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Appraising Trust Assets

Where Appraisals Fit in Indian Trust Management

Appraisals are a critical element to the management of trust land. They are used to determine the fair market value of the use of an Indian trust asset. If someone wants to set up a grazing permit or build a communications tower on Indian trust land, an appraisal is required to provide the beneficiary with information on the fair market value of that activity. An appraisal request with land and title documents is submitted to OAS from the realty office. The appraisal is then completed for the Indian beneficiary to support transactions on trust land. 

Guidelines Governing Appraisals

OAS appraisers strictly follow the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and Uniform Appraisal Standards for Federal Land Acquisitions (UASFLA) guidelines. OAS appraisers have many decades of combined experience – some have spent a number of years doing appraisal work in the private sector. Each has a Certified General Appraiser state license.

Changes in Appraisal Services

As part of Interior’s trust reform efforts, the Office of Appraisal Services is now operating under a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Business Center and OST. Interior has hired experienced top-level management across the country to establish a streamlined nationwide process that meets the highest fiduciary standards.

The main focus these days, across the nation, is to address a backlog of appraisal requests to support trust transactions.