Alaska says first federal trust status application filed

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Alaska officials say the first application by an Alaska Native entity to put lands into federal trust has been submitted to the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The state Department of Law says in a news release Monday it was notified by the BIA about the application filed by the Craig Tribal Association. Officials say the state has 30 days to comment.

The application submitted seeks federal trust status on a one-acre lot in the city of Craig that holds the tribe’s administration building.

A recent decision by the state not to appeal a recent federal court ruling eased the way for Alaska Native communities to seek the status.

With lands in trust, tribes enter an ownership partnership with the federal government and can tap into more federal funding and obtain authority to institute and enforce their own laws.