The Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Program (CTLCP) is part of the $3.4 billion Indian Trust Settlement resulting from the Cobell v. Salazar class action lawsuit. As part of the Settlement, $1.9 billion is earmarked for the development of the Trust Land Consolidation Program, an effort to address the growing problem of fractionated ownership through the consolidation of undivided interests in Indian trust land titles.
Why is action critical now?
Because of the substantial resources involved, this program has the potential to have a huge impact on tribal land management and tribal economies. However, the success of this program depends entirely on how well it responds to the distinct needs and interests of the Indian nations who participate.
On February 2, 2012 the Department of the Interior released the Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Draft Plan. DOI is currently seeking comments on the plan, which are due April 3, 2012. ILTF is encouraging Indian nations from across the U.S. whose reservations have allotted lands to make their voices heard, and soon.
Next Steps
ILTF president, Cris Stainbrook recently submitted a letter and comments on the Draft Plan to Secretary Salazar. A copy of the letter and those comments were sent to tribal leaders throughout Indian Country. They are also provided here along with the original comments ILTF submitted after the regional consultation meetings held last fall (see below). Please feel free to use any of these materials to develop your own letter and comments on the Draft Plan.
Letter to Tribal Leaders, 03-12
Letter to Secretary Salazar, 03-12 (PDF)
Letter to Secretary Salazar, 03-12 (Word Document - This version of the letter to Secretary Salazar is editable.)
ILTF Comments Submitted after the Regional Consultation Meetings, 10-11
Deadline to submit comments: April 3, 2012.
Comments should be sent to:
Elizabeth Appel
Bureau of Indian Affairs
1001 Indian School Road NW, Suite 312
Albuquerque, NM 87104
Announcements
March 16, 2012
Interior Extends Public Comment Period on Cobell Land Consolidation Draft Plan
February 3, 2012
National Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform Announces First Meeting
February 2, 2012
Interior Seeks Comments on Cobell Land Consolidation Draft Plan
Cobell Land Consolidation Program Draft Plan
June 13, 2011
First Regional Tribal Consultation on Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Program Announced
Deputy Secretary David Hayes Letter - Trust Land Consolidation Program
December 8, 2009
Secretary Ken Salazar Letter - Individual Indian Trust Management
Learn More About the Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Program
Consultations on Cobell Trust Land Consolidation
This BIA website contains up-to-date information about consultation meetings and other news related to the program.
Indian Trust Settlement
This website is managed by the Cobell v. Salazar plaintiffs and contains all relevant up-to-date information about the Settlement.
Tribal Leaders' Trust Land Consolidation Program Meeting
On September 20, 2011, Indian Land Tenure Foundation facilitated a meeting of tribal leaders and tribal land managers on reservations directly impacted by the Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Programon. The meeting was held at Grand Casino Hinckley, Minnesota and was hosted by Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe with support from the Ho-Chunk Nation. Representatives from 27 tribes participated and helped to shape the Foundation's recommendations.
The comments ILTF developed as a result of this meeting and additional feedback it received afterwards are provided in the link below. These comments were submitted for consideration to Secretary Salazar.
Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Program - ILTF Comments
The following materials were shared with all meeting attendees and those who were invited but could not attend.
Recommendations from the Cobell Settlement Tribal Consultations on Indian Land Consolidation Program
Land Consolidation Survey Results
Quinault Indian Nation, Land Consolidation Under the Cobell Settlement (PowerPoint)
Quinault Indian Nation, Testimony at the Seattle Regional Tribal Consultation Meeting
Fort Peck Comments on Land Consolidation Plan under the Cobell Settlement
OIG Report - Coordination of Efforts to Address Indian Land Fractionation
OIG Report - Indian Land Consolidation Advisory: Need for an Appraisal Tracking System
OIG Report - Indian Land Consolidation Advisory: Mass Appraisals of Indian Lands
Indian Land Consolidation Program Background
ILTF believes the original Indian Land Consolidation Program (ILCP), while well intentioned, was fundamentally flawed, and that tribal input of suggested improvements for the new Cobell Trust Land Consolidation Program is imperative.
The original program was designed to assist in the reduction of fractionation of Indian land titles across those reservations that were allotted. The program’s stated mission is:
“To acquire as many fractionated interests as economically feasible; to consolidate these land interests into tribal ownership to enable better tribal utilization; management, promote and enhance tribal self-determination, economic, social, and cultural development needs while reducing government administrative costs.”
As most tribes and tribal members know, fractionation of land ownership reduces the ability of tribes and individual Indian landowners to realize the full potential of the land assets. Many cases of severe fractionation have resulted in an undue amount of decision making authority in the hands of the federal government’s bureaucracy.
The federal government is now trying to solve the problem it created long ago by using $1.9 billion of the settlement funds to buy back undivided interests from tribal members. Unfortunately, the federal government has shown little or no interest in conducting this program in the best interests of the tribes or Indian people as demonstrated by their failure to work with existing tribal consolidation programs.
Now tribes have the opportunity to put programming in place to make this land consolidation program meet tribal goals and assist tribal members.
