Tribal Land Buy-Back Program Offers Sent to Landowners with Fractional Interests at Pala and Sycuan Indian Reservations

Date: June 6, 2017
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today announced that nearly 600 landowners with fractional interests at the Pala and Sycuan Indian Reservations in California have been sent purchase offers from the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). Landowners have 45 days to consider and return accepted offers in the pre-paid postage envelopes provided.

Since the Program began making offers in December 2013, more than $1.1 billion has been paid to landowners, almost 700,000 fractional interests have been consolidated, and the equivalent of over 2.1 million acres of land has been transferred to tribal governments.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust from willing sellers at fair market value. Interests consolidated through the Program are restored to tribal trust ownership. Tribal ownership now exceeds 50 percent in more than 13,600 tracts of land, strengthening tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Offers are currently outstanding for landowners with fractional land interests at:

• Yakama – deadline June 19, 2017
• Winnebago – deadline July 3, 2017
• Omaha – deadline July 7, 2017
• Sycuan – deadline July 14, 2017
• Pala – deadline July 17, 2017

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 or visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) to ask questions about their land or purchase offers, and learn about financial planning resources. More information and detailed frequently asked questions are available at  to help individuals make informed decisions about their land.

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