TULSA, OK – The Osage Nation Executive Branch and Osage, LLC recently executed a 10-year lease agreement for 32,743 acres of the approximately 42,300-acre Osage Nation Ranch. The landmark agreement is a significant step in the Osage Nation’s economic development and land conservation efforts. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of Osage Nation Ranch’s economic development while maintaining designated pastures for the Osage Nation’s Department of Natural Resources for CARES cattle, the bison preserve, and land restoration projects.
“This is a win for all Osages,” said Assistance Principal Chief R.J. Walker. “The Osage Nation Ranch is one of our greatest investments. This agreement allows our economic engine – the Osage, LLC – to show us a return on that investment. It also allows the Department of Natural Resources to do its conservation and restorative work to be good stewards of the land for the next generation. I am grateful for the Osage, LLC, Osage Nation Real Estate Services, and my team for getting this done for the Osage people.”
Lease payments are $1 per acre annually, with the security deposit and fees waived. The Osage, LLC will continue using the Osage Nation Ranch for cattle ranching activities and drone flight development under Skyway 36. Skyway 36 is a budding autonomous flight technology center within Tulsa’s Advanced Mobility corridor located on the Osage Nation reservation. The agreement also requires that Osage, LLC make capital improvements to the leased property in the amount of $350,000 per year. Improvements may include renovating existing buildings or commercial properties to enhance their usefulness. These improvements will be provided to the Osage Nation on an annual basis.
