OPA

WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Department of the Interior has extended to Nov. 3, 2014, the public comment period on proposed regulations to reform the process by which rights-of-way on Indian lands are approved and managed. He also announced the Department will hold an additional tribal consultation session on the proposed regulations during the week of Oct. 26, 2014, during the National Congress of American Indians 2014 Annual Convention in Atlanta, Ga. The draft rule proposes to update Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regulations at 25 CFR 169 that govern rights-of-way across Indian land which were promulgated more than 40 years ago and last updated more than 30 years ago. The regulations have been deemed ill-suited for the modern requirements for rights-of-way leasing, including the need for faster timelines for BIA approval. The Department is proposing to streamline the process for obtaining BIA approval and ensure seamless consistency with recently promulgated BIA leasing regulations. It also seeks to make the process more efficient and transparent, increase flexibility in compensation and valuations, and support landowner decisions on land use. The proposed rule was published on June 17, 2014, with an initial deadline for public comments of August 18. On August 13, the Department extended the comment deadline to October 2, 2014. To further obtain views and suggestions on the proposed changes from tribal leaders and the general public, the Department also held three tribal consultation sessions and one public hearing by teleconference. For additional information on the proposed rule and the upcoming consultation session, visit http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/ORM/RightsofWay/index.htm.

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WASHINGTON, DC – As part of President Obama’s commitment to working with Indian Country leaders to promote strong, prosperous and resilient tribal economies and communities, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that more than $9.4 million has been awarded to 46 tribal projects to assist in developing energy and mineral resources. The grants were awarded as part of the Energy and Mineral Development Program administered by the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. The projects funded include a panoply of renewable energy sources, including geothermal, biomass, hydro-electric, woody biomass, solar, wind, and plastics-to-energy that will provide clean, low-cost power to tribal members and encourage business on tribal lands. “The IEED Energy and Mineral Development Program is another example of how Indian Affairs is working to assist tribes in realizing the maximum potential of their energy and mineral resources,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “These grants will provide tribal communities who have energy and mineral resources with the opportunity and financial support to conduct projects that will evaluate, find and document their energy and mineral assets, and help bring those assets to market.” The Energy and Mineral Development Program uses a hands-on approach to assist tribes by funding the evaluation and documentation of energy and mineral resource potential on their lands. Program staff solicit proposals from tribes and select qualified projects through a competitive review process. Staff then work hand-in-hand with tribal personnel as technical advisors to advance, modify and tailor projects to a tribe’s needs and to ensure the best possible product is obtained for the funds allocated.

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Page 2 – IEED 2014 EMDP Grant Awards The grants and technical assistance help tribes and individual land owners evaluate their energy and mineral resource potential by: • funding geological, geophysical and engineering reports, maps, and other data concerning their energy and mineral resources; • offering technical assistance to use assessment information to enable them to understand their resource potential and plan for the potential development of those resources; • developing a marketing vehicle to promote their lands and resources; and, perhaps most significantly, • providing direct assistance in negotiating complex, value-added agreements with potential partners or investors. IEED has worked collaboratively within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Southern Plains Regional Office’s Division of Acquisition and Grant Management and with Bureau of Indian Affairs resources during the week of September 8-12 to process the new awards. “Energy and mineral development on Indian trust lands play a critical role in creating jobs and generating income throughout Indian Country, while also contributing to the national economy,” said Washburn. All natural resources produced on Indian trust lands had an estimated economic impact of more than $19 billion, with more than 90 percent of this impact derived from energy and mineral development on tribal lands, according to the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions report issued on July 11, 2014. The report also noted that out of an estimated 80,868 natural resources-related jobs on tribal lands in Fiscal Year 2013, 89 percent were directly associated with energy and mineral development. According to Interior’s Office of Natural Resource Revenue, energy and mineral resources generated more than $970 million in royalty revenue paid to Indian mineral owners in 2013. Income from energy and minerals is by far the largest source of revenue generated from Indian trust lands. In 2014, the Energy and Mineral Development Program received 78 proposals with total funding requests exceeding $27.5 million. Funds were awarded to 46 of the submissions. The chart below summarizes the funds awarded by commodity, number of projects awarded, and total amount awarded in each commodity category. The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities by helping federally recognized tribes with employment and workforce training programs; developing their renewable and non-renewable energy and mineral resources; and increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses.

