After seeking a number of extensions, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has dropped efforts to acquire surplus U.S. Navy property for the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island.

In a letter to the Navy, the BIA says it doesn't have enough time to obtain an appraisal of the land or estimate the costs of remediation. The BIA also says it can't accept the land from the Navy in "as-is" condition.

The letter apparently did not say whether the land be acquired for the tribe in light of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Carcieri v. Salazar. The court said the tribe can't follow the land-into-trust process because it wasn't "under federal jurisdiction" in 1934.

It's also not clear whether the BIA still plans to acquire the land for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts. The tribe did not gain federal recognition until the 1980s.

Get the Story:
Narragansett Indians still seeking Navy land in RI (The Providence Journal 12/8)

Related Stories:
BIA seeks another extension for surplus land (8/19)
BIA granted extension to acquire surplus land (7/24)
BIA seeks more time to acquire land for tribes (7/14)
Narragansett Tribe seeks surplus Navy property (06/10)
Tribes interested in surplus Navy properties (4/10)