Narragansett tribe rebuffed in latest bid for Navy land

April 6, 2010

By Richard Salit
The Providence Journal

The Navy has rebuffed the Narrangansett Indian Tribe's latest bid to acquire 260 acres of
surplus land on Aquidneck Island.

That paves the way for the Aquidneck Island Reuse Planning Authority, a group
representing the island's three communities, to accept proposals for the future of the
properties and submit a comprehensive plan to for the Navy's approval, according to
spokeswoman Tina Dolen.

The Narragansetts wanted a first crack at acquiring the land, and the tribe asked to obtain
the properties for free -- instead of the fair market value that the Navy is requiring. The
Narragansetts also sought a waiver of a requirement that the tribe pay for environmental
cleanup of the property. But the Navy, in an April 5 letter to the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
turned down the request the agency submitted on behalf of the Narragansetts.

"If the tribe is interested in obtaining property, we recommend the tribe consult with the
Local Redevelopment Authority as well as the appropriate Federal sponsoring agency for
any public benefit conveyance being considered," the letter states.

Dolen said she expects that the reuse authority will spend the next 18 months soliciting
and reviewing proposals for the Navy land and then submitting its final plans to the
Navy. The tribe is welcome to be part of that process, she said.

"With the uptick in the economy, I really believe that in 18 months, we'll be in
outstanding positions to market these properties," she said.

Dolen is director of the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission, which put together a
master plan for the Navy land. The plans envisions reusing the land for economic
development, public access to the water, recreation and renewable energy.

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