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Page 3 – IEED 2014 EMDP Grant Awards For more information about the IEED2014 EMDP Grant Awards, programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm

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WASHINGTON, DC – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that the Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has sent purchase offers worth more than $298 million to nearly 4,000 landowners with fractional interests on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. Interested sellers will have until November 21, 2014, to return accepted offers.

As part of President Obama’s pledge to help strengthen Native American communities, the Buy-Back Program has mailed more than $690 million in purchase offers to date, to more than 41,000 owners of fractionated interests. The Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $144 million and has restored the equivalent of nearly 280,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“Today’s announcement continues the Buy-Back Program’s momentum, and our commitment to reach as many interested landowners as possible across Indian Country,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “Payments through Program sales are making a significant difference for individuals, families and their communities. We will continue to work closely with tribal representatives to ensure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity.”

The Crow Tribe will host an outreach event on Thursday, October 9 in the Multi-Purpose Building, Crow Agency, Montana. The all-day event will feature speakers from the Buy-Back Program, notary public services, and staff available to help landowners with questions about their offer packages. Landowners can contact the tribe’s staff at: 406-638-2041.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

There are almost 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small, undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution by Interior is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

Offers are currently pending at a number of locations with deadlines approaching soon, including the Gila River (Oct. 10), Northern Cheyenne (Oct. 17), Flathead (Oct. 24) and Umatilla (Oct. 31) Indian Reservations. Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not impact a landowner’s eligibility to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group. Inquiries regarding Settlement payments should be directed to (800) 961-6109.

WASHINGTON, DC – Building off of sustained momentum from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program), Deputy Secretary Mike Connor today announced that purchase offers worth more than $63.5 million have been sent to nearly 2,800 landowners with fractional interests on the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in South Dakota (homeland of the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate). Interested sellers will have until November 24, 2014, to return accepted offers.

The tribe will host an outreach event on Wednesday, October 15 at the Tribal Elderly Center in Agency Village, S.D. The all-day event will feature speakers from the Buy-Back Program and staff available to help landowners with questions about their offer packages. Landowners can contact the tribe’s staff at: 605-698-8296 or 605-698-8203.

As part of President Obama’s pledge to help strengthen Native American communities, the Buy-Back Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $146.4 million and has restored the equivalent of more than 280,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“The Buy-Back Program is a unique opportunity and I am encouraged by the growing interest we are seeing in the Program across Indian Country as well as the partnerships we are developing with tribal governments as implementation moves to each location,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “Payments through Program sales are already making a significant difference for individuals, families and their communities. We will continue to work closely with tribal representatives to ensure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity.”

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members. For example, the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation recently announced that the tribe is embarking on a $9 million housing program, aided by the recent acquisition of land through the Buy-Back Program.

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

There are almost 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program. Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small, undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

Offers are currently pending at a number of additional locations with deadlines approaching soon, including the Gila River (TODAY), Northern Cheyenne (Oct. 17), Flathead (Oct. 24), Umatilla (Oct. 31) and Crow (Nov. 21) Indian Reservations.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not impact a landowner’s eligibility to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group. Inquiries regarding Settlement payments should be directed to 800-961-6109.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As part of the Obama Administration’s historic commitment to ensure that all students attending Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-funded schools receive a world class education, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that six federally recognized tribes have been awarded $1.2 million in Sovereignty in Indian Education (SIE) enhancement funds to promote tribal control and operation of BIE-funded schools on their reservations. The funds implement a recommendation contained in the Blueprint for Reform of the Bureau of Indian Education issued on June 13, 2014, by the American Indian Education Study Group convened by Secretary Jewell and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan.

