[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 98 (Monday, May 20, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25234-25236]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-12363]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


List of Eligible Programs for Inclusion in Fiscal Year 1997 
Annual Funding Agreements To Be Negotiated by the Bureau of the 
Department of the Interior Other Than the Bureau of Indian Affairs and 
the Self-Governance Tribes

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice lists programs or portion of programs that are 
eligible for inclusion in Fiscal Year 1997 annual funding agreements 
with Self-Governance Tribes and lists programmatic targets for each of 
the non-BIA bureaus, pursuant to Section 405(c)(4) of the Tribal Self-
Governance Act.

DATES: Eligibility for inclusion in Fiscal Year 1997 annual funding 
agreements expires on September 30, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Inquires or comments regarding this notice may be directed 
to the Office of Self-Governance, 1849 C Street, NW, 2548 MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240. Telephone (202) 219-0240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    The Indian Self-Determination Act Amendments of 1994 (P.L. 103-413, 
hereinafter referred to as the ``Self-Governance Act'' or the ``Act'') 
instituted a permanent Tribal Self-Governance Program at the Department 
of the Interior (DOI). Under the Self-Governance Program, certain 
programs, functions, services and activities or portions thereof in 
Interior bureaus other than the Bureau of Indian Affairs (hereinafter 
referred to as ``non-BIA'') are eligible to be planned, conducted, 
consolidated, and administered by a Self-Governance tribal government.
    Under Section 405(c) of the Self-Governance Act, the Secretary of 
the Interior is required to publish annually (1) a list of non-BIA 
programs, services, activities, and functions or portions thereof, that 
are eligible for inclusion in agreements negotiated under the Self-
Governance Program and (2) programmatic targets for these bureaus.
    Under the Self-Governance Act, two types of non-BIA programs are 
eligible for Self-Governance funding agreements. First, pursuant to 
Section 403(b)(2) of the Act, any non-BIA program, service, function or 
activity that is administered by Interior that is ``otherwise available 
to Indian tribes or Indians'' is eligible to be administered by a 
tribal government through a Self-Governance agreement. Section 
403(b)(2) specifies that ``nothing in this subsection may be construed 
to provide any tribe with a preference with respect to the opportunity 
of the tribe to administer programs, services, functions and 
activities, or portions thereof, unless such preference is otherwise 
provided for by law.'' Second, under Section 403(c) of the Act, other 
programs, services, functions, and activities, or portions thereof, 
that are of ``special geographic, historical, or cultural 
significance'' to a Self-Governance Tribe may be included in a Self-
Governance Agreement.

