In Upper Sioux Community Pezihutazizi Oyate land transfer clears first MN House committee hearing and Upper Sioux Community/Pezihutazizi Oyate land transfer bill heard in two MN Senate committees, Bluestem Prairie has been following bills to transfer Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Yellow Medicine Dakota Community.
Questions about the transfer are being raised in local communities, and local legislators are sponsoring an informational community hearing in Granite Falls on Wednesday, April 5. I posted a screenshot about the meeting from Senator Gary Dahms' latest constituent email at the top of this post.
Wesdnesday, the Marshall Independent's Steven Brown reported in Bills call for transferring ownership of state park to Upper Sioux:
Members of the Yellow Medicine County Board were visibly surprised when a briefing from representatives of the state Department of Natural Resources at their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday left more questions than answers.
Scott Roemhildt, South Region director, and Ann Pierce, Parks and Trails director, briefed the commissioners on the progress of bills recently introduced in both chambers of the state Legislature. House Bill 2388 and SF 2250 would transfer ownership of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux community. . . .
The Upper Sioux Community has expressed their interest in reclaiming ownership of the land for some time but no representatives were present at the meeting. . . .
On Thursday, Tom Cherveny reported for the West Central Tribune in Minnesota DNR committed to public engagement in transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park to tribal ownership:
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources supports the transfer of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper Sioux Community , and is committed to opening a public engagement process for those affected.
Ann Pierce, director of the parks and trails division of the DNR, told the Yellow Medicine County Board of Commissioners on March 28 that public engagement is going to be essential to the process of transferring the park to tribal ownership
She said the department has staff developing a plan for community engagement, and is hoping the commissioners will help in the engagement process.
Pierce and Scott Roemhildt, the DNR’s regional director for the 32 southwestern counties, said legislation now moving forward in the House and Senate requires the DNR to identify the barriers to making that transfer happen and to recommend legislation to address those barriers. The legislation demands a full report by Dec. 15, 2023.
The DNR in December began conversations with federal officials on a possible transfer, they told the commissioners. The park and its approximate 1,400 acres were originally acquired with federal funds under the Land and Water Conservation Fund, known as LAWCON. Transferring ownership requires approval from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the National Park Service. Pierce said there is a process that allows for the transfer, and the DNR is determining what has to be done.
. . . Roemhildt said Upper Sioux Tribal Chairman Kevin Jensvold has been requesting the transfer during meetings with the DNR — and with governor’s offices — for a number of years. He said the department responded by pointing out the complexities of making the transfer.
While the DNR did not initiate the legislation, DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen and Gov. Tim Walz have publicly voiced their support for the transfer, Pierce and Roemhildt said.
Pierce said the DNR supports the transfer due to the extraordinary significance of the land to the tribal community. . . .
Read the rest at the West Central Tribune. The county commissioners and mayor of Granite Falls seem skeptical. Those concerns will likely be raised at Wednesday's community hearing.
In Info meeting planned April 5 in Granite Falls, Minnesota, on Upper Sioux park land transfer, Linda Vanderwerf reports at the Tribune:
An informational meeting about the possible transfer of state park land to the Upper Sioux Community is planned for April 5 at the Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Granite Falls.
The meeting will be at 7 p.m. in the student center at the college and is open to the public. Those attending are asked to use the door to the student center on 11th Avenue.
Minnesota Sen. Gary Dahms, R-Redwood Falls, and Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, will host and moderate the discussion.
The purpose of the meeting is to answer questions people have about the proposed transfer of Upper Sioux Agency State Park land to the Upper Sioux Community . The transfer would close the park.
The Department of Natural Resources would develop a new state park in the area.
Two bills to authorize the land transfer have been heard by committees at the Minnesota Legislature this session.
The estimated cost of closing the park and purchasing land for a new park is estimated at about $6 million. Cost estimates for developing buildings, roads and trails for a new park have not been released.
Bluestem hopes there's a big turnout for the meeting.
Screenshot: Announcement from Senator Gary Dahms', R-Redwood Falls, weekly newsletter.
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