Editorial: North Dakota tribe needs bigger share of energy tax

Wednesday, October 10, 2012  

"Oil development on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation could profoundly change life there for the better. It’s an opportunity for stable employment for people living on the reservation and, eventually, for better housing and services for those citizens. Managed well, it’s also an chance to build an economic infrastructure on the reservation for the future.

But like state government, tribal officials are playing catch up. Reservation roads are being pulverized by industrial traffic. There’s a housing shortage. Potential workers need training. In short, tribal leaders are facing the same issues that city, county and state leaders face in the oil patch.

Many of those issues take money. The state Legislature has pumped a steady flow of oil tax revenues back to eight western oil-producing counties for road repair and construction, the building of schools and leveraging new housing.

The same needs to happen with Fort Berthold. The tribe needs resources to meet its challenges just as Watford City or Williams County do."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Fort Berthold mirrors rest of oil patch (The Bismarck Tribune 10/10)

North Dakota tribe seeks a bigger share of energy tax revenue (10/9)
AlterNet: North Dakota tribe deals with impact of energy boom (9/24)