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- By Native News Online Staff
The Osage Minerals Council on Tuesday announced that it firmly opposes and rejects the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) proposal to terminate the lease for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Osage Agency Office in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. The Osage Agency Office is essential to the Council’s efforts to optimize oil and gas development within the Osage Mineral Estate. Additionally, it plays a critical role in upholding the United States’ treaty and trust obligations to Osage Headright Holders. The Council will challenge any actions that threaten energy development within the Osage Mineral Estate.
"The reckless proposal to terminate the Osage Agency Office lease—without assessing its impact on oil and gas development, without a plan for displaced BIA employees, and without tribal consultation—is unacceptable," stated the Osage Minerals Council. "We will demand that the Secretary of the Interior explain how closing our Agency and displacing BIA employees will improve oil and gas permitting."
DOGE’s proposal directly conflicts with President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14154, Unleashing American Energy, which mandates the removal of delays in federal permitting processes. It also contradicts Department of the Interior Secretary Burgum’s Secretarial Order No. 3418, which directs the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs to reduce barriers to energy development.
The Osage Mineral Estate is one of the longest-producing oil and gas reserves in the United States, with over a century of continuous production. The 1906 Osage Allotment Act established the federal government’s responsibility for overseeing oil and gas development within the Osage Mineral Estate Trust. Regulations outlined in 25 C.F.R. Part 226 were created specifically for managing this resource. The Osage Minerals Council collaborates closely with the Osage Agency to oversee energy development, process permits, ensure operator access to well sites, and distribute royalties to Annuitants.
DOGE’s reckless proposal would severely undermine the United States’ trust and treaty obligations, impose lasting economic hardships on Osage Annuitants, and yield only negligible savings to the federal budget. The planned termination date for the Osage Agency Office lease is September 30, 2025. In response, the Osage Minerals Council is preparing to travel to Washington, D.C., to address both longstanding issues and the latest executive actions directly.
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