On road issue, LdF town board wants elected officials ‘to get involved’

Help from elected officials and others is being sought by the Lac du Flambeau town board in connection with its ongoing dispute with the Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians regarding expired easements on portions of tribal land.

Four roads — Annie Sunn Lane, Center Sugarbush Lane, East Ross Allen Lake Lane and Elsie Lake Lane — are located on those portions of tribal land and on Jan. 31, 2023, the tribal council took action to have them barricaded. 

Almost a year later, the only thing that’s come of the situation that could be considered a positive for property owners along the roads is that they were re-opened in March when the town and tribal council came to an agreement that, in turn, has led to the town paying the tribe escalating monthly payments that began with a $20,000 payment and, at the moment, is at $36,000. 

There have been and are lawsuits pending, including litigation brought by the United States Department of Justice against the town. 

Town chairman Matt Gaulke has tried repeatedly since May to arrange negotiating sessions with the tribal council to try and find a long-term resolution to the matter; as of May, there have been only three and Gaulke has said several times since, he’s never received a response from the tribal council. 

The latest major development was a letter sent to the town by LdF tribal president John Johnson, Sr., on Dec. 1. 

In that letter, Johnson explained under conditions of a new tribal road permitting ordinance approved by tribal voters in August, there would be no road permits issued to the town until a total of nearly $10 million is paid to the tribe. 

Since that time, the town board has held two closed sessions, one at the end of its Dec. 6 meeting and another two-hour session on Dec. 13. 

Neither discussion produced any type of decision from the town board regarding a way forward, although during the course of the nearly 80-second open session that followed the Dec. 13 closed session, Gaulke added something to his announcement that there was no action for the town board to take. 

His comment echoed another made by Lac du Flambeau resident Mary Possin during the Dec. 6 meeting and that was the dispute was more than a “local issue.”

“There’s no formal action to be taken but we do want to let people know that the board no longer feels this is a local issue,” Gaulke said during the very brief open session portion of the town board meeting. “The town will be contacting its state and federal representatives, urge them to get involved and seek a resolution. I believe that covers everything.”

He previously told The Lakeland Times he believes the matter is going to be handled by attorneys going forward.

Last week, after the meeting, Gaulke was asked if there was anything further he could share. 

“No comment at this time until we get some direction from our legal counsel,” he said. 

Brian Jopek may be reached via email at [email protected].