Seminole Tribe spends millions to acquire land


The Seminole Tribe has spent more than $35 million over the past decade to acquire land in Broward County, Florida.

The 105 acres surround the tribe's casinos in Coconut Creek and Hollywood. So far, the tribe has asked the Bureau of Indian Affairs to place 44 acres in trust.

"As a general proposition, we are an advocate for helping tribes, but the secretary of the Interior is under no obligation to approve an application to take land into trust," George Skibine, the number two official at the BIA, told The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "There are a lot of factors taken into consideration, but I would say, if the land is on the reservation or contiguous to a reservation, the process will favor the tribe."

Local officials are worried about the loss of tax revenue once the land is taken into trust. The tribe has said it will reduce the size of its application to 24 acres.

Get the Story:
Towns worry they'll lose control and tax revenue as Seminoles buy land (The South Florida Sun-Sentinel 12/17)
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