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Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – Today, President Donald J. Trump signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law, which will significantly help address the historically underfunded, multi-billion-dollar deferred maintenance backlog at our national parks and public lands. In celebration of this historic achievement, U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced that entrance fees paid by visitors coming to lands managed by the Department will be waived on August 5, 2020. Secretary Bernhardt also announced that August 4th will be designated “Great American Outdoors Day,” a fee-free day each year moving forward to commemorate the signing of the Act.

“President Trump has just enacted the most consequential dedicated funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, public recreation facilities and American Indian school infrastructure in U.S. history,” said Secretary Bernhardt. “I’ve designated August 4th as Great American Outdoors Day and waived entrance fees to celebrate the passage of this historic conservation law.”

Entrance fees will be waived at all fee collecting public lands at the National Park Service (NPS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). The Department holds fee-free days throughout the year to encourage visitation and appreciation for America’s public lands. On fee-free days, site-specific standard amenity and day-use fees at recreation sites and areas will be waived for the specified dates. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, group day use, and use of special areas, will remain in effect.

The remaining fee-free days in 2020 are:

NPS:

August 5: Great American Outdoors Act Commemoration
August 25: National Park Service Birthday
September 26: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day

BLM:

August 5: Great American Outdoors Act Commemoration
September 26: National Public Lands Day
November 11: Veterans Day

FWS:

August 5: Great American Outdoors Act Commemoration
September 26: National Public Lands Day
October 11: First Sunday of National Wildlife Refuge Week
November 11: Veterans Day

Background

On March 3, President Trump called on Congress to send him a bill that fully and permanently funded the Land and Water Conservation Fund and restored our National Parks. The President noted that it would be historic for America’s beautiful public lands when he signed such a bill into law.

The Trump Administration worked with Congress to secure the passage of this landmark conservation legislation, which will use revenues from energy development to provide up to $1.9 billion a year for five years in the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to provide needed maintenance for critical facilities and infrastructure in our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, recreation areas and American Indian schools. It will also use royalties from offshore oil and natural gas to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund to the tune of $900 million a year to invest in conservation and recreation opportunities across the country.

Last year, the NPS welcomed 327 million visitors who generated an economic impact of more than $41 billion and supported more than 340,000 jobs. Increasing popularity of our public lands has resulted in our national parks needing upgrades and improvements for more than 5,500 miles of paved roads, 17,000 miles of trails and 24,000 buildings. This legislation finally provides a long-term solution to this significant issue for the benefit of the American people and the betterment of our public lands.

Approximately 67 million visitors annually come to BLM-managed lands, supporting approximately 48,000 jobs nationwide and contributing almost $7 billion to the U.S. economy. BLM-managed public lands offer a wide array of recreational opportunities, including hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, mountain biking, horseback riding, boating, rafting, off-highway vehicle driving, rock climbing and more.

The Service welcomes approximately 54 million people to refuges each year. Their spending generates $3.2 billion in sales to local economies, employing more than 41,000 people and providing $1.1 billion in employment income.

The Department continues to urge visitors to do their part when visiting their public lands and follow guidance provided by the CDC, state and local public health officials to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The proclamation can be found online.

For Immediate Release: August 15, 2020

President Donald J. Trump signs H.R. 1957- The Great American Outdoors Act Tuesday, August 4, 2020, in the East Room of the White House. (Official White House Photo by D. Myles Cullen)

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/president-trump-signed-great-american-outdoors-act-law

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary -- Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced today that the U.S. Department of Interior’s Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) has approved $1.55 million in Tribal Energy Development Capacity (TEDC) grants to equip federally recognized American Indian tribes, federally recognized Alaska Native entities, and tribal energy resource development organizations with the managerial and institutional capacity to develop energy resources and account for the resulting energy production and revenues.

The grants will enable tribes to enact energy regulations, conduct feasibility studies to form tribal utility authorities, and develop other kinds of legal infrastructure needed to regulate and manage energy resources.

According to the U.S. Department of the Interior Economic Report, Fiscal Year 2019, energy resources generated over $6.63 billion in revenues for tribes in 2019, far outpacing all other sources of tribal revenue outside of gaming.

