Cobell Lawsuit & Settlement | National

Deadlines approaching for over $100M in land buy-back offers






A view of the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon. Photo from Facebook

The Interior Department is reminding individual Indians of upcoming deadlines in the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations.

More than $100 million in offers recently went out to landowners on five reservations. The deadlines to accept are coming up on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Arizona (March 6), the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana (March 7), the Coeur d'Alene Reservation in Idaho (March 23), the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon (March 30) and the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota (April 20).

Participation in the program is entirely voluntary. Response rates have varied on each reservation but have generally ranged between 30 percent to 40 percent.

The $3.4 billion Cobell settlement provided $1.9 billion for Indian landowners who want to sell their fractionated interests. DOI will pay "fair market value" as required by the Indian Land Consolidation Act.

Since the program started in November 2013, DOI has paid nearly $340 million to individual Indians, according to a press release. The equivalent of more than 540,000 acres has been restored to tribes.

Get the Story:
Deadline Approaching for Land Purchase Offers on Pine Ridge (AP 2/23)

Join the Conversation

Related Stories:
DOI signs land buy-back cooperative agreements with two tribes (01/30)
Osage Nation expects to see $7.4M in Cobell consolidation offers (1/27)
DOI sends $20M in land-buy back offers on Salt River Reservation (01/16)
DOI signs land buy-back agreements with Washington tribes (1/13)
Umatilla Tribes acquire 4K acres with Cobell buy-back program (12/23)
DOI makes $9M in buy-back offers on Coeur d'Alene Reservation (12/17)
DOI sends $1.5M in buyback offers on Squaxin Island Reservation (12/10)
Michael Connor: Making strides with Cobell land buy-back program (12/04)
ICT interview with DOI deputy secretary on Cobell buy-backs (11/21)
DOI issues status report on Cobell land consolidation program (11/20)
DOI official to give update on Cobell land consolidation program (11/19)
DOI expects 30 percent response rate on Cobell buyback offers (10/27)
DOI makes $63.5M in land offers on Lake Traverse Reservation (10/10)
DOI sends $298M in offers to landowners on Crow Reservation (10/6)
Montana tribe expects a second round of Cobell buy-back offers (09/26)
DOI offers $9.4M for Cobell buy-backs on Umatilla Reservation (09/16)
Cobell buy-back program includes base offer of $75 for interests (09/10)
DOI expands Cobell buy-back program to four more reservations (9/8)
Gila River Indian Community to see $77.6M from Cobell buy-back (08/29)
DOI extends $100M in Cobell buy-back offers on two reservations (8/28)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes see $7.4M for buyback (08/21)
Deadline approaches for buyback on Rosebud Sioux Reservation (08/05)
Audio from House subcommittee hearing on five tribal measures (07/29)
Jay Daniels: Land consolidation program isn't really working (07/22)
Cobell buy-back agreements come with little money for tribes (07/17)
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe signs agreement for Cobell buy-back (07/16)
DOI enters Cobell land buy-back agreements with Montana tribes (07/09)
Rep. Daines introduces bill for tribal control of Cobell buy-back (07/03)
SDPR: Buy-back program offers $50M on Rosebud Reservation (06/27)
DOI sends out $50M in buy-back offers on Rosebud Reservation (6/25)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes waiting on appraisals (06/19)
Coeur d'Alene Tribe waiting on appraisals for Cobell buy-back (06/13)
DOI allocates $4.1M on Cobell buy-back for Coeur d'Alene Tribe (6/11)
DOI plans to spend $12M in buy-back funds for Umatilla Tribes (6/10)
Lawmakers want tribes to run Cobell land buy-back program (6/6)
DOI enters Cobell buy-back agreements with three more tribes (05/29)
DOI sets agenda for Cobell buy-back listening session on May 29 (05/23)
DOI extends Cobell buy-back program on Pine Ridge Reservation (5/20)
DOI looks to spend $100M on Navajo Nation for Cobell buy-back (5/19)
DOI targets 21 reservations for next phase of Cobell buy-back (5/16)
DOI to announce next steps for Cobell land buy-back program (5/14)
DOI extends $1.6M buyback offers for Makah Nation landowners (05/09)
DOI to hold listening session on Cobell land buy-back program (04/30)
DOI looks to spend $2.55M on Makah Nation land buy-back (04/21)
Ten reservations account for biggest share of Cobell buyback (04/17)
DOI extends $1.2M in offers to Makah Reservation landowners (04/15)
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate reach agreement for Cobell buy-back (04/08)
Rep. Young open to an extension for Cobell buy-back program (4/4)
Audio from House subcommittee hearing on Cobell land buyback (4/3)
Larry Roberts: Answers about the Cobell land buy-back program (4/3)
DOI makes transfer of nearly $580K into Cobell scholarship fund (4/2)
Members of Oglala Sioux Tribe respond to Cobell buyback offers (3/28)
House subcommittee to hold hearing on land buy-back program (03/24)
DOI land buy-back boosts economy on Pine Ridge Reservation (03/19)
DOI announces $100M in land offers on Pine Ridge Reservation (3/18)