgment process is the Department's regulatory process by which petitioning groups that meet the regulatory criteria are "acknowledged" as federally recognized Indian tribes with a government-to-government relationship with the United States. There are currently 566 federally recognized tribes in the U.S.

“The discussion draft is a starting point in the conversation with federally recognized tribes, petitioners and the public on how to ensure that the process is fair, efficient and transparent,” Washburn said. “We are starting with an open mind and no fixed agenda, and we’re looking forward to getting input from all stakeholders before we move forward with a proposed rule that will provide additional certainty and timeliness to the process. In many parts of the discussion draft, we have made no fixed recommendations in order to have the benefit of that input in formulating a proposed rule.”

The discussion draft maintains stringent standards for core criteria and seeks comment on objective criteria to be incorporated into the standards. The draft suggests changes to improve timeliness and efficiency by providing for a thorough review of a petitioner’s community and political authority. That review would begin with the year 1934 to align with the United States repudiation of allotment and assimilation policies and eliminate the requirement that an external entity identify the group as Indian since 1900.

The discussion draft further suggests providing flexibility to the Department to issue expedited denials and approvals based on the particular facts and unique history of certain petitioners. The draft suggests streamlining the process to promote greater transparency as a petitioner’s materials are evaluated by the Office of Federal Acknowledgment and the Department. The Department is making the discussion draft available for review at http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm. This discussion draft is a precursor to proposed regulatory changes, but is not itself a proposed rule. The Department will accept written comments on the draft until August 16, 2013. In addition to written comments, the Department will hold tribal consultations and public meetings at the following locations:

Tribal consultations will be held at each location from 9am to 12pm and public meetings will be held from 1pm to 4pm. After the close of the comment period on the discussion draft, the Department will evaluate those comments as it moves forward in the development of a proposed rule. The Department will seek additional public comment and consult further with tribes after issuing the proposed rule.

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WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn will speak on Tuesday, June 25 at the opening of the National Congress of American Indians’ 2013 Mid-Year Conference in Reno, Nev. The National Congress of American Indians is the oldest and largest association of tribal governments in the United States. The Assistant Secretary will update tribal leaders on a number of Interior Department activities in Indian Country including:

• Steps taken to-date to implement the Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations that will purchase from willing sellers their fractional interests in American Indian trust lands to benefit federally recognized tribes;

• Proposed changes to Bureau of Indian Affairs land-into-trust regulations in response to last year’s United States Supreme Court decision in Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians v. Patchak;

• The Department’s new regulations implementing the Buy Indian Act; and • Development of a discussion draft on changes to Interior’s federal acknowledgement regulations.

CREDENTIALS: This invitation is extended to credentialed media representatives, who must display sanctioned media credentials for admittance to the event.

-DOI-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following extensive consultations with American Indian leaders, the Department of the Interior today made a number of announcements related to the significant efforts underway for the purchase of fractional interests in American Indian trust lands from willing sellers. In particular, the Department announced that it has launched efforts to establish cooperative agreements with several tribal nations to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in highly fractionated trust lands for the purpose of consolidating ownership of these acres for the beneficial use of tribal nations.

The Department has also established purchase ceilings to ensure that all qualifying tribes will have the opportunity to participate in the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). Additional incentives for individual owners to offer their fractionated shares for the benefit of tribal communities also were announced, including minimum payments and Indian scholarship funds.
As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Indian communities, the Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided a $1.9 billion fund to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers, at fair market value, within a 10-year period.

“With a solid foundation built on government-to-government consultation, the Department is now prepared to begin working with tribal nations so we can proceed with initial offers by the end of this year,” said David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Hayes, who chairs the oversight board created to ensure the highest-level of accountability within the Interior Department, emphasized that the goal of the Buy-Back Program is to unlock the benefit of fractionated lands for tribal communities. “We need to be smart about managing the available resources of tribal communities and the federal government, while developing flexible processes for each cooperative agreement,” he said.

As outlined in the Implementation Plan released in December 2012, Department officials have had extensive consultation with tribes across Indian Country over the past several months to determine how to move forward with a process that provides an efficient and fair way for individual owners of fractionated interests to participate in the Buy-Back Program, maximizes the opportunity for tribal government involvement, and offers the greatest flexibility for each tribal nation to determine what is best for their community. Today’s announcements are based on these consultations, which will continue to inform next steps. Department personnel have also been hard at work refining valuation methods, updating title systems, and staffing up appraisal teams to accommodate the significant interest in the program.

