The latest effort by the Ute Indian Tribe to gain ownership of 1.5 million acres of land in northeastern Utah has been rejected. Back in February, the Tribe asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a previous lower court’s ruling that refused to give ownership of the 1.5 million acres of land in question to the Tribe. On Friday, the D.C. Circuit panel of judges upheld the previous court’s decision, ruling that the land is ineligible for restoration to the Tribe. Circuit Judge Gregory Katsas wrote the court’s opinion, stating, “The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to restore certain reservation lands to tribal ownership. This case concerns whether lands within the Uncompahgre Reservation in Utah are eligible for restoration. The Department of the Interior concluded that they are not, as did the district court. So do we.” (Judge Katsas Opinion Shared Through www.courthousenews.com)
