NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) – The Department of Defense has turned down an attempt by the Narragansett Indian tribe to secure 260 acres of valuable land in and around Newport that's being given up by the U.S. Navy.

In a letter released Tuesday, the department turned down a request by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The tribe had said the land fell under its ancestral footprint, and that they wanted to use it for economic development. It asked to get the land for free and not pay for its environmental cleanup, something the department said was not allowed under federal rules.

John Brown, the tribe's historic preservation officer, said the tribe's push for the land “is not over” and that it will speak with the Bureau of Indian Affairs about its options.