Judge orders US government to leave Wisconsin reservation roads open

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered the U.S. government to temporarily leave roads open on a Wisconsin reservation for non-tribal property owners. The Lac du Flambeau tribe in the 1960s granted easements allowing public access some reservation roads. The easements expired about a decade ago. The tribe last year barricaded the roads and demanded up to $20 million for access. The U.S. government sued on the tribe’s behalf seeking trespassing damages from non-tribal users of the roads. U.S. District Judge William Conley issued an injunction Thursday prohibiting the government from blocking the roads while the lawsuit is pending. Conley noted the injunction doesn’t apply to the tribe but he expects the tribe to follow it.