[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 13 (Wednesday, January 21, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3150-3151]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1289]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Tribal Self-Governance Notice of Availability of Self-Governance 
Negotiation/Planning Grants

AGENCY: Office of Self-Governance, Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of grants availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In this notice, the Office of Self-Governance (OSG) announces 
the availability of fiscal year 1998 negotiation grants (up to 15 
grants of no more than $40,000 each) and advance planning grants (up to 
5 grants of no more than $40,000 each). The timeframes for application 
and selection vary with the type of grant and are specified in this 
announcement.

DATES: Applications must be submitted in accordance with the table 
below:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               Deadline for submitting  
               Type of grant                         application        
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Negotiation...............................  Mar. 31, 1998.              
Advance planning..........................  May 1, 1998.                
------------------------------------------------------------------------

ADDRESSES: Completed applications for grants should be sent to the 
Director, Office of Self-Governance, U.S. Department of the Interior, 
Mail Stop 2542, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dr. Kenneth D. Reinfeld, U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of 
Self-Governance, 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop 2542, Washington, DC 
20240, 202-219-0240.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The tribal self-governance program is 
designed to promote self-determination by allowing tribes to assume 
more control through negotiated annual funding agreements of programs 
operated by the Department of the Interior. The Tribal Self-Governance 
Act of 1994 (Pub. L. 103-413) allows for negotiations to be conducted 
for programs operated by BIA and for programs operated by other bureaus 
and offices within the Department that are otherwise available to 
Indians or when there is a historical, cultural, or geographic 
connection to an Indian tribe.
    The purpose of this notice is to announce the availability of 
planning and negotiation grants in accordance with the self-governance 
interim rule published in the Federal Register on April 23, 1996. The 
interim rules were established at 25 CFR 1001.7 to 1001.9 and will be 
used to govern the application and selection process for tribes/
consortia to receive fiscal year 1998 negotiation and planning grants 
as specified in this notice. Applicants should be guided by the 
requirements in 25 CFR 1001.7 to 1001.9 in preparing their 
applications. Copies of the interim rules published in the Federal 
Register on April 23, 1996, may be obtained from the information 
contact person identified in this notice.
    Subject to the discretion of the Director, Office of Self-
Governance, the following types of grants are available to tribes/
consortia in 1998 with the deadlines as stated below:
    (1) Negotiation Grants: Up to 15 grants of no more than $40,000 may 
be made available. Grants to tribes/consortia already receiving advance 
planning grants shall be limited to $20,000. As announced in today's 
Federal Register, the closing date for submitting completed 
applications to begin participation in tribal self-governance in fiscal 
year 1999 or calendar year 1999 is March 2, 1998. Applications 
requesting to be included in the applicant pool to begin participation 
in tribal self-governance may be submitted at any time. Tribes/
consortia selected from the applicant pool to begin participation in 
tribal self-governance in fiscal year 1999 or calendar year 1999, may 
be eligible to receive a negotiation grant. Each selected tribe/
consortium will be notified by March 16, 1998, and must submit a 
written application for a negotiation grant, no later than March 31, 
1998, indicating its intention to negotiate an annual funding agreement 
with any bureau within DOI for 1999.
    (2) Advance Planning Grants: Up to five grants of no more than 
$40,000 may be made available. The closing date for submitting 
applications to receive a grant to plan for future participation in the 
tribal self-governance program is May 1, 1998. No later than June 1, 
1998, each applicant will be notified by letter

[[Page 3151]]

from the Director, Office of Self-Governance whether it has been 
selected to receive an advance planning grant.
    In order to provide sufficient time for tribes/consortia to 
effectively use the planning and negotiation grants, the following 
target dates have been established for the awarding of grants.
    (1) Negotiation Grants: Since agreements for the 1998 fiscal year 
need to be signed and submitted by July 1, 1998, to allow sufficient 
time to prepare for negotiations, new participating tribes will be 
selected and awarded negotiation grants by May 1, 1998.
    (2) Advance Planning Grants: In order to avoid delays in planning 
activity and future participation in tribal self-governance, advance 
planning grants will be awarded to tribes/consortia by July 1, 1998.

Submitting Applications

    (1) Applications must be submitted in accordance with the interim 
rule published in the Federal Register on April 23, 1996, and by the 
deadlines identified in this announcement.
    (2) Applications may be mailed or hand-delivered.
    (3) Applications which are mailed must be postmarked no later than 
the date given in this notice for the particular type of grant being 
applied for.

    Dated: January 14, 1998.
William A. Sinclair,
Director, Office of Self-Governance.
[FR Doc. 98-1289 Filed 1-20-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-M