Hall on land transfer: "we will move forward"
By JILL DENNING GACKLE
BHG News Service
Tex Hall, chairman of the Three Affiliated Tribes, continues to stand firm on the return of land around Lake Sakakawea on the Fort Berthold Reservation to the tribe.
In a letter received Friday by the governor’s office, Hall called for no further delays in returning 24,000 to the Tribe.
The letter to Gov. Jack Dalrymple said, "The MHA nation is committed to working with the state on this issue, however, we will move forward whether the state is ready or not." Hall said Congress already authorized the return of the lands in the 1984 Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act. He said in the letter, "The MHA Nation does not agree with your attempts to rewrite or debate the terms of the law."
Hall said that although the tribe thinks it is entitled to 36,000 acres, it understands the Corps determined that 12,000 acres are still needed for the project. He said he agreed that the Corps will continue to manage the wildlife and recreation areas surrounding Lake Sakakawea providing the same level of public access as currently permitted. He said that includes Van Hook and Deep Water Bay Wildlife management areas, which the governor expressed concern for in an earlier letter to Hall.