“Tribal Energy Development Capacity grants support a tribe’s ‘energy sovereignty,’ that is, to use its resources for its needs, to have the ability to do so effectively, and to ensure such resources will be maintained into the future,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs for Policy and Economic Development Mark Cruz. “IEED supports tribal governments in developing the legal infrastructure for managing their energy assets, and I encourage other energy resource tribes to look at the TEDC grant program as a tool in their planning.”

TEDC is a competitive, discretionary program. Applications were evaluated on their clarity and completeness, the expected contribution to the applicant’s capacity to regulate and manage energy resources, and the extent to which the anticipated outcome of a proposal met the applicant’s stated goals.

IEED is administering this program through its Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD).

The TEDC grantees and funding amounts are:

Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, CA: $99,500
Bear River Band of the Rohnerville Rancheria, CA: $98,188
Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana: $96,600
Bristol Bay Native Corporation, AK: $99,000
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, MN: $50,000
Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California: $80,000
Mesa Grande Business Development Corporation, CA: $80,000
Southern Ute Indian Tribe, CO: $100,000
Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians, CA: $80,000
Hughes Village, AK: $121,500
San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians, CA: $100,000
Seminole Tribe of Florida, FL: $100,100
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, MN: $80,000
Hopi Tribe of Arizona: $95,000
Lower Brule Corporation, SD: $100,000
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, KS: $100,000
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), MA: $80,000

IEED administers the TEDC grants program through its Division of Energy and Mineral Development (DEMD). Please visit the IEED website for more information about this and other IEED programs and services.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

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For Immediate Release: December 5, 2020

9 decorated turkey feathers. The base of feathers are decorated with white, yellow, orange, red and black thread.

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/trump-administration-invests-155-million-help-tribes-manage-their-0

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

Effort will update 40-year old regulations to comport with HEARTH Act and TERAs, supports tribal self-governance and self-determination

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced that tribal consultation will be held to give federally recognized tribes the opportunity to comment on proposed updates to 40-year old regulations that will modernize how the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) maintains title to federal Indian trust lands.

Indian Affairs will be hosting two virtual tribal consultation sessions on the proposed rule and invites tribal representatives to participate. Information on dates and how to participate will be posted on the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action (RACA) website.

“BIA Director Darryl LaCounte and I are committed to modernizing the business processes at the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and these updates to BIA’s Indian land records management regulations will greatly promote tribal self-governance and self-determination,” said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. “In addition, with the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration joining the Indian Affairs family, updating these 40-year old regulations will bring widespread efficiencies to Indian land transactions, thus allowing us to better serve Indian trust beneficiaries.”

The BIA’s Land Title and Records Offices (LTROs) maintain title documents for land that the United States holds in trust or restricted fee status for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and individuals, which is roughly similar to how counties and other local governments maintain title documents for fee land within their jurisdictions.

The proposed rule will allow for more efficient operation of the LTROs in multiple ways, such as accounting for the continued and future maintenance of most title documents electronically, and by allowing workloads to be shifted among LTRO offices to promptly address requests and to prevent the risk of backlogs.

The proposed rule also addresses the increased recognition of tribal self-governance and self-determination over the past 40 years. For example, the rule accounts for the recording of title documents where Secretarial approval of the transaction is no longer required.

This change ensures that individual leases under approved Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Homeownership (HEARTH) Act regulations and title documents under Tribal Energy Resource Agreements (TERAs) are recorded, thereby also ensuring there is documentation of who is authorized to use Indian trust land at any given time.

The Indian Affairs Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action (RACA), formerly known as the Office of Regulatory Management (ORM), is responsible for a broad range of regulatory functions that involve collaboration with all Indian Affairs (IA) bureaus, offices, tribal partners and other stakeholders, including: facilitating IA’s compliance with the Administrative Procedures Act, Privacy Act, and Paperwork Reduction Act; developing and revising regulations to address statutory requirements and IA program issues; serving as the Department’s regulatory contact for IA; and managing the Federal Register notice process for IA. RACA is also responsible for managing IA's Directives System, including providing templates, guidance, and assistance to programs developing and/or updating policies and procedures. Additionally, RACA provides oversight, assistance, and implementation of the CORE PLUS dispute resolution program within Indian Affairs.

