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Message: <blockquote data-quote="BrockW" data-source="post: 418430" data-attributes="member: 5910">H.R. 2405/ S.1088[ATTACH=full]68860[/ATTACH]Currently, there is approximately 37,000 acres of surface Trust lands within reservations. Most of which are in the standing rock reservation. If this bill passes those acres would then belong to the tribe. The state would then get to pick from another approx 180,000 acres of mineral acres from the BLM that would be transferred to the state.This transfer would happen no public involvement, no public comment, and could result in a huge loss of public land acres in western ND. It’s important to note that it’s not a guarantee this bill results in a negative impact to public land holdings.  But again, it could result in a significant loss of public land depending one the details of the transfer.North Dakota BHA wants transparency in this process. We may not oppose certain transfers if it’s a fair deal for the public hunters.  But we want to know which acres of surface and mineral are being targeted, and why the Tribe is not being asked to trade 10,000 acres they’ve purchased outside of the fort berthold on the SW corner of the reservation. See below.Red line is approx reservation boundary[ATTACH=full]68863[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]68865[/ATTACH]With any public land transfer the public should be able to participate in the process and comment on which lands they are ok with transferring and which they are not.Instead, our federal delegation will not respond to any requests about transparency and will not give any information as to which acres (surface or mineral) are being targeted.The trust lands department has already sold off over 70% of the lands granted at statehood through the enabling act.  And there is nothing that would prevent them from trading lands and then turning around selling them off. I will update when I know more.  For now, we are opposing this bill due to a lack of transparency.  We do not support open ended land transfers that could result in the loss of 10s of thousand of acres of public land, public access, and public hunting opportunities.</blockquote>

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