The Navajo Nation is fighting attempts by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to cut road maintenance funds in half.
The fiscal year 2009 budget proposes $13 million for road maintenance, down from $26 million.
The Bush administration justifies the cut by saying tribes can obtain money under SAFETEA-LU programs at the Department of Transportation.
But the Navajo Nation says a section of SAFETEA-LU appears to bar BIA from doing just that.
The provision states that the BIA “shall continue to retain primary responsibility, including annual funding request responsibility, for road maintenance programs on Indian reservations.”
The budget cut would reduce the tribe's share of road funds to $3 million. “If this happens there is going to be a reduction of road maintenance operations on Navajo by 50 percent. We’re going to lose or lay off approximately 35 of our Navajo work force from the Road Maintenance program," Navajo Nation Council delegate Samson Begay said, The Gallup Independent reported.
Get the Story:Interior wants to cut tribal road maintenance funds (The Gallup Independent 3/26) FY2009 Budget:
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