PILOT EFFORTS UNDERWAY

Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust or restricted status for American Indians. More than 10 million acres are held for individual American Indians and nearly 46 million acres are held for Indian tribes. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 92,000 (on 150 reservations) contain fractional ownership interests available for purchase by the Buy-Back Program. Approximately 90% of the fractionated lands available to purchase are in 40 of the 150 locations.

Following its consultations, the Department has identified key criteria that will determine how and when tribal nations will be engaged over the next several years. The Buy-Back Program will move forward based on a number of factors, including the severity of fractionation, degree of ownership overlap between tracts, geographic location to maximize efficiency and resources, appraisal complexity, and readiness or availability of resources. In particular, the Buy-Back Program will ensure that all types of tribal communities are participating in all phases of the program – including tribes that do not have large numbers of fractionated lands. Ensuring this type of tribal diversity in the Buy-Back Program was an important and frequently raised issue by tribal nations through consultation sessions, and it will be a key consideration in setting priorities.

Using these criteria, the Department will launch pilot efforts with as many as 10 reservations this year, with the opportunity to make adjustments for lessons learned for future implementation. Land research, valuation work, and outreach efforts are underway at several locations, including the Pine Ridge, Crow, Makah, and Sisseton-Wahpeton reservations.

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT DEVELOPMENT

As tribal communities are identified for implementation, the Department will enter into cooperative agreements that are flexible and responsive to the specific needs of the nation involved. Tribes have the opportunity to actively participate in the process, which will improve the program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs. Agreements will allow for resources to be provided to each tribal government to facilitate outreach and education, solicit interest from owners, and further identify tribal priorities.

“This is a program that will not be implemented overnight, but we will be thorough and tailor opportunities for the benefit of each nation,” said Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “We must have the flexibility to learn from each buy-back effort and provide transparency for each successive tribe.”

ESTABLISHMENT OF PURCHASE CEILINGS AND BASE PAYMENTS

Two key decisions flowing directly from the Department’s nation-to-nation consultations relate to purchase ceilings and base payments. To ensure that the Buy-Back Program will be implemented at as many locations as possible (including less fractionated locations), purchase ceilings will be used to protect against premature exhaustion of funds. Also, the Buy-Back Program will provide landowners with a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land, based on estimates for the time and effort required for individual land owners to proceed through the acquisition process and to facilitate sales.

In addition to base payments, the Department discussed the allocation of funds toward Indian educational scholarships as a further incentive for participation. Up to $60 million from sales will be designated for the Cobell Scholarship Fund for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The fund will be controlled by a board of trustees nominated by tribal governments and administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, CO with 20% allotted to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, NM.

TRANSPARENCY AND AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES

The Department is committed to ongoing consultation with tribal nations and full transparency as it continues to implement the many steps associated with the Buy-Back Program, which had been referred to as the Cobell Trust Land Consolidation program. In addition to future consultations, personnel will hold a workshop prior to remarks by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell at the upcoming National Congress of American Indian’s Mid-Year Conference later this month. The workshop will further discuss the development of cooperative agreements, the ongoing, independent review by the Appraisal Foundation of the Department’s appraisal process, and the pilot efforts and ramp-up plans for the acquisition of land at initial locations.

Later this summer, the Buy-Back Program will launch a comprehensive website with resources for tribal governments and individuals, including easy-to-use templates for the creation of cooperative agreements that are currently being developed with input from tribes and tribal organizations. Until then, more information on the Buy-Back Program is available here.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, June 18, Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes will hold a news media teleconference to discuss the next phase of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), including launching pilot efforts to establish cooperative agreements with Tribal governments. Hayes will be joined by Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement, which provides for a $1.9 billion Trust Land Consolidation Fund to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian Country. Allotments of land provided individual American Indians in the 19th and early 20th centuries now have hundreds and even thousands of individual owners, making it difficult to lease or develop the parcels. As a result, highly-fractionated allotments lie idle, unable to be used for any economically beneficial purpose.

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