Department of Interior dismisses Land into Trust appeal

By By DAVID DELLECESE

Story Created: Jun 18, 2008 at 9:26 AM EST

Story Updated: Jun 18, 2008 at 9:30 AM EST

VERONA - The Department of the Interior's Board of Indian Appeals has dismissed the appeal filed by the Central New York Business, Citizen Equal Rights Alliance, Assemblyman David R. Townsend, and Oneida County Legislators Michael Hennessy, and D. Chad Davis and Melvin Phillips, regarding the Department of the Interior's Decision to place more than 13,000 acres of land into trust.

In the statement, the Department of the Interior says "The land is presently owned by the Nation" and states the signatures on the original decision indicates the Department's "final decision."

The Board dockets but dismisses the appeal, because they said they "do not have jurisdiction to review the decision by the Deputy Secretary and the Associate Deputy Secretary."

The statement goes on to say that "No regulation or delegation grants the Board authority to review a decision by Deputy Secretary or the Associate Deputy Secretary," and dismisses the appeal for what they call "lack of jurisdiction."
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