[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 21 (Thursday, January 31, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4730-4731]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-2303]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Office of 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 meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary, along with the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs, the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians, and the 
Office of Indian Trust Transition, will conduct an additional meeting 
to discuss a proposed reorganization of the Department's trust 
responsibility functions to improve the management of Indian trust 
assets. Any tribe, band, nation or individual is encouraged to attend 
this meeting and to submit written comments. This meeting is in 
addition to those identified in a prior Federal Register notice of 
December 11, 2001 (66 FR 64054).

DATES: The date and city location of the consultation meeting is as 
follows:
     February 14, 2002--Portland, Oregon.

ADDRESSES: The address for the consultation meeting, which will begin 
promptly at 9 a.m., is as follows:
     Sheraton Hotel, 8235 NE Airport Way, Portland, Oregon 
97220.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wayne R. Smith, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street, NW., MS 4140 MIB, Washington, 
DC 20240 (202/208-7163).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this 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

[[Page 4731]]

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. Additionally, a recent report commissioned by 
the Department of the Interior has 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 for reorganization 
is still in the early stages of development.
    Written comments may be submitted at the meeting location or may be 
mailed to the address indicated under the heading FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT. Interested persons may examine written comments 
during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. EST) as arranged 
by the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Washington, DC, Monday 
through Friday, except for Federal holidays. Commenters who wish to 
remain anonymous must clearly state this preference at the beginning of 
their written comments. The Department will honor requests for 
anonymity to the extent allowable by law.
    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 Departmental processes.

    Dated: January 25, 2002.
J. Steven Griles,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-2303 Filed 1-30-02; 8:45 am]
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