Tribes can now buy, accept surplus land from counties

By Dean Rhodes

Smoke Signals editor

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, as well as the other eight federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, can now purchase or receive as a donation surplus lands from the state’s 36 counties thanks to a bill that was signed by Gov. Kate Brown on June 10.

The bill, submitted at the request of Tillamook County, authorizes counties to sell or donate property to eligible Tribes in Oregon. It became effective the day Brown signed the bill.

Previously, counties were allowed to grant an option to purchase, contract to sell and convey or donate lands to the state or federal governments. The bill now authorizes such transactions with any federally recognized Tribe in Oregon.

“It streamlines the process of transferring county-tax-foreclosed lands to the Tribes for burial grounds, sacred sites or for economic development as the county can presently do with the state and other local governments,” stated a legislative staff summary of the bill.

All 36 Oregon counties and the nine Oregon Tribes supported the bill.

The bill was approved 30-0 by the Oregon Senate on April 16 and by the Oregon House 52-2 on May 28.

Tribal lobbyist Justin Martin said during a May 7 public hearing before the House Rural Communities, Land Use and Water Committee that the bill continues the strong Oregon tradition of government-to-government relationships with its federally recognized Tribes.

“Oregon can be proud of the relationship it has with its nine sovereign, federally recognized Indian Tribes,” Martin said. “We have a deep history from the creation of the Legislative Commission on Indian Services under then state Sen. Vic Atiyeh to deletion of offensive language by Oregon’s Geographic Names Board to creation of an Indian education specialist in the Oregon Department of Education. … We believe this bill is a continuance of that.”

“It brings Tribal governments up to equal footing with other governmental entities,” said State Sen. Betsy Johnson, who sponsored the bill.

Tribal Council Chair Reyn Leno, Vice Chair Jack Giffen Jr., Secretary Toby McClary and members Ed Pearsall and Tonya Gleason-Shepek attended one or more meetings during the legislative process in the Senate and House to shepherd the bill through to passage.