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WEDNESDAY, JULY 25, 2001

The leaders of three Connecicut town wrote a letter to the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation on Tuesday, asking for clarification on the tribe's offer to limit the land it wants taken into trust.

The tribe has offered to limit its land-into-trust applications to 880 acres for the next 35 years. The tribe said it will help reimburse the towns for lost taxes on any trust land and submit development plans for their approval.

In response, the towns want to know which parcels of land in particular the tribe wants take into trust. They also want clarification on how the payments will be calculated and on which parcels of land wil be covered.

The towns also want to know if the tribe will help study the financial and economic impact of casinos on their communities.

The towns of Ledyard, North Stonington and Preston have been fighting the tribe's attempts to seek trust lands. Along with the state of Connecticut, they recently lost a lawsuit affecting 165 acres of land the tribe owns.

In order to help resolve the dispute, the tribe and the towns have been meeting at the request of freshman Congressman Rob Simmons (R-Conn.). A third meeting is scheduled for August 20.

Get the Story:
Towns respond to tribe letter (The Norwich Bulletin 7/25)
Towns ask whether tribe will pay taxes (The New London Day 7/25)

Relevant Links:
Attorney General, Connecticut - http://www.cslib.org/attygenl
Rep. Rob Simmons - http://www.house.gov/simmons

Relevant Court Decisions:
Connecticut v. Babbitt No. 99-6042. (2nd Cir September 25, 2000)

Related Stories:
Pequot Tribe offers to limit trust lands (7/23)
Pequot Tribe proposes third meeting with foes (7/10)
Judge approves land-into-trust lawsuit delay (7/2)
Towns steadfast on opposing trust land (6/26)
Conn. town reconsidering Pequot views (6/22)
Pequot meeting called productive (6/20)
Towns not satisfied with Pequot offer (6/19)
Pequot tribe, foes to meet again (6/18)
Next Pequot meeting date set (6/5)
Pequot Tribe, foes to meet (6/1)
Second Pequot meeting date not yet set (5/30)
DOJ to watch Pequot land talks (5/24)
Pequot paper runs special edition (5/23)
Pequot Tribe proposes June meeting (5/16)
Anti-Pequot towns have hope in case (5/8)
EDITORIAL: Tribe, towns continue talking (5/4)
Towns: Pequot Tribe too rich (5/3)
EDITORIAL: Pequot tribe too affluent (5/2)
Supreme Court turns down Pequot land case (5/1)
White Man, Indian exchange gifts (4/17)