[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 228 (Tuesday, November 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59259-59260]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-29583]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians

Office of Indian Trust Transition


Tribal Consultation on Indian Trust Asset Management

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of 
the Special Trustee for American Indians, Office of Indian Trust 
Transition, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of tribal consultation meetings.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary along with the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs,

[[Page 59260]]

the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, and Office of 
Indian Trust Transition will conduct consultation meetings on Indian 
trust asset management. The purpose is to discuss a proposed 
reorganization of the Department's trust responsibility functions to 
improve the management of Indian trust assets. Any Indian tribe, band, 
nation or individual Indian is encouraged to attend the meeting and to 
submit written comments.

DATES: The first consultation meeting will be held in Albuquerque, N.M. 
on December 13, 2001 at 9:00 AM (local time). Dates, times and 
locations of additional consultation meetings will be announced 
shortly. All written comments must be received on or before January 15, 
2002.

ADDRESSES: The Albuquerque meeting will be held on December 13, 2001 at 
the All Indian Pueblo Council, 123 4th St, S.W., Albuquerque, New 
Mexico. Send written comments to the Office of the Secretary, Attn: 
Office of Executive Secretariat, 1849 C St. NW., MS7229-MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240. Send written comments by electronic mail to 
www.doi.gov/oait.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne Smith, 1849 C St. NW., MS-4140 
MIB, Washington, DC 20240, (202) 208-7163, Fax (202) 208-5320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the meeting is to involve 
affected and interested parties in the process of organizing the 
Department's trust asset management responsibility functions. The 
Department has determined that there is a need for dramatic change in 
the management of Indian trust assets. This need has been made apparent 
in several ways. An independent consultant has analyzed important 
components of the Department's trust reform activities and made several 
recommendations, including the recommendation that the Department 
consolidate trust functions under a single entity. Concerns have also 
been raised in the Cobell v. Norton case, which is currently pending in 
the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia. Internal 
review has also supported reorganization. A new office in the 
Department, the Office of Indian Trust Transition, has been created to 
plan and support reorganization. While preliminary actions have been 
taken by the Department, the plan is still in the early stages of 
development. The meeting is the first in a series of public meetings. 
Future meetings may be held in Portland, OR; Rapid City, SD; 
Minneapolis, MN; Oklahoma City, OK; Washington, DC, and potentially 
other sites. The dates and locations of these meetings will be 
announced in a future notice.
    Written comments, including names, street addresses, and other 
contact information of persons submitting comments will be available 
for public review at the address stated in the ADDRESSES section. 
Interested persons may examine the written comments during regular 
business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST), Monday through Friday, 
except Federal holidays. Individuals who submit comments may request 
confidentiality. If you wish us to withhold your name, street address, 
and other contact information (such as fax or phone number) from public 
review or from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you 
must state this prominently at the beginning of your comment. We will 
honor your request to the extent allowable by law. We will make 
available for public inspection in their entirely all submissions from 
organizations or businesses, and from individuals identifying 
themselves as representatives or officials of organizations or 
businesses.
    This meeting supports administrative policy on tribal consultation 
by encouraging maximum direct participation of representatives of 
tribal governments, tribal organizations, and other interested persons 
in important processes.

    Dated: November 23, 2001.
J. Steven Griles,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-29583 Filed 11-26-01; 8:45 am]
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