Extension of Applications of Permit to Drill (APDs)
Lease suspension
Applications for royalty relief
Notably, the March Memo specifically states that the above list is not exhaustive. And, to the extent approval is discretionary (i.e., extensions of APDs), we suspect an oil and gas lessee or operator will have difficultly receiving approval for those above-listed actions.
Although the March Memo is not addressed to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) serves as a technical advisor to the BIA and is required to approve certain actions that impact Indian tribal and individual trust and restricted lands. The March Memo fails to make this distinction, thus raising the question whether the March Memo also excludes actions taken with respect to Indian tribal and individual trust and restricted lands.
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The Secretary of the Interior issued Order Number 3400 on April 27, concerning the delegation of authority for non-gaming fee-to-trust land acquisitions concerning off-reservation Tribal lands.
The Department of Interior (“DOI”) issued a press release the same day regarding the Order, stating: “Taking land into trust is one of the most important functions Interior undertakes on behalf of Tribes.” By placing lands into trust with the DOI, Tribes are able to accomplish important goals relating to Tribal self-determination, including: (1) reacquiring lands located nearby or within reservations; (2) instituting a foundational area for Tribal communities; and (3) clarifying jurisdiction over Tribal lands.
FIRED UP
Biden administration sued for canceling Mount Rushmore July 4th fireworks after Trump held for first time in decade
Updated: Apr 30 2021, 12:29 ET
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THE Biden administration has been sued for canceling the Mount Rushmore July 4th fireworks after Donald Trump held the event for the first time in a decade.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem took her effort to see fireworks shot over Mount Rushmore on Independence Day to court on Friday.
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Biden has canceled the fireworks over Mount RushmoreCredit: EPA Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America’s birthday and all that makes our country special, Noem wrote in documents obtained by Fox News.
Mount Rushmore is the very best place to celebrate America’s birthday and all that makes our country special, Noem said in a statement announcing the suit. We are asking the court to enjoin the Department of Interior’s (DOI) denial of the fireworks permit and order it to issue a permit for the event expeditiously.
An Interior Department spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.
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The Hill first reported in March that the National Park Service (NPS) had rejected the state’s request to hold fireworks at the national memorial, citing health risks, including those associated with the coronavirus pandemic, and opposition from Native American tribes.