By Associated Press - Monday, February 10, 2014

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - State lawmakers are working on legislation to help Wyoming fight the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ruling that Riverton is part of the Wind River Indian Reservation.

The Casper Star-Tribune (https://bit.ly/1coQyKa) reports that the bill, co-sponsored by Rep. David Miller of Riverton, would earmark an unspecified amount of money for the legal battle.

Wyoming is working on a lawsuit challenging the decision, which must be filed by Feb. 18.

The Northern Arapaho Tribe backs the EPA’s decision. Tribe spokesman mark Howell says passing the bill would be akin to “declaring war” against the tribes on the reservation.

The federal agency announced in December that it had concluded a 1905 federal law opening part of the reservation to settlement by non-Indians didn’t extinguish the land’s reservation status.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, https://www.trib.com

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