[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 193 (Monday, October 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 57704]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25232]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians


Working Group on Land Consolidation Program

AGENCIES: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior; Office of the Special 
Trustee for American Indians, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: On April 22, 2003, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the 
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) in the 
Department of the Interior filed a Federal Register notice (68 FR 
19845) calling for nominations of Tribal officials to participate in a 
working group to address the rapidly increasing fractionation of 
ownership of Indian land. This fractionation is due to the system of 
allotments established by the General Allotment Act of 1887. The 
President's fiscal year (FY) 2004 Budget incorporates a request for a 
significant increase for the Indian Land Consolidation program aimed at 
reducing the number of individual owners in parcels of Indian lands 
allotted to individuals. The Department has been actively working with 
tribal groups on the issue and will therefore not be convening a new 
working group.

DATES: Effective on the date of publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  ATTN: Terry Virden, Deputy 
Commissioner for Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Room 4160, 
1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240, or ATTN: Donna Erwin, Acting 
Special Trustee, Office of Special Trustee for American Indians, Room 
5140, 1849 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The allotment of Indian lands--dividing 
tribal lands into small parcels and allocating those parcels to 
individual Indians--became federal policy in 1887 with the enactment of 
the General Allotment Act. By the 1930s, however, it was widely 
accepted that the policy was a failure and, in 1934 it was ended with 
passage of the first Indian Reorganization Act. Interests in these 
alloted lands started to ``fractionate'' as interests divided among the 
heirs of the original allottees, expanding rapidly with every 
generation.
    Today, there are approximately four million owner interests in the 
10 million acres of individually-owned trust lands, and these four 
million interests could expand to 11 million interests by 2030. 
Moreover, there are an estimated 1.4 million fractional interests of 2 
percent or less involving 58,000 tracks of individually-owed trust and 
restricted lands. There are not single pieces of property with 
ownership interests that are less than 0.000002 percent of the whole 
interest.
    Addressing this issue is critical to improving the management of 
trust assets. The Department of the Interior, the Department in which 
the BIA and OST are located, is bound by its trust obligations to 
maintain ownership records, and in some cases to collect and distribute 
income for each Indian owner's interest, regardless of size. Reduction 
of fractional interests will increase the likelihood of more productive 
economic use of the land, reduce record keeping and large numbers of 
small dollar financial transactions, and decrease the number of 
interests subject to probate.
    Starting in 2004, the BIA will oversee the National Indian Land 
Consolidation Program. The Department has established an internal 
working group that has actively met with tribal organizations, such as 
the Indian Land Working Group and the National Congress of American 
Indians, to discuss fractionation, the problems associated with 
fractionation, and possible solutions to problems. Since the Department 
is actively working with tribal organizations, the Department will not 
be convening another fractionation working group.

    Dated: September 10, 2003.
Aurene M. Martin,
Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 03-25232 Filed 10-03-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-M