Frederica Freyberg:
In northern Wisconsin, the year and a half long dispute over road easements reaches a new juncture. The town board of Lac du Flambeau recently voted that they would no longer pay the tribe, the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, an increasing monthly amount to keep four roads open, saying they can’t afford the cost. The tribe says they do not accept the town’s decision to reduce the amount. The town voted to make a full June-July payment of $46,000 and pay $20,000 per month going forward. In January of last year, the tribe closed the roads after a decade of expired easements and no new agreement in sight. The roads, which provide access to non-tribal residents, are part of the reservation land. The tribe removed the barricades after the town agreed to pay monthly fees in exchange for access until a new agreement is reached. The tribe is seeking damages totaling nearly $10 million, half of its original request to remedy years of town residents trespassing. Both the town and the tribe have expressed a desire to open the lines of communication. However, the tribe says it will take necessary actions if the town does not make monthly payments of the amount previously agreed upon.