“Increasing tribal control over BIE-funded schools not only promotes tribal self-determination, but also provides greater tribal discretion in determining what American Indian children should learn, increasing accountability throughout the school system,” Secretary Jewell said. “With school management authority, these communities will have more power to create lessons with tribal cultural values and Native languages, both of which can ensure their children stay connected to their heritage and help them to succeed in the future. These enhancement funds can make the difference in an effective, relevant and rigorous education for American Indian children.”

“The Sovereignty in Indian Education Enhancement Initiative furthers President Obama’s commitment to tribal sovereignty in education by empowering tribes to assume greater control over their schools and their children’s education,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “Teaching culture, tradition and language in schools is crucial to engaging Indian students and preserving tribal identities. Tribes have a comparative advantage over a federal agency in prioritizing these important subjects, which are different for each tribe, but they need federal support in building their capacities. This initiative will provide that support.”

“With the Sovereignty in Indian Education Enhancement funding, the Bureau of Indian Education begins its transformation into a school improvement agency that provides support to tribes as they begin to create tribally managed school systems through self-determination,” said BIE Director Dr. Charles ‘Monty’ Roessel. “We will continue working to implement the recommendations.”

The purpose of the Sovereignty in Indian Education Enhancement Initiative is to provide funds to federally recognized tribes and their tribal education departments to create tribally managed school systems. The six tribes announced today will each receive an award amount of $200,000 for researching, assessing and developing an implementation plan to establish a tribally managed school system. Tribes will conduct a comprehensive analysis and an aligned implementation plan of their tribal education departments and school systems in four areas of school reform: Finance, Academics, Governance, and Human Resources. The following tribes will receive enhancement funding:

• Gila River Indian Community, Sacaton, Arizona
• Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Fort Yates, North Dakota
• Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, Belcourt, North Dakota
• Tohono O’Odham Nation, Sells, Arizona
• Navajo Nation, Window Rock, Arizona
• Oglala Sioux Tribe, Pine Ridge, South Dakota

The Sovereignty in Indian Education enhancement funds respond to the findings and recommendations of the American Indian Education Study Group for improving how federal education services and resources are delivered in Indian Country. Secretary Jewell and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan convened the Study Group in 2013 under the White House Council on Native American Affairs to propose a comprehensive reform plan to ensure that all students attending BIE-funded schools receive a quality education.

Increasing tribal control over BIE schools recognizes the sovereign status of federally recognized tribes, provides them greater discretion in determining what their children should learn, and helps increase accountability throughout the BIE-funded school system. Tribal control of federally funded government programs often improves local service delivery because tribal governments better understand the needs of their communities, are more responsive and better able to be flexible to changes in those needs, and are more accountable for results by their constituents.

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska – As part of President Obama’s commitment to help Alaska Native leaders build strong, prosperous and resilient communities, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that Interior is launching initiatives to streamline Native land conveyances, improve rural energy development and provide greater local participation in the management of subsistence fish and wildlife resources on federal lands.

“Our goal is to work with Alaska Native leaders to address issues of vital importance to their communities,” Connor told the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention in Anchorage. “We are prioritizing remaining Native land conveyances, expanding local participation in the decision making process for resource management on federal lands and changing regulations to permit the Federal Subsistence Board to use more flexible criteria to better meet the subsistence needs of Alaska residents.”

Connor also announced that Interior is providing an additional $300,000 in direct funding to the Remote Community Renewable Energy (RCRE) partnership to accelerate development of a renewable-diesel hybrid energy system designed to provide cheaper and cleaner energy to remote communities such as Alaskan native villages, and another $100,000 to related work advancing the capabilities of this hybrid energy technology. The RCRE initiative is led by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Colorado University, in collaboration with native Alaskans, other Federal agencies including the State Department and other stakeholders. The RCRE partnership commenced work in 2013 with an initial $300,000 grant from the Interior Department.

“This additional funding will help to stand up this exciting new hybrid energy module system that could allow Alaskan villages to replace up to 75 percent of their diesel fuel with renewable energy,” Connor said. “Our hope is that this project will make a real difference for rural villages that are paying extremely high costs for heating and electricity.”

The project under development is a modular, scalable control and communication system designed to allow any micro grid component, such as a wind turbine, solar panel, diesel generator and/or energy storage device, to plug-in and contribute to the micro grid.

Earlier in his Alaska visit, Connor signed the final patent for the transfer of 10,170 acres of surface estate to Nunamiut Corporation, which represents the village of Anaktuvuk Pass, satisfying the remaining land entitlement to that community under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. With this final patent, Anaktuvuk Pass will have received 92,160 acres. Additional acreage was also transferred to the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation at that signing ceremony.

“96 percent of the land entitlements have been conveyed to Alaska Natives, and we are prioritizing remaining Native land conveyances and patenting to reach 100 percent,” Connor said. “The BLM hopes to complete virtually all Native land conveyances within the next 5-8 years to fulfill this important promise.”

Nearly 44 million acres of the 45.7 million acres of Native land entitlements under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act have been conveyed to Alaska Native corporations over the past 40 years, Connor noted. All but 10 million acres of those conveyances have received final patent. Most of the remaining lands have been surveyed but need survey plats and final patent confirmation. Final entitlement has been met for 99 villages with 135 remaining requiring closure.

In response to concerns of Alaska Native leaders, Interior will also change the rural/non-rural determination process for the fish and wildlife subsistence program on federal lands. When implemented through regulations, the new process will enable the Federal Subsistence Board to use more flexible criteria to designate rural communities, better meeting the subsistence needs of Alaska Native and rural communities that rely on hunting and fishing for sustenance and the maintenance of cultural traditions.

The federal government assumed management of subsistence wildlife resources on federal lands in Alaska 1992 and the fish resources on certain state waters in 1998 when the State of Alaska could not comply with the subsistence priority provisions of Title VIII of Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). The new initiative follows earlier actions by Interior and the Federal Subsistence Board that added two additional public members representing subsistence users and named a new Board chairman. Deference to the regional advisory councils in the regulation process was also expanded.

Connor also said Interior agencies have been tasked to develop a proposal for a demonstration project to provide enhanced participation of local people and subsistence users in the decision making process for resource management on federal lands.

“The Alaska Federation of Natives and other Native groups have long sought more cooperation in the management of federal lands, especially in the case of subsistence management,” Connor said. “And Secretary Jewell has also recommended that more use be made of cooperative agreements with local tribes and other entities. We want to work with Native communities on developing a project that might be utilized on a wider basis in the future.”

The Alaska Federation of Natives is the largest statewide Native organization in Alaska. Its membership includes 151 federally-recognized tribes, 134 village corporations, 12 regional corporations and 12 regional nonprofit and tribal consortiums that contract and compact to run federal and state programs.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Tuesday, October 28, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will deliver keynote remarks at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Annual Convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

As chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, Secretary Jewell will discuss the Obama Administration’s commitment to promote stronger, safer and more prosperous communities through tribal self-determination and sovereignty, as well as through strengthening the federal government’s trust relationship with American Indian tribes and Alaska Natives.

Jewell will also discuss ongoing educational reform efforts to ensure students attending schools funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) receive a high quality, academically rigorous, culturally appropriate education.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Department of the Interior has extended the public comment period to Nov. 28, 2014, on proposed regulations to reform the process by which rights-of-way on Indian land are approved and managed. This third extension is in response to a request by Senators John Barrasso and John Hoeven to allow further comments following the most recent tribal consultation held during this week’s National Congress of American Indians Annual Convention. Tribal comments received during the consultation were largely supportive of BIA’s efforts to update right-of-way regulations that have not been revised in more than 30 years.

The proposed rule was published on June 17, 2014. The Department has hosted four tribal consultation sessions and one public hearing on the proposed rule. The initial comment period deadline of August 18 was extended to October 2, 2014. The Department again extended the comment deadline to November 3, 2014. As a result of this latest extension, comments are now due November 28, 2014.

The draft rule proposes to update Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regulations at 25 CFR 169 that govern rights-of-way across Indian land which were promulgated more than 40 years ago and last updated more than 30 years ago. The regulations have been deemed ill-suited for the modern requirements for rights-of-way, including the need for faster timelines for BIA approval.

