IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY WAS SCHEDULED TO MEET IN HIS WASHINGTON OFFICE TODAY (TUESDAY) WITH THE CHIEF OF THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE OF NEBRASKA.
GRASSLEY IS CO-SPONSORING A BILL TO RETURN LAND THAT WAS SEIZED FROM THE WINNEBAGO TRIBE IN THE 1970S THROUGH EMINENT DOMAIN TO BECOME A RECREATIONAL AREA ALONG THE MISSOURI RIVER.
THOSE PLANS NEVER MATERIALIZED.
GRASSLEY SAYS THE 16-HUNDRED ACRES, WHICH ARE MAINTAINED BY THE IOWA D-N-R AS A WILDLIFE AREA, NEED TO BE RETURNED — SOMETHING HE SAYS SHOULD’VE BEEN DONE LONG AGO:
WINNLAND1 OC……”TO THE WINNEBAGOS” :17
THE FOUR U-S SENATORS FROM IOWA AND NEBRASKA ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON THE BILL.
WINNLAND2 OC….TEN YEARS AGO. :12
PART OF THE LAND ON THE NEBRASKA SIDE OF THE MISSOURI WAS GIVEN BACK TO THE TRIBE, BUT THE LAND ON THE IOWA SIDE WAS NOT. GRASSLEY SAYS THIS SHOULD BE A RELATIVELY SIMPLE TRANSACTION TO RETURN THE LAND TO THE TRIBE, BUT IT TAKES AN ACT OF CONGRESS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
WINNLAND3 OC…HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. :08
SOME FIVE DECADES AGO, THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS PLANNED TO USE THE LAND BOTH FOR A RECREATIONAL AREA AND TO STABILIZE THE BANKS OF THE MISSOURI RIVER, BUT THOSE PLANS STALLED AND WERE EVENTUALLY TABLED.
