White Earth Settlement Fund

What this funds

White Earth Land Settlement Fund overview and program description The White Earth Reservation Land Settlement Act of 1985 (Pub.L. 99-264) authorizes the payment of funds to eligible allottees or heirs as defined in the Act. The payment of funds shall be treated as the final judgment, award, or compromise settlement under the provisions of Title 31, United States Code, section 1304. Compensation is paid for the fair market value as of the date of questionable taking of allotted land, less any compensation actually received, plus compound interest to the date of payments. Miscellaneous Permanent Appropriations overview and program description The BIA owns three power projects: two in Arizona and one in Montana. The BIA operates and maintains the San Carlos Irrigation and Power Project and the Colorado River Power Project in Arizona. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation operate Mission Valley Power in Northwest Montana under a Pub.L. 93-638 contract. The BIA-owned power projects distribute power to approximately 38,000 customers, both on and off the reservations. These power projects generate revenue through the issuance of bills and associated collections from power consumers and users of the three power projects based on statutory requirements pursuant to section 4 of the Permanent Appropriation Repeal Act (48 Stat. 1227), signed June 26, 1934. Power rates are reviewed annually and published as necessary in the Federal Register when changes are proposed. As authorized by the FY 1984 Appropriations Act (Pub.L. 98-146), collections are invested in interest- bearing securities until needed by a project. The collected revenues are deposited in the U.S. Treasury for use by the respective projects. BIA administers the revenues to operate, maintain, and rehabilitate power system infrastructure on each stations, transmission lines, distribution lines, and other related equipment including deteriorated Activity - Operations and Maintenance, Irrigation Systems These receipts are obtained through the annual collection from water users. Applicable law allows assessments to be levied on irrigation projects constructed and owned by the United States for delivering service to Indian and non-Indian landowners and water users. Fifteen of the irrigation projects owned by the BIA charge their water users an annual operation and maintenance (O&M) fee to fund the cost of operating and maintaining the project and are considered self-supporting. The per acre assessment rate is calculated by estimating the cost of O&M for the project, divided by the acreage. Assessment rates are published annually in the Federal Register notice. The collected funds are deposited in the U.S. Treasury, which BIA administers for operations and maintenance of the respective projects. The collections are invested in interest-bearing securities until required for project operations. Indian Affairs operates and maintains the irrigation infrastructure to deliver available water during the irrigation season for the authorized users at each project. Infrastructure includes 1) water storage reservoirs, diversion structures, and pumping plants and 2) canals and water control structures.

Extracted from Bureau of Indian Affairs, p. 210. Verbatim; nothing here is paraphrased.

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