[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 79 (Thursday, April 24, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20142-20145]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-10168]


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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

[OPPT-2003-0018; FRL-7303-4]


National Tribal Conference on Environmental Management; Notice of 
Proposal Solicitation

AGENCY:  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ACTION:  Notice.

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SUMMARY:  EPA is requesting proposals from federally recognized Indian 
tribes or intertribal consortia to co-sponsor the 7th National Tribal 
Conference on Environmental Management (NTCEM). EPA will be the federal 
sponsor. The Tribal Conference will provide an opportunity for tribal 
leaders, tribal environmental managers, tribal organizations, federal 
agencies, and other interested entities/persons to share information 
about tribal environmental programs and discuss issues of vital 
interest to Indian country. The scope of the conference traditionally 
encompasses multi-media environmental issues involving tribes. The 
goals for the conference are to facilitate tribal environmental 
programs; establish stronger networks and relationships across 
environmental efforts in Indian country; identify shared lessons 
learned; and familiarize tribes with the full extent of tribal and EPA 
program environmental activities. EPA will award a cooperative 
agreement to the selected host tribe to co-sponsor the conference, 
including personnel, planning, facilities, and management expenses.

DATES: Proposals must be received or postmarked byJune 23, 2003.
    A conference call for potential applicants to ask questions or 
seekpre-application assistance is scheduled for May 7, 2003, from 2 
p.m. to 4:30 p.m. eastern standard time. Please call Caren Rothstein-
Robinson at (202) 564-0544 to obtain the conference call telephone 
number and the access code.

ADDRESSES: Mail proposals via the U.S. Postal Service (including 
express and priority mail) to: Clara Mickles, Environmental Protection 
Agency, American Indian Environmental Office, Mail code 4104M, 1200 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.
    Mail proposals via commercial overnight delivery service (e.g., 
FedEx, DHL, UPS) to: Clara Mickles, Environmental Protection Agency, 
American Indian Environmental Office, Room 3334, EPA East, Mail code 
4104M, 1201 Constitution Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Caren Rothstein-Robinson, 
Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Program Management 
Operations, Mail code 7101M, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460; 
telephone number: (202) 564-0544.
    Applicants may submit written questions for clarification 
electronically to: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. General Information

A. Does this Action Apply to Me?

    This action is directed to the public in general. This action may, 
however, be of particular interest to federally recognized Indian 
tribes or tribal consortia. Since other entities may also be 
interested, the Agency has not attempted to describe all the specific 
entities that may be affected by this action. If you have any questions 
regarding the applicability of this action to a particular entity, 
consult the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

B. How Can I Get Copies of This Document and Other Related Information?

    1. Docket. EPA has established an official public docket for this 
action

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under docket identification (ID) number OPPT-2003-0018. The official 
public docket consists of documents specifically referenced in this 
action and other information related to this action. Although a part of 
the official docket, the public docket does not include Confidential 
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is 
restricted by statute. The official public docket is the collection of 
materials that is available for public viewing at the EPA Docket 
Center, Rm. B-102 Reading Room, EPA West, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW., 
Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The EPA Docket 
Center Reading Room telephone number is (202) 566-1744 and the 
telephone number for the OPPT Docket, which is located in EPA Docket 
Center, is (202) 566-0280.
    2. Electronic access. You may access this Federal Register document 
electronically through the EPA Internet under theFederal Register 
listings at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/.You may also access this 
document and copies of past conference agendas from EPA's American 
Indian Environmental Office's web page at http://www.epa.gov/indian/.
    Significant questions and responses as well as any significant 
clarifications to this request for proposals will be posted on EPA's 
American Indian Environmental Office's web page at http://www.epa.gov/indian/.
    An electronic version of the public docket is available through 
EPA's electronic public docket and comment system, EPA Dockets. You may 
use EPA Dockets at http://www.epa.gov/edocket/ to access the index 
listing of the contents of the official public docket, and to access 
those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. 
Although not all docket materials may be available electronically, you 
may still access any of the publicly available docket materials through 
the docket facility identified in Unit I.B.1. Once in the system, 
select ``search,'' then key in the appropriate docket ID number.