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For Immediate Release: December 11, 2020

River rocks with timelapse water over it, creating a beautiful white foggy stream of water through a bed of river rock. Green trees in the background.

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/sweeney-announces-tribal-consultation-proposed-modernization-bia

Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Appointments of Charles Addington as Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement, Security and School Safety, Jason O’Neal as OJS Deputy Bureau Director

For Immediate Release:

January 15, 2021

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Sweeney today announced the appointment of Charles Addington as the Senior Advisor – Law Enforcement, Security and School Safety in the Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs and the appointment of Jason O’Neal as the Deputy Bureau Director for the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Office of Justice Services (BIA-OJS). The appointments become effective January 17, 2021.

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Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced today that it has once again made substantial progress in Fiscal Year 2020 to reduce the risk of wildfire nationwide, treating 1.5 million acres of public land. The Bureau of Indian Affairs treated more than 364,000 acres across Indian Country, which is a record for the bureau. This is a historic high that more than double’s BIA’s accomplishments from last year (~154,000 acres) and is twice what BIA’s four-year annual average is, which has hovered near 178,000 acres.

“President Trump set aggressive targets to more effectively and actively manage our rangelands and forests to prevent catastrophic wildfires. He took bold action on this issue, which had been missing in previous administrations,” said Secretary David L. Bernhardt. “Answering the call in hitting our significant milestones were our top-class wildland firefighter crews, who have been on the front lines working around the clock to conduct these preventative treatments and extinguish destructive blazes throughout the West this year. They deserve our unending appreciation.”

“Tribes that live on reservations, rancherias and pueblos depend on their land for physical, economic, cultural and their spiritual wellbeing,” said Assistant Secretary- Indian Affairs, Tara Sweeney. “I’m grateful President Trump, has elevated the importance of treating landscapes so that our Native communities and villages are not only protected from the threat of wildfires but have healthier, more diverse landscapes to call home.”

In December 2018, President Trump issued Executive Order 13855, directing the DOI and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote active management of America’s forests and rangelands to reduce wildfire risk. Additionally, Secretary Order 3372, issued in January 2019, builds upon the principles and priorities of Executive Order 13855, and requires that additional actions be taken by DOI bureaus to protect communities and prevent wildfires as they work to meet the mandates of Executive Order 13855.

“Not only are we treating more acres,” said Darryl LaCounte, Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, “monitoring data shows that our treatments are 96% effective. This demonstrates that our treatments are successfully protecting our communities and meeting our management goals.”

This important work has reduced hazardous fuel in fire-prone areas, provided important economic resources to local tribal communities, and improved firefighter safety and efficiency. These treatments are also helping firefighters keep wildfires small, controlling 99% of BIA’s wildfires in the first 24 hours, which is the highest initial attack rate of any bureau within the Department of the Interior.

This year, by embracing Active Management, Indian Country was able to:

Reduce overgrown vegetation across 364,816 acres, a new historic high.
Treat 159,819 acres of land infested with non-native and invasive species.

Harvest 80,000 acres of timber tribes depend on for economic revenue.
- Protect water quality and minimize post-wildfire threats across 1,181 acres, thereby preventing erosion, mudflows and other negative effects sometimes caused by high-intensity wildfires.

Active Management empowers greater collaborative investment opportunities, marrying Fuels Management with the management of tribal forestlands, woodlands and rangelands. Of the 57 million acres of Trust land, greater than 19.6 million acres of forest, woodland and rangelands (6.1 million acres of commercial forests) are at Very High to Moderate risk of Wildfire. Active Management supports the restoration and maintenance of these ecosystems. And, investments can return 2 to 30 times the cost of suppression in the form of Avoided Cost (a loss not yet incurred i.e. soil erosion, water quality).

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs directly administers and funds tribally operated infrastructure, 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 four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations.

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For Immediate Release: November 18, 2020

Wildland firefighter out in the field with raging fires in background

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/trump-administration-reduces-wildfire-risk-record-54-million-acres

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs John Tahsuda announced today that the Department of the Interior has signed an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon to guide implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations.

This is the second agreement of its kind signed between the Department and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. In July 2017, the Department announced new policies and a revised implementation schedule to maximize the consolidation of fractional interests. The revised schedule includes locations where the Program has been implemented previously, which enables more efficient implementation when the Program returns.

