[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 28 (Thursday, February 11, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 6825-6827]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3301]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

25 CFR Part 170


Notice of the Proposed Membership of the Negotiated Rulemaking 
Committee Under Section 1115 of the Transportation Equity Act for the 
21st Century (TEA-21)

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Negotiated Rulemaking Act, the Secretary of 
the Interior has selected the proposed member of a committee to develop 
proposed rules for the Indian Reservation Roads program. Tribes in each 
of the twelve Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Areas were invited to 
nominate two representatives and two alternates to serve on the 
committee. After considering nominations, the Secretary proposes to 
appoint the persons named in this notice as committee members. Tribes, 
tribal organizations, and individual tribal members who believe that 
their interests will not be adequately represented by the persons 
identified in this notice may submit comments on the proposed 
selection, apply for membership on the committee, or submit other 
nominations.

DATES: Comments on the proposed committee membership to this negotiated 
rulemaking committee must be received no later than March 13, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send nominations and comments to Mr. LeRoy Gishi, Chief, 
Division of Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department 
of the Interior, MS-4058-MIB, 1849 C Street NW, Washington, DC 20240. 
Nominations and comments received by the BIA will be available for 
inspection at the address listed above from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. LeRoy Gishi, Chief, Division of 
Transportation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, at the address listed above, 
or by telephone at (202) 208-4359 or fax at (202) 208-4696. Additional 
information may be posted on the Indian Reservation Roads web site at 
www.irr.bia.gov, as it becomes available.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: As required by 23 U.S.C. section 202, as 
amended by TEA-21, the Secretary shall, pursuant to a negotiated 
rulemaking process, issue regulations governing the Indian Reservation 
Roads program and establish a formula for allocating all contractible 
funds among Indian tribes for fiscal year 2000 and subsequent years. 
Section 202 also requires that in establishing this committee, the 
Secretary will (1) apply the procedures of negotiated rulemaking under 
subchapter III of chapter 5 of title 5 (the Negotiated Rulemaking Act) 
in a manner that reflects the unique government-to-government 
relationship between the Indian tribes and the United States, and (2) 
ensure that the membership of the committee includes only 
representatives of the Federal Government and of geographically diverse 
small, medium, and large Indian tribes.
    In negotiating a proposed regulation establishing a funding 
formula, the committee will base its proposal on factors that reflect 
(a) the relative needs of the Indian tribes, and reservation or tribal 
communities, for transportation assistance, and (b) the relative 
administrative capacities of, and challenges faced by, various Indian 
tribes, including the cost of road construction in each BIA Area, 
geographic isolation and difficulty in maintaining all-weather access 
to employment, commerce, health, safety, and educational resources. 
Also, the committee will develop a regulation governing the Indian 
Reservation Roads program.
    The Secretary invites organizations and individuals to comment on 
the nominations in this notice or nominate other persons for membership 
on the committee. The Secretary intends that the proposed committee 
(including any additional members selected) reflect balanced interests 
as follows:
    (1) Members of geographically diverse small, medium, and large 
Indian tribes;
    (2) Members of tribes identified as Direct Service, Self-
Determination and Self-Governance tribes; and
    (3) Members of tribes with various levels and types of experience 
in the diverse concerns of transportation development and management 
(e.g., jurisdictional issues, complexity of transportation systems, 
climatic concerns, environmental issues, geographic isolation, etc.).
    The Secretary has determined that the proper functioning of the 
committee requires more than the 25 members recommended by the 
Negotiated Rulemaking Act (5 U.S.C. 565) in order to achieve balanced 
representation from geographically diverse small, medium, and large 
Indian tribes as required by Section 1115 of TEA-21. The Secretary has 
selected 29 tribal representatives and 13 Federal representatives for 
the committee, for a proposed total of 42 members. The first meeting of 
the committee is tentatively scheduled for March 16-18, 1999. The 
following membership for the committee is proposed:

Federal Representatives

Robert Baracker, Designated Federal Official, BIA Albuquerque Area 
Office
LeRoy Gishi, Chief, BIA Division of Transportation
Justin P. Patterson, Assistant Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor
(One representative), BIA Juneau Area Office
Cordell Ringel, Area Road Engineer, BIA Billings Area Office
Wilfred Frazier, Area Road Engineer, BIA Navajo Area Office
Vernon Palmer, Area Road Engineer, BIA Phoenix Area Office
Robert Ecoffy, Superintendent, Pine Ridge Agency, BIA Aberdeen Area 
Office
Joel Smith, Superintendent, Minnesota Agency, BIA Minneapolis Area 
Office
Mike Smith, Assistant Area Director, BIA Sacramento Area Office
(Three representatives) Department of Transportation

Representatives of Tribes, Tribal Organizations, and Individual 
Indians

ABERDEEN AREA
Pete Red Tomahawk, Transportation Planner
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Fort Yates, ND
Ted Danks, Transportation Planner
Three Affiliated Tribes of Mandan, Arikara and Hidatsa
New Town, ND

[[Page 6826]]

