The Interior Department will hold the first consultation meeting for the land consolidation portion of the Indian trust fund settlement in Billings, Montana, on July 15.

The meeting takes place from 9am to 4pm at the Holiday Inn Grand Montana Hotel & Convention Center, 5500 Midland Road. Additional information can be found in this forthcoming Federal Register notice.

“These regional consultations will provide valuable input in developing an implementation strategy that will benefit tribal communities and help free up trust lands,” Deputy Secretary David Hayes said in a press release. “The consultation process is fundamental to respecting our government-to-government relationship with the tribes and I look forward to meeting with Tribal Leaders from the Rocky Mountain and Great Plains regions.”

The settlement provides $1.5 billion for DOI to buy highly fractionated interests from willing Indian landowners. The interests will then be transferred to tribal governments.

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