“By partnering with the Umatilla Confederated Tribes for a second round of implementation at their location, the Department will build off of our successful initial implementation and maximize the use of the funds from the Cobell Settlement,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Tahsuda. “The continued success of the Buy-Back Program will depend on collaborations with tribal governments and outreach to individual landowners. We look forward to working with the Umatilla Confederated Tribes to achieve our mutual goals.”

To date, the Department has entered into agreements with 47 tribal nations to cooperatively implement the Buy-Back Program. The agreements outline coordinated strategies to facilitate education about the Program to landowners, but are unique in time, scope and responsibilities based on particular circumstances at each location.

“The Umatilla Tribe welcomes the return of the Land Buy-Back Program to our reservation, which we see as a means to further our tribal priority of restoring our reservation land base as intended by our 1855 Treaty with the U.S. government,” said Gary Burke, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees.

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 10 years. Since the Program began making offers in December 2013, more than 760,000 interests and the equivalent of nearly 2.2 million acres of land have been transferred to tribal governments.

Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members. As a result of the Buy-Back Program, tribal ownership now exceeds 50 percent in more than 14,700 tracts of land. Returning fractionated lands to tribes in trust has enormous potential to improve tribal community resources by increasing home site locations, improving transportation routes, spurring economic development, easing approval for infrastructure and community projects, and preserving traditional cultural or ceremonial sites.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 or visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) to ask questions about their land or purchase offers, and learn about financial planning resources. More information and detailed frequently asked questions are available at Buy-Back Program FAQ to help individuals make informed decisions about their lands.

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For Immediate Release: March 1, 2018

Photo credit: Pat Hall-Walters, Walters Photography

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/confederated-tribes-umatilla-indian-reservation-sign-agreement

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney today announced she has approved leasing regulations for the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians in California. This is the 60th set of tribal leasing regulations approved under the Helping Expedite and Advance Responsible Tribal Home Ownership (HEARTH) Act since its passage in 2012 and the fifth under Indian Affairs' new policy expediting the processing of HEARTH applications.

With the Assistant Secretary’s action and pursuant to the act, the Band is now authorized to enter into business leases on its trust lands without further approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).

"The San Pasqual Band’s HEARTH regulations marks the 60th application to be approved since the act was passed and the latest under Indian Affairs' new policy for expediting such requests," said Assistant Secretary Sweeney. "I congratulate San Pasqual and all tribes with approved HEARTH regulations that are now enjoying the freedom to control leasing on their lands without having to go through the Bureau of Indian Affairs first. With our ability to more quickly process HEARTH applications, I encourage any tribe wishing to expand its leasing authority to submit a request."

HEARTH establishes the authority of federally recognized tribes to develop and implement their own laws governing the long-term leasing of Indian lands for residential, business, agricultural, renewable energy, and other purposes. Once a tribe’s HEARTH application is approved, it is authorized to negotiate and enter into leases without further approvals by the Secretary of the Interior.

Tribes may submit HEARTH applications for agricultural and business leases of tribal trust lands for a primary term of 25 years and up to two renewal terms of 25 years each. Leases of tribal trust lands for residential, recreational, religious or educational purposes may be executed for a primary term of up to 75 years.

Interested tribes may submit their regulations by mail to:

U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs
Office of Trust Services, Deputy Bureau Director–Trust Services
Attention: Division of Real Estate Services
1849 C Street, N.W., MS-4620-MIB
Washington, D.C. 20240

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs advises the Secretary of the Interior on Indian Affairs policy issues, communicates policy to and oversees the programs of the BIA and the BIE, provides leadership in consultations with tribes, and serves as the DOI official for intra- and inter-departmental coordination and liaison within the Executive Branch on Indian matters.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs directly administers and funds tribally operated infrastructure, 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 four offices: Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services, and Field Operations. The Office of Trust Services’ Division of Real Estate Services (DRES) administers the HEARTH Act review process for tribal leasing regulations applications.