Alternates:
Fern Peltier, Transportation Planner
Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians
Belcourt, ND
Diane Zephier, Transportation Planner
Oglala Sioux Tribe
Pine Ridge, SD
ALBUQUERQUE AREA
Edward Little, Director, Indian Pueblos Federal Development Corp.
All Indian Pueblo Council
Albuquerque, NM
James Mark Wright, Tribal Roads Engineer
Jicarilla Apache Tribe
Dulce, NM
David Wyaco, Sr, Tribal Council
Pueblo of Zuni
Zuni, NM
Alternates:
Delfino Calabaza, AIPC Program Administrator
Pueblo of Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo Pueblo, NM
Robert Goffinett, Tribal Transportation Director
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe
Towaoc, CO
ANADARKO AREA
Chuck Tsoodle, Tribal Roads & Transit Director
Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma
Carnegie, OK
Tim Ramirez, Tribal Roads Director
Prairie Band of Potawatami Nation
Mayetta, KS
Alternates:
Bill Tall Bear, Program Coordinator-Transportation Planner
Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
Concho, OK
John Barrett, Chairman
Citizen Potawatomi Nation
Shawnee, OK
BILLINGS AREA
John Smith, Transportation Planner
Shoshone & Arapaho Tribes
Fort Washakie, WY
Norma Gorneau, Vice Chair
Northern Cheyenne Tribe
Lame Deer, MT
Alternates:
John Healy, Transportation Planner
Fort Belknap Tribes
Harlem, MT
Caleb Shields, Tribal Council
Ft. Peck Tribe
Poplar, MT
EASTERN AREA
Eddie Tullis, Tribal Chairman
Poarch Band of Creek Indians
Atmore, AL
Jody Clark, Transportation Manager
Seneca Nation of Indians
Salamanca, NY
Alternates:
Johnson Owle, Transportation Planner
Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians
Cherokee, NC
Clifford Francis, Tribal Council
Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy
Perry, ME
JUNEAU AREA
Loretta Bullard, President
Kawarek, INC.
Nome, AK
Al Ketzler Sr., Chief Administrative Officer
Tanana Chiefs Conference
Fairbanks, AK
Gideon James, Tribal Operations Director
Native Village of Venetie Tribal Government
Venetie, AK
Alternates:
Dugan Nielsen, Director, Land & Resources
Bristol Bay Native Association
Dillingham, AK
Edward Thomas, President
Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Juneau, AK
MINNEAPOLIS AREA
Jim Garrigan, Director of Tribal Roads
Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
Red Lake, MN
Mike Christensen, Tribal Roads Committee
Lac Du Flambeau Chippewa
Lac du Flambeau, WI
Alternates:
Bruce Danforth, Public Works Area Manager
Oneida Nation
Oneida, WI
John Stewart, Tribal Engineer
Prairie Island Indian Community
Welch, MN
MUSKOGEE AREA
George Almerigi, Second Chief
Muskogee Creek Nation
Okmulgee, OK
Everett Waller, Councilman
Osage Nation
Pawhuska, OK
Alternates:
Robert Endicott, Transportation Planner
Cherokee Nation
Tahlequah, OK
Rebecca Torres, Chief
Alabama Quassarate Tribal Town
Henryetta, OK
NAVAJO AREA
Sampson Begay, Tribal Council
Navajo Nation
Window Rock, AZ
Andrew Simpson, Tribal Council
Navajo Nation
Window Rock, AZ
Alternates:
Alfred Yazzie, Navajo Nation Council
Navajo Nation
Window Rock, AZ
Thomas Christie, Department of Justice
Navajo Nation
Window Rock, AZ
PHOENIX AREA
Alex Cabello, Councilman
Hualapai Tribe
Peach Springs, AZ
Robyn Burdette, Chairperson
Summit Lake Paiute Tribe
Winnemucca, NV
Wade Large, Asst. Economic Development Director
Uintah & Ouray Ute Tribe
Fort Duchesne, UT
Alternates:
Cecil Antone, Lieutenant Governor
Gila River Indian Community
Sacaton, AZ
Rita Martinez, Councilwoman
Tohono O ``odham Nation
Sells, AZ
PORTLAND AREA
Michael Marchand, Colville Business Council
Confederated Tribes of Colville Indians
Nespelem, WA
Dave Whitener, Chairman
Squaxin Island Tribe
Shelton, WA
Della Cree, Community Development Planner
Nez Perce Tribe
Lapwai, ID
Alternates:
Andy Kampkoff, Construction Manager
Lummi Indian Business Council
Bellingham, WA
Mike Clement, Economic Development Manager
Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Warm Springs, OR
SACRAMENTO AREA
Anthony Largo, Spokesman
Santa Rosa Indian Reservation
Hemet, CA
Mervin Hess, Chairperson
Bishop Indian Reservation
Bishop, CA
Vlayn McCovey, Council Member
Yurok Tribe
Eureka, CA
Alternates:
Mac Hayward, Public Works Director
Redding Rancheria
Redding, CA
Randolph Feliz, Tribal Vice Chair
Hopland Band of Pomo Indians
Hopland, CA

    If you believe that your interests will not be adequately 
represented by any person identified in the committee membership, you 
may apply or nominate another person for membership on the committee. 
Each application or nomination must include:
    (1) The name of the nominee.
    (2) The tribal interest(s) to be represented by the nominee (based 
on the interests listed above).
    (3) Evidence that the applicant or nominee is authorized to 
represent

[[Page 6827]]

parties related to the interest(s) the person proposed to represent.
    (4) The reasons that the proposed members of the committee 
identified in this notice do not represent the interests of the person 
submitting the application or nomination.
    (5) Your name, address, telephone number, and the name of the tribe 
or tribal organization with which you are affiliated.
    To be considered, comments and nominations must be received by the 
close of business on March 13, 1999, at the location indicated in the 
``Addresses'' section.

    Dated: February 4, 1999.
Kevin Gover,
Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 99-3301 Filed 2-10-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-02-P