Here is the Washington Post�s version of
the report on Indian lands oil leases. I did not find anything on this in
the NYT. - Karen
Excerpts:
Report Finds Oil Firms Paid Indians Less for Land
Special
Master Urges Full Probe of Leases
By
Carol D. Leonnig, Washington Post Staff Writer, Thursday, August 21, 2003;
Page A21 @ http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23434-2003Aug20.html
Oil
and gas companies paid Indians whose land is managed by the government just
a fraction of the amounts they paid private landowners for the right to run
pipelines across their property, arrangements that were approved by Interior
Department officials, according to an investigative court report released
yesterday.
For
natural gas and oil pipelines running across the San Juan basin in New
Mexico, for example, utility companies paid $25 to $40 for the right to
cross every 51/2 yards of Navajo land managed by the government. But on
adjoining properties, the investigation found, the companies paid $140 to
$577 to cross the same amount of land owned and managed by private
individuals and companies.
A
special master appointed by a federal judge in Washington released the
findings yesterday, urging the judge to end the disparities and order a full
investigation into how Interior Department officials value leases for Indian
lands they control.
The
special master, Alan L. Balaran, also reported that the Interior
Department's chief appraiser of Indian trust land admitted destroying his
computerized appraisal records last fall and misplacing key documents
relating to how he valued Indian properties in New Mexico and Arizona.
The
Native American groups have been involved in a seven-year legal battle with
the Interior Department that seeks a fair accounting of government-managed
Indian lands and money, one of the largest class-action lawsuits in U.S.
history, with 300,000 plaintiffs. U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth has
already determined that the government failed in its fiduciary
responsibilities to the Indians and is trying to determine damages and how
to repair the system.
The
Indian groups said they would sue
the department again
for damages based on Balaran's conclusions. They said they would seek
uncollected revenue that would have been generated by leasing the rights at
fair market value, and contended the government conspired with utility
companies to keep lease rates low.
"Why
are Indians getting pennies on the dollar for what others get?" asked
Keith
Harper,
attorney with the Native American Rights Fund. "These people are essentially
being robbed of their inheritance. You have sweetheart deals with oil and
gas companies. And you have the top people at Interior saying it's okay, and
aiding this corrupt practice."
Interior officials responded that they
had asked Lamberth to remove Balaran from his post, alleging Balaran is
biased in favor of Native Americans. "This
is clearly another faulty and biased report from the special master," said
Interior Department spokesman Dan DuBray. "We believe an independent,
objective�review of Interior's appraisal activity will find it is reasonable
and appropriate." (end of excerpts)
Outgoing mail scanned by NAV
2002
