Interior Secretary Sally Jewell speaks with leaders of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on August 20. She is pictured here with Chairman Ron Trahan, right, and Sen. Jon Tester (D-Montana). Photo from Sen. Tester / Facebook

The Interior Department will be expanding the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations to four more reservations in the coming weeks.

DOI just made $8.3 million in offers to landowners from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana. Responses are due October 24, according to a press release.

Additional offers will be made in the next several weeks to landowners on the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon, the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in Idaho, the Sisseton Wahpeton Reservation in South Dakota and the Crow Reservation in Montana. The dollar values will likely be announced after mailings go out.

“The success of the Buy-Back Program is reflected in our ongoing collaborations with tribal governments and active outreach to individual owners,” Deputy Secretary Michael Connor said in a press release. “We know that tribal leaders can best explain the value of reducing fractionated lands and the significant benefit to Indian Country, and we are committed to making sure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of Indian lands.”

The $3.4 billion Cobell settlement provided $1.9 billion for Indian landowners who want to sell their fractionated interests. DOI will pay "fair market value" as required by the Indian Land Consolidation Act.

Since the program started last winter, DOI has successfully concluded $103 million in transactions, according to today's press release. Nearly 265,000 acres have been transferred to tribal governments.

Get the Story:
Press Release: Land Buy-Back Program Tops $100 Million in Payments to American Indian Landowners with Fractionated Interests (DOI 9/8)

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