The Department is proposing to streamline the process for obtaining BIA approval and ensure seamless consistency with recently promulgated BIA leasing regulations. It also seeks to make the process more efficient and transparent, increase flexibility in compensation and valuations, and support landowner decisions on land use.

For additional information on the proposed rule, visit

http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/ORM/RightsofWay/index.htm.

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SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will join National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis this week in representing the United States at the 2014 International Union for Conservation of Nature’s 2014 World Parks Congress, a global forum on protected areas held once every decade.

Jewell will address the Congress at 6:20 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 12, focusing on the need for international cooperation on issues affecting parks and other protected areas, especially the growing threat of climate change. The remarks will be live streamed here. Please note that the plenary session begins at 5:50pm EST; Jewell’s remarks are expected to begin around 6:20 p.m. EST.

Jewell will also participate in the Congress’ World Leaders’ Dialogue on Thursday, November 13 at 1:30am ET to discuss how parks can help build a more resilient future. The dialogue will also be live streamed here.

The Congress is expected to convene over 4,000 participants from approximately 160 countries to discuss approaches for conservation and sustainable development.

While in Sydney, Jewell will hold a number of bilateral meetings with officials from the Australian government, including Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop, Minister for the Environment Greg Hunt and Minister for Indigenous Affairs Nigel Scullion. Jewell will also meet with John Scanlon, Secretary-General for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that he has approved the Northern Cheyenne Tribe’s probate code and that the Department of the Interior’s Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) will now apply the code when probating trust or restricted lands within the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana. Codes such as the Northern Cheyenne’s allow tribes to determine how trust or restricted land within the reservation passes to heirs upon an individual’s death.

This is one of the many steps the Obama Administration is taking within a larger effort to empower tribes in restoring tribal homelands while addressing the historical problems of land fractionation. Additional elements of this strategy include the implementation of the Land BuyBack Program, which implements the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement, HEARTH Act approvals, which allow tribes to negotiate and enter into leases without further Secretarial approvals where the tribes’ leasing regulations have been approved, and prioritizing the land-into-trust process. The combination of these actions, including tribal probate codes, has the potential to unlock millions of acres of fractionated lands for the benefit of tribal communities.

Application of tribal probate codes helps to shorten the lengthy process of probating Indian trust estates. Other crucial elements for streamlining the probating of Indian estates include proactive estate planning and increased participation in the probate process. Having a will in place may help ensure that an individual’s trust property is distributed according to the person’s wishes, and can vitally assist in the administration of the deceased’s estate. Also important is the cooperation of family members with Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) agency offices in the preparation of probate files, which helps the Department’s Office of Hearing and Appeals make progress in reducing its substantial probate caseload.

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Page 2 – Northern Cheyenne Probate Code

“I applaud the Northern Cheyenne Tribe for working with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to develop a probate code that addresses its unique needs,” Washburn said. “The implementation of tribal probate codes is an important step in giving tribes greater input on the preservation of trust lands within their reservations and enhancing tribal sovereignty by reducing land fractionation and encouraging land consolidation.”

Under the American Indian Probate Reform Act federally recognized tribes have the ability to present the Department with their own tribally enacted probate codes that govern the descent and distribution of trust properties within their jurisdictions. The Northern Cheyenne Tribe is only the second federally recognized tribe to gain approval of its own probate code.

Lands allotted to individual American Indians in the 19th and early 20th centuries now have hundreds and sometimes 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. Because fractionation often increases when an allotted landowner dies without a will, individual landowners and tribes can address the fractionation problem in part through careful attention to wills and probate issues.

Interior holds about 56 million acres of land in trust for American Indians, with more than 10 million acres held for individuals and nearly 46 million acres for federally recognized tribes. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 92,000 (on approximately 150 reservations) contain fractional ownership interests subject to purchase by Interior’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. This program implements the land consolidation component of the historic Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers, at fair market value, within a 10-year period.

For more information on the probate and estate planning process, please visit www.bia.gov/yourland/. For more information on the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations, please visit http://www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/index.cfm.

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