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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/sweeney-announces-san-pasqual-band-diegueno-mission-indians-hearth

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

Originally Published by: The Cherokee Phoenix

By: Tara Katuk Sweeney, U.S. Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs

As an Inupiaq, I grew up north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska, home to some of the most remote communities in the United States. Arctic living requires resourcefulness, respect for nature, and, most importantly, strong connections to community members. You can’t make it on your own, and like all tribal communities, social connectivity and kinship are critical to survival.

Connectivity has taken on a new, important layer of meaning today: broadband.

Broadband internet now serves as a vital pillar of social infrastructure; quality broadband is necessary for education, health, commerce, and cultural retention and revitalization. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical need for accessible and reliable broadband connectivity, especially for American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.

I invite tribal leaders and staff, industry thought-leaders, small and big business representatives, and policy advocates to participate in the second annual National Tribal Broadband Summit (Summit) taking place on Sept. 21 – 25. The Summit will be virtual with a conference line option and feature expert panelists and speakers from industry and government. Indian Affairs is proud to co-sponsor the Summit with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.

Native people in Alaska and across Indian Country face significant challenges with accessibility to broadband when compared to non-tribal populations. Overall, broadband deployment across tribal areas lags 25 percent behind urban areas and an average of five points behind non-Tribal rural areas.

The Trump Administration has worked to carve out a long-term broadband policy focus, including accessible broadband for Bureau of Indian Education students. Recently, Indian Affairs installed broadband on 25 BIE buses to promote learning and help with homework on bus rides that can be hours-long for many students.

Indian Affairs also awarded the first National Tribal Broadband Grant to 25 tribes in August 2020. This grant facilitates the funding of feasibility studies for tribes to determine the best path forward for broadband deployment.

The Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, NTIA leadership and other federal partners have opened their doors to Indian Affairs for collaborative problem-solving.

Indian Affairs recently offered several tribes technical assistance on their applications to the FCC Tribal Priority Window for the 2.5 GHz spectrum, which allows tribes to bid on available 2.5 GHz spectrum. At the request of the tribes, Indian Affairs successfully advocated for FCC to extend the priority window deadline by 30 days to Sept. 2.

Indian Affairs strives to honor tribal treaty rights and live up to the federal trust responsibility. We seek to develop initiatives informed and guided by tribal leadership and invite private sector participation to amplify fresh ideas and highlight new sources of capital. Closing the broadband gap in Indian Country requires collaboration from and between government and industry.

The 2020 National Tribal Broadband Summit provides opportunities for collaboration and problem-solving with policy and industry experts. I encourage those interested to review the agenda and look for possibilities to make creative connections with the Summit participants. Innovative investing, effective and consultative federal policymaking, and strong tribal leadership can overcome the broadband gaps for tribal communities.

Connectivity in the traditional and cultural sense for tribal communities – like my own – is everything: kinship and social bonds create the foundation for community. In a technological sense, connectivity or internet access is everything: broadband facilitates communications and transactions vital to homes and businesses. Please work with me on securing accessible, affordable and reliable internet connectivity for tribal communities across the U.S. and join me at the National Tribal Broadband Summit on Sept. 21 – 25.

Tara Katuk Sweeney, an Iñupiat citizen of the Native Village of Barrow and the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, has served as assistant secretary for Indian Affairs at the Department of the Interior since June 2018. She also serves as a member of the Operation Lady Justice Task Force established by President Donald Trump’s Nov. 26, 2019, executive order on supporting and protecting Native American women and children.

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https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/case-you-missed-it-finding-solutions-bring-connectivity-alaska

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

PHOENIX, Arizona – As part of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan to cut carbon pollution and create clean energy jobs, on Wednesday, May 7, 2014, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell will make several major announcements related to energy development on tribal lands. The announcement will be held at the Heard Native American Museum at 1:00 pm MST.

Jewell will be joined by Deputy Secretary Mike Connor, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Roberts, a member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, and Bureau of Indian Affairs Director for the Western Region Bryan Bowker, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

As Chair of the White House Council on Native American Affairs, Secretary Jewell leads a comprehensive federal initiative to work more collaboratively and effectively with Tribes to advance their economic and social priorities. The Council’s Energy Subcommittee is, in part, focused on supporting tribal communities as they prepare for the impacts of climate change on their native lands, which includes goals outlined in the President’s Climate Action Plan to assess climate change vulnerabilities and develop regional solutions to combat its impacts.