II. Background

    Starting in 1992, EPA has co-sponsored six bi-annual NTCEM 
conferences to provide an opportunity for tribal leaders, tribal 
environmental program managers, tribal organizations, federal agencies, 
and other interested entities to share information about tribal 
environmental programs and discuss issues of vital interest to Indian 
country. Topics at past conferences have helped to build tribal 
capacity in the following areas:
    1. Managing environmental programs (including integrated waste 
programs).
    2. Grant assistance to tribes.
    3. Addressing concerns about human health risks and subsistence.
    4. Contracting, research, and business development opportunities.
    5. Technology (GIS) and natural resource management.
    6. Air, water, and waste management issues.
The conference has traditionally been held in late spring. Following is 
a list of previous conference locations and dates:
    1. Cherokee Nation, NC (May 1992)
    2. Cherokee Nation, NC (May 1994)
    3. Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation, 
MT (May 1996)
    4. Prairie Island Indian Community, MN (May 1998)
    5. Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, OR (June 2000)
    6. Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, NV (June 2002)
    The most recent conference, hosted by the Pyramid Lake Paiute 
Tribe, in Reno, NV, was very successful in content as well as in 
attendance. Over 700 people attended this conference. Past conferences 
have drawn500-700 participants representing more than 200 tribes, 
Native Alaskans, intertribal consortia, federal employees and private/
non-profit organizations. The conference agenda included all aspects of 
tribal environmental issues.
    EPA has decided to sponsor the 7th NTCEM in the spring of 2005, 
with EPA's Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances 
(OPPTS), serving as the lead office for the event. In the past, the 
NTCEM has been held bi-annually in late spring which would place the 
7th NTCEM sometime in late spring of 2004.
    The decision to hold the conference in the spring of 2005 is being 
made because EPA and its tribal partners are planning several 
significant activities in the 2004 calendar year. Moreover, EPA is 
aware that the National Museum of the American Indian is planned to 
have its grand opening in the fall of 2004. EPA understands that there 
are a number of tribal activities and celebrations being held in 
conjunction with the Museum's opening and does not want to detract from 
these events. EPA also believes that spacing major tribal events more 
widely presents several positive benefits. It will help spread scarce 
tribal travel expenses over a longer period and encourage tribal 
participation at more events. Scheduling the NTCEM for the spring of 
2005 would also give the host tribe additional time to plan for and 
work with other tribes across the country to ensure fuller 
participation and a diverse agenda more accurately reflecting Tribal 
interest and issues.

III. 2005 Host Responsibilities

    The tribal host will be the primary non-federal co-sponsor for this 
conference. Strong conference management capabilities are essential, 
and include: Developing the conference agenda, handling conference 
logistics (such as registration, transportation, and travel 
scholarships for tribal participants), developing conference materials, 
and communications planning and outreach to ensure that priority 
environmental issues of interest to tribes are represented. The host 
tribe will support the tribal community in their participation by 
encouraging attendance and covering related travel expenses for the 
appropriate tribal personnel. The host tribe will also take the lead 
role in developing a conference theme.
    EPA will be the federal co-sponsor of the NTCEM and will work with 
the tribal co-sponsor to identify national tribal environmental issues 
and arrange for federal participation. The Agency will enter into a 
written co-sponsorship agreement under EPA Ethics Advisory 96-15 with 
the selected tribal co-sponsor. EPA will provide technical assistance 
to the tribal co-sponsor, as needed, to resolve logistics and 
communication issues associated with the event. In consultation with 
the tribal co-sponsor, EPA may advertise the conference in EPA 
websites, notices, newsletters and other internal EPA communications 
materials.

IV. Coordination with Other Federal Agencies and Tribal Organizations

    EPA and the host tribe will coordinate with other federal agencies 
and key EPA-supported tribal entities (including the Tribal Operations 
Committee, Tribal Pesticide Program Council, Tribal Science Council, 
Tribal Association on Solid Waste and Emergency Response, and many 
other broader-based intertribal organizations and consortia) to 
strengthen the multi-media character of this conference. These groups 
will be invited to participate on the conference agenda or 
independently around the other on-going conference events. Once the 
conference host is selected, EPA encourages interested organizations to 
contact the host to coordinate efforts.

V. Evaluation Criteria

    EPA is requesting proposals from federally recognized Indian tribes 
or intertribal consortia to host the National

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Tribal Conference on Environmental Management through a cooperative 
agreement with EPA, generally with a project period of 2 years. The 
applicable Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number is 66.604. To 
be eligible to receive a cooperative agreement under the authorities 
listed in today's Notice, an intertribal consortium must meet the 
definition of eligibility in the Environmental Program Grants for 
Tribes Final Rule, at 40 CFR 35.504 (66 FR 3782, January 16, 2001) 
(FRL-6929-5), and is a non-profit organization within the meaning of 
OMB Circular A-122. The funding amount for the cooperative agreement is 
subject to the availability of funds in EPA. Prior cooperative 
agreement awards for co-hosting the Tribal Conference have been in the 
amount of about $300,000. EPA will negotiate the final amount of the 
award with the selected tribal host.
    Tribes or intertribal consortia that wish to submit proposals must 
first meet the four threshold factors described below under Unit V.B. 
Proposals that do not meet the threshold factors will not be considered 
further by EPA. If your tribe or intertribal consortium meets these 
threshold factors, EPA will score your proposal based on how well you 
meet the evaluation criteria. Please make sure you address the 
threshold factors first and then provide detailed information on all 
the listed criteria in your proposal. Clearly mark any information you 
consider confidential. EPA will make confidentiality decisions in 
accordance with Agency regulations at 40 CFR part 2, subpart B. 
Submissions which do not address a particