Tribe to reopen Lac du Flambeau roads in temporary deal
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LAC DU FLAMBEAU, Wis. (AP) — A Native American tribe and a northern Wisconsin town have reached an agreement under which the tribe will temporarily reopen four barricaded roads that are the subject of a decadelong dispute and a recent lawsuit.
Officials with the town of Lac du Flambeau on Saturday accepted the Lac du Flambeau tribe’s offer to remove barricades blocking the roads for 90 days in exchange for $60,000 as negotiations continue for a more permanent solution, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported.
On Jan. 31, tribal officials barricaded the roads, which traverse tribal land, cutting off non-tribal residents who live on about 65 properties from the only access for vehicle traffic to their homes.
Tribal officials said the easement agreements for the roads expired more than 10 years ago. They argue that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs and the title insurance companies that handle the properties had not negotiated in good faith to extend the agreements.
Tribal Chairman John Johnson had previously said residents had been trespassing on illegally built roads on tribal lands and the tribe needed to safeguard what little land it has left.
Gov. Tony Evers wrote last week to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the title insurance companies and tribal and town officials, urging them to come to a resolution.