WHO:

Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior
Mike Connor, Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Larry Roberts, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs
Bryan Bowker, Western Region Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs

WHAT: Press Conference on Tribal Energy

WHERE: Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art 2301 N. Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004

WHEN: Wednesday, May 7, 2014 12:45 pm MST – Media check-in 1:00 pm MST – Announcement

MEDIA: Media interested in attending the press conference are encouraged to RSVP here.

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/secretary-jewell-make-major-announcements-related-tribal-energy

Indian Affairs - Office of Public Affairs

WASHINGTON, DC – In another step to fulfill President Obama’s commitment to strengthen Indian communities, the U.S. Department of the Interior today announced that the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has sent purchase offers to nearly 16,000 individual landowners with fractionated interests in parcels on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Totaling more than $100 million, these offers will provide landowners the opportunity to voluntarily sell their fractionated interests, which would be consolidated and held in trust for the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

“The success of the Buy-Back Program is vitally important to the future of Indian Country,” said Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “Consolidating and returning these lands to tribes in trust will have enormous potential to unlock tribal community resources. While we know that it will be a challenge to reach all landowners, we are committed to exhausting all efforts to make sure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of tribal lands.”

The goal of the Buy-Back Program is to strengthen self-determination and self-governance for federally-recognized tribes. The Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value. Individuals who choose to sell their interests will receive payments directly in their IIM accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

Land fractionation is a serious problem across Indian Country. As individually-owned lands are passed down through several generations, they gain more and more owners. Many of these tracts now have hundreds and even thousands of individual owners. For many of these owners with fractionated interests, the land has very little practical value. Because it is difficult to gain landowner consensus on the use of these lands, the parcels often lie idle and cannot be used for any beneficial purpose.

The Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the most highly-fractionated land ownership locations in Indian Country. The vast majority of landowners with purchasable interests have received offers– and have been located in 46 states across the country.

Interior has worked cooperatively with the Oglala Sioux Tribe over the past several months to conduct outreach to educate landowners about this unique opportunity, answer questions and help individuals make a timely decision about their land. Many owners have already been paid in response to offers delivered in December 2013.

Early purchases from willing sellers at Pine Ridge have resulted in the consolidation of thousands of acres of land for the tribe and in payments to landowners exceeding $10 million. While the amounts offered to individuals have varied, some owners have received more than $100,000 for their interests. On average, payments to individuals have been made within seven days after Interior received a complete, accepted offer package.

Purchase offers are valid for 45 calendar days. Owners must accept and return current purchase offers for fractionated lands on Pine Ridge by May 2, 2014.

For information about outreach events at Pine Ridge where landowners can gather information in order to make informed decisions about their land, contact the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Buy-Back Program at 605-867-2610.

Landowners can contact their local Fiduciary Trust Officer or call the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers.

Sellers receive fair market value for their land, in addition to a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land. All sales will also trigger contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. Up to $60 million will go to this fund to provide scholarships to Native American students. These funds are in addition to purchase amounts paid to individual sellers, so contributions will not reduce the amount paid to landowners for their interests. The Scholarship Fund will be governed by a board of trustees and administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, Colo., with 20% going to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, N.M.

Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust or restricted status for American Indians. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 93,500 – on nearly 150 reservations – contain fractional ownership interests available for purchase by the Buy-Back Program. There are more than 245,000 landowners, holding more than 3 million fractionated interests in parcels, eligible to participate in the Program.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not jeopardize a landowner’s ability to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group.

https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/interior-announces-more-100-million-purchase-offers-nearly-16000

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OPA

Assistant Secretary Sweeney Announces Appointments of Charles Addington as Senior Advisor for Law Enforcement, Security and School Safety, Jason O’Neal as OJS Deputy Bureau Director

Bureau of Indian Affairs achieves presidential goal and sets new record high for removing hazardous fuel on more than 364,000 acres in FY 2020

Program works to consolidate fractionated lands, strengthen Tribal communities

Application is fifth processed under the new policy to streamline approvals

Offers Aim to Consolidate Fractionated Lands for Tribal Development; Will Be Valid for 45 Days as Part of $1.9 Billion Land Buy-Back Program