An agreement will again allow access to homes in Lac du Flambeau where a dispute over easements had seen four roads blocked.
The Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa says temporary access permits will allow roads with expired easements to re-open.
It is part of an agreement with the Town of Lac du Flambeau.
Tribal President John Johnson Sr. said in a statement the temporary access permits to open the roads provide a window of opportunity for the town and the title companies to make a viable offer to get the situation resolved.
The permits are in 30-day increments and the Tribal Council has only authorized three total for each road, for a total of 90 days.
Johnson said the tribe still expects compensation for unauthorized land use.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports the town accepted the tribe’s offer to remove the barricades for 90 days in exchange for $60,000 while negotiations go on.
A Federal Judge recently refused to issue a temporary restraining order sought by landowners to force the roads to be re-opened.
Judge William Conley ruled the plaintiffs did not show relief was warranted without giving the defendants a chance to be heard.
Easements on the four roads expired ten years ago.
The Tribe has held negotiations with the involved title companies and the Town of Lac du Flambeau over the years.
The Tribal Government says the negotiations haven’t always been in good faith.
