Rob Bishop: “Under current law, each and every nonmineral lease that a tribe executes with a third party is subject to approval of…”

“Under current law, each and every nonmineral lease that a tribe executes with a third party is subject to approval of the Department of the Interior before it can take effect. It doesn't matter whether the tribe and a third party have negotiated the terms of a lease to their mutual satisfaction; Washington, D.C., ultimately decides because, after all, Washington, D.C., always knows better. Unfortunately, the result of this paternalism is predictable--the leases do not get approved on a timely basis, if at all. The government has erected all kinds of regulatory hurdles for tribes leasing their lands. In the private sector, time is money; and when the government delay costs money, investors take their business elsewhere. In 2000, Congress agreed with a request by the Navajo Nation to let the tribe lease its land without Federal approval so long as the leasing occurs under tribal regulations and they have been approved by the Secretary. The amendments absolve taxpayers from liability for leasing decisions the Navajo Nation makes. For years, many tribes have pleaded with Congress to let them manage their lands with less Federal supervision. H.R. 205 simply allows any tribe the same option that the Navajo Nation already enjoys. While this bill does not completely remove the government from tribal lands, which would be our goal, it takes a step in the right direction.…”