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FacebookRight now, the feds are required to respond to any written comments submitted to them on the copy.9 billionCobellsettlement plan to buy your fractionated land and minerals. Tell the feds that you are keeping your land and minerals for your descendants. You’re not selling.
Due to the comment deadline ending next week, individual tribal land and mineral owners—and their family members—should email or mail their comments NOW opposing this plan to purchase lands and minerals through a one-time payment based on a “mass estimate” of the value of both your fractionated lands and minerals. Under this expedited and rushed plan – due to an arbitrary 10-year deadline – no actual appraisal of your land and minerals will be done.
Your e-mailed or written comments objecting to this plan are needed by or before next Monday, March 4, 2013…
The notice about this Cobell land plan, including the federal requirement to accept and respond to your comments, is in the online Federal Register Volume 77, Number 245 (Thursday, December 20, 2012)] [Notices] [Pages 75442-75443.]
You only have until next Monday, March 4, 2013 to email your comments to:buybackprogram@ios.doi.govor either send a written letter by mail, post-marked, to U.S. Department of the Interior, MS-7323-MIB, 1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC 20240.
According to this online Federal Register notice, you can also email or callAnthony.Walters@bia.gov; (202) 513-0897 for more information.
Theodora Bird Bear is an enrolled tribal member of the Three Affiliated Tribes, a long-term Mandaree resident, and a postal patron of the Mandaree post office.
Read more athttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/time-running-out-contact-feds-147918Read more athttp://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/opinion/time-running-out-contact-feds-147918
Thank you for the information I will do that I believe the buy back program is’nt fair, I dont know how they do their appraisals. The lands should’nt be so fractionated if anything the settlement should help us consolidate with other landowners. I’ve seen some of the landowner’s appraisals pricing both surface and mineral at a real low price. When are the Indian landowners going to be treated fair? Maybe if we were paid fair when leasing or ROWS on our lands/minerals of what our lands are really worth people would not even consider selling thier lands. This land is all we have left of our ancestors.