FY 2013 Land Buy Back Program

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The Secretary of the Interior established the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations to implement the land consolidation provisions of the Cobell Settlement Agreement, which provided $1.9 billion to consolidate fractional land interests across Indian Country. The Buy-Back Program allows interested individual owners to sell their land and transfer ownership of their interests to the tribe of jurisdiction. This effort will strengthen tribal sovereignty and put decision-making in the hands of the tribal government, freeing up resources that have been locked-up as land interests have fractionated over time. The Buy-Back Program is in the process of launching the first phase of its implementation effort with a diverse group of tribes which will be given the opportunity to submit cooperative agreement applications to the Program. Outreach will continue with additional tribal nations as efforts continue for this initial phase. While the Buy-Back Program plans to implement the program at as many reservations as possible, initial efforts will help Interior work through implementation challenges to inform future efforts and allow for greater speed and efficiency as personnel continue their outreach. Interested tribes not selected for this initial effort will have the opportunity to participate in the Program in the future; including the opportunity to apply for cooperative agreements. PLEASE NOTE: this is a 10-year program. The expiration on this posting reflects this current opportunity, and new opportunities will be posted for each successive year.

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