Corps Announces Public Information Meetings
Corp of Engineers – Public Meetings on the Lake Sakakawea Land Transfers and FAQ Web Address:
| Corps announces public information meetings on land transfer to tribe 30,000 acres impacted — meetings June 22 (Bismarck), June 23 (New Town) OMAHA, NE –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will host two public meetings in June to share and discuss the May 6, 2015 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Secretaries of the Department of the Army (Army) and Department of the Interior (Interior). The MOA sets forth the process for transferring administrative jurisdiction over certain Garrison Project lands no longer needed for the construction, maintenance and operation of the project to be held in trust for the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation). The MOA was authorized by Public Law 98-602, the Fort Berthold Mineral Restoration Act (FBMRA). The scheduled meetings are as follows: Wednesday, June 22 – Bismarck, North Dakota Heritage Center At each location, the public can visit one-on-one with agency officials from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to learn about the decision, hear about the proposed implementation and ask questions. A formal presentation will be made on the MOA, Final Effects Report and proposed implementation starting at 6:30 p.m. After the presentation Corps and BIA officials will be available to answer questions. The MOA was executed in May 2015, but funds to implement the MOA were not available at that time. Funding was received by the Corps in April 2016. The MOA, itself, does not transfer jurisdiction over the lands, but describes the process. The MOA provides that the current land use will continue unchanged after the transfer; that public access will be granted, and prohibits residential development, mineral harvesting or other activities that could threaten the operation of the Garrison Project. The Corps will retain management of Recreation and Wildlife Management lands. The Corps will also discuss the final Effects Report. The final Effects Report provides all the information gathered during the process and includes the justification for the final determination. After consideration of public comments, the Corps has confirmed that lands classified as vegetative management will be transferred. A copy of the MOA signed by Army and Interior is available on the web at Also, here’s a link to the Corps frequently asked questions on the land transfer: |