II. Eligible Programs of the Department of the Interior Non-BIA 
Bureaus

    Below is a listing by bureau of the type of non-BIA programs, or 
portions thereof, that may be eligible for Self-Governance annual 
funding agreements because they are either ``otherwise available to 
Indians'' and not precluded by any other law from being contracted out 
or may have ``special geographic, historical, or cultural 
significance'' to a participating tribe. This summary is a general 
listing of the types of programs that are the bureaus' best estimate of 
those that are eligible for negotiation at the request of the Self-
Governance tribe. The listing is not intended to be exhaustive, 
especially in terms of programs, services, functions or activities that 
may have a ``special geographic, historical, or cultural significance'' 
to a participating tribe.
    The listing also provides a point of contact for each non-BIA 
bureau.
    A. Eligible Programs of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)--
Aspects of the following programs for functions are potentially 
eligible for negotiations:
     Tribal Mineral Resources.
     Field Survey Related to Tribal Lands.
     Resource Monitoring, Maintenance, and Rehabilitation.
    BLM initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Dr. Marilyn Nickels, 1849 C Street, NW, (204-LS), 
Washington, D.C. 20240; telephone (202) 452-0330.
    B. Eligible Programs of the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)-- 
Aspects of the following programs or functions are potentially eligible 
for negotiations:
     Water Resources Management: hydroelectric power 
generation, municipal and industrial water supply systems, flood 
control, outdoor recreation, fish and wildlife habitant enhancement, 
and research.
     Construction: construction of municipal and industrial 
systems, safety of dams, operation and maintenance of facilities, and 
management of water resources projects and associated facilities.
    Reclamation initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Dr. Barbara McDowell, Native American Affairs Office, 
Bureau of Reclamation (W-6100), 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 
20240-0001; telephone (202) 208-4733.
    C. Eligible Programs of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Aspects 
of the following programs or functions are potentially eligible for 
negotiations:
     Refuge Operations and Management: weed control, habitat 
management, maintenance, wildlife surveys/studies, visitor services/
visitor center operations, acquisition, appraisals, refuge management 
planning, wetland restoration projects, land surveys, and building site 
restoration.
     Ecological Services: prelisting (conservation agreements 
development/management), recovery: development of recovery plans, bald 
eagle surveys, and wildlife surveys.
     Cultural Resources: survey work, cultural resource 
planning (on as-needed basis), and archaeological surveys.
     Fisheries: cooperative fishing management and restoration 
agreements, fish collection (site-specific), fish tagging (site-
specific).
    FWS initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Duncan Brown, Native American Liaison, Fish and Wildlife 
Service (MS 3012), 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001; 
telephone (202) 208-4133.
    D. Eligible Programs of the Minerals Management Service (MMS) 
Aspects of the following programs or functions are potentially eligible 
for negotiations:
     Royalty Management Program: royalty internship program, 
online monitoring of royalties and accounts, audit of royalty programs, 
verification of royalty payments, royalty reporting, accounting, data 
management, and royalty management for allottee leases.
     Offshore Minerals Management: environmental assessments, 
environmental impact statements, and environmental studies.
    MMS initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Joan Killgore, Royalty Liaison Office, Minerals 
Management Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001; 
telephone (202) 208-3512.
    E. Eligible Programs of the National Park Service (NPS) Aspects of 
the following programs or functions are potentially eligible for 
negotiations:
     On-Going Programs and Activities: archaeological surveys, 
cultural

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resource management projects, ethnographic studies, erosion control, 
fire protection, hazardous fuel reduction, housing construction and 
rehabilitation, gathering baseline subsistence data (Alaska), 
janitorial services, maintenance, natural resource management projects, 
range assessment (Alaska), reindeer grazing (Alaska), road repair, 
solid waste collection and disposal, and trail rehabilitation.
     Special Programs: Beringia research and Elwha River 
restoration.
    NPS initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Dr. Patricia Parker, American Indian Liaison Office, 
National Park Service (MS 3410-MIB), PO Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 
20013-7127; telephone (202) 208-5475.
    F. Eligible Programs of the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation 
and Enforcement (OSM) Aspects of the following programs or functions 
are potentially eligible for negotiations:
     Regulatory Program.
     Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Program.
    OSM initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Maria Mitchell, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and 
Enforcement, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW (MS 210-SIB), Washington, D.C. 
20240; telephone (202) 208-2727.
    G. Eligible Programs of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Aspects 
of the following programs or functions are potentially eligible for 
negotiations:
     Mineral, Environmental, and Energy Assessments.
     Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program.
     Water Resources Data Collection and Investigations.
     Biological Resources Inventory, Monitoring, Research, and 
Information and Transfer Activities.
    Biological resources activities described above are those of the 
National Biological Service (NBS), which will be merged with the USGS 
on or before October 1, 1996. NBS will be renamed the Biological 
Resources Division of USGS, and will continue its programmatic 
activities in a substantially unchanged manner.
    USGS initial point of contact for questions regarding Self-
Governance is Sue Marcus, American Indian/Alaska Native Liaison, U.S. 
Geological Survey (MS 105), National Center, Reston, VA 22092, 
telephone 703-648-4437.

III. Programmatic Targets

    Each of the non-BIA bureaus will successfully negotiate at least 
one annual funding agreement with a Self-Governance Tribe for Fiscal 
Year 1997.

    Dated: May 10, 1996.
Glynn D. Key,
Counselor to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary.
[FR Doc. 96-12363 Filed 5-17-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-M