The Southern Ute Indian Tribal Council has approved a significant change in how the Department of Natural Resources will award agricultural land assignments. At a work session held on Nov. 13, Tribal Council agreed that a graded scoring sheet, rather than a lottery drawing, will now determine the Southern Ute tribal members who will receive agricultural assignments. 

Under the Southern Ute Indian Tribal Code (SUITC) Section 29-2-105(1), the Department of Natural Resources is required to publish and post notice of land available for assignment. Historically, Natural Resources relied on a lottery system to randomly select applicants. While the lottery ensured fairness in chance, Natural Resources noted that it did not adequately evaluate an applicant’s qualifications, resources, or ability to manage land effectively. This often led to challenges in land stewardship and, in some cases, poor agricultural outcomes. 

The newly adopted weighted selection model is designed to prioritize applicants who demonstrate the ability to manage and rehabilitate land sustainably and productively. The approach emphasizes sustainable agriculture and resource stewardship, benefiting both tribal land and the environment. 

 

The scoring sheet will be evaluated by the Department’s Agriculture, Lands, and Range Divisions. Applicants will be assessed on several criteria, including: 

• Whether they currently hold an assignment or lease, with points awarded for compliance.
• The strength of their farm plan, scored on a scale of 1 to 5.
• Considerations such as weed control, fencing, grazing practices, irrigation, crop planning, cost management, and realistic timelines.

 

Council members expressed confidence that this method will better align land assignments with applicants who are prepared to succeed in agricultural operations, ensuring long-term productivity and sustainability. 

The lottery drawing process will continue to be used for homesite assignments, maintaining fairness in residential land distribution. 

This is one of many efforts the Tribe is undertaking to make tribal lands more productive and to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the land assignment process. The Tribe is currently reviewing and revising the Land Assignment Code. In the next few months, the revised Land Assignment Code will be circulated among tribal members for comment. Tribal members are encouraged to review it carefully, attend public meetings addressing the proposed code, ask questions of the Lands Department, and make suggestions for improvement.