The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe is praising a proposed rule that will address land-into-trust appeals.

The rule eliminates a 30-day waiting period when the Bureau of Indian Affairs approves a land-into-trust application. The tribe says the proposal will help speed up the process.

“We fully support the Obama administration’s plan to help tribes acquire land without the threat of delays or frivolous lawsuits”, Chairman Cedric Cromwell said in a press release today.

The tribe has submitted a land-into-trust application for two locations in Massachusetts. One site is for its headquarters in the town of Mashpee and the other is for a gaming facility in the city of Taunton.

The tribe's application is due for a decision in the coming months so it's not likely the rule will go into effect before that happens. But Cromwell nonetheless said it was a welcome development.

The BIA is accepting comments on the rule until July 29.

Federal Register Notice:
Land Acquisitions: Appeals of Land Acquisition Decisions (May 29, 2013)

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