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Indian Land Consolidation Act (ILCA)

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The Indian Land Consolidation Center (ILCC) is under the direction of the Director, who is responsible to the Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). The Director of the Indian Land Consolidation Program (ILCP) coordinates the nationwide acquisition program. The Director establishes a systematic strategy to expand the program to reservations nationwide. She establishes policies, develops and implements cooperative agreements, provides technical assistance, and provides oversight, direction, monitoring, and program evaluation. The Director coordinates with the BIA, the Department of the Interior (DOI), Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Congress, other governmental entities and tribal entities. The Director serves as the representative for the Director, BIA with the responsibility to work toward expanding the ILCP to all the Federally-recognized tribes which have fractionated lands.

The ILCC has two (2) Deputy Directors, who work directly under the Director.

The Deputy Director for Administration (Program Specialist) serves as the designated official for maintaining and discharging the administrative aspects of the program. She works closely with the budget offices of both the BIA and the Office of the Special Trustee (OST). She is responsible to implement strategies to achieve Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) goals, budget Goal Performance, Activity Based Costing and Management, internal controls, contract support, personnel oversight, program planning, and asset management. The Deputy Director for Administration works closely with federal entities, tribal governments, Native American leaders and organizations.

The Deputy Director for Procedures (Natural Resource Specialist) serves as the designated official for maintaining and discharging the procedural aspects of the program. He creates efficiencies to achieve GPRA goals through development of policies and directives, concepts for program software, developing standard operating procedures, completing program evaluations, and supervision of field staff.

The mission of the program is to acquire as many fractionated interests as economically feasible; and to consolidate these land interests into tribal ownership to enable better tribal utilization and management and promote and enhance tribal self-determination, economic, social, and cultural development needs while reducing government administrative costs.

Fundamental Program Concepts:

  • Willing sellers and payment for all title interests (surface and subsurface)
  • Purchase price is based on a fee simple ownership to determine fair market value. The fair market value is based on the seller's proportionate share of the whole tract. The tract is valued as if it were sole owned and in fee status.
  • Purchases are limited to fractionated trust or restricted interests.
  • The title is taken in the name of the respective tribe.
  • The revenue generated from the acquired interests must be used to replay the purchase price (the lien is on the income, not land)
  • The recovered revenue must be used to acquire additional interests on that reservation.
  • The federal government absorbs all costs of the transaction.

Benefits of Successful Consolidation:

  • Consolidation of fractionated ownership interests in the name of the Tribe/Band for benefit of all tribal members.
  • Increased opportunities for land use and business.
  • Creates more opportunities for land exchanges and/or partitionment with remaining owners.
  • Prevents loss of land and ownership from trust status
  • Long term savings to the government are realized through reduced administrative costs.