Red Lake Tribe to vote to accept or deny Enbridge offer

RED LAKE, MN - Enbridge and the [Red Lake] Band have agreed to exchange land, and Enbridge will pay $18.5 million for the trespass at the Four Legged Lake property.

Within a month, Enbridge will place $18.5 million in an interest building, escrow account. In exchange, the Band will designate one or more parcels of land within the 1863 treaty area/1889 agreement for Enbridge to purchase on behalf of the Band and will begin the fee to trust land exchange.

Red Lake Constitution and federal regulations require that the land coming into trust must be of equal or more value than the land coming out of trust. Once the land exchange is complete, the Band will take possession of the total value in the escrow account including any interest.

In coming to an agreement, the Band exceeded any probably court battle outcome by more than 10 million dollars. The alternative would have been a law suit against Enbridge, in which the Band would have had to prove the size of the parcel and that the land is considered agricultural.

Moreover, it saves the Band from years' worth of court battles given Enbridge's history for dragging law suits out for years.

Most importantly, the Band also does not risk an unfavorable outcome, including leaving the lines in the ground on our trust land--although such an outcome was unlikely but possible.

The Council will vote to either accept or deny the agreement during the December 22, 2015 Special Council Meeting to be held at the Red Lake Casino Event Center En.