Members of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, Morton Co. Sheriff's Dept., Dakota Access, ND Congress walk DAPL route together, talk about issues concerning construction

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe members met with Dakota Access and the Morton County Sheriff's Department Thursday to walk the pipeline route and visit specific locations previously identified by former tribal historic preservation officer, Tim Mentz, Sr.

Also involved in the site visit were U.S. Corps of Engineers Omaha District Commander, Col. John Henderson; Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Chairman, David Archambault II; Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Historic Preservation Officer, John Eagle; Chief State Archeologist Paul Picha; along with members of the environmental team from Dakota Access Pipeline and Congressman Kevin Cramer and representatives from Senator John Hoeven and Senator Heidi Heitkamp's offices.

"I think all of us on all sides of the Dakota Access Pipeline issue benefited from walking together and sharing our expertise or experiences and even our expectations, and I hope this can help establish a better understanding as we go forward," says Cramer.

"This is very positive to see that all interested parties could together look at the sites in which they have had differing opinions of the historical significance," says Morton County Sheriff Kyle Kirchmeier.

Twenty-two organizations that represent businesses and workers all across the country have sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Army Secretary Eric Fanning asking that the Obama Administration to follow the rule of law and established regulations and allow the completion of the Dakota Access Pipeline. The organizations include Industrial Energy Consumers of America, National Association of Manufacturers and The Association of Union Constructors.