The Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing on Tuesday on a bill to return 63,000 acres of forest land to the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians of Oregon.

The tribes were terminated in 1954 and lost their reservation. Under S.868, the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Restoration Amendments Act of 2003, the tribes would get part of the Siuslaw National Forest. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) is sponsoring the bill.

The Bush administration, through Agriculture Undersecretary Mark Rey, testified against the bill. Rey said the land transfer would set a precedent for other tribes. He said the tribe should not be given total control to manage the land.

An environmental group called the Oregon Natural Resources Council also opposed the transfer and tribal control. But Peter Wakeland, the director of natural resources for the Grand Ronde Tribes of Oregon, testified of the successes his tribe has achieved in managing forest lands.

Get the Story:
Smith pushes land for tribe (AP 3/31)
Senate panel considers Indian forest management (Bend.Com 3/30)

Relevant Documentsl:
Senate Witness List | Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Restoration Amendments Act of 2003 (S.868)

Relevant Links:
Confederated Tribes of The Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuislaw Indians - http://www.ctclusi.org

Related Stories:
Bill would return 63,000 acres to terminated tribes (12/16)
Ore. tribe hopes to reclaim old national guard base (09/09)
Ore. tribes getting shot at reclaiming land (08/25)
BIA forgets to seek surplus property for tribe (07/25)
Opinion: Don't let BIA manage forest land (05/09)
Ore. tribe seeks restored land base and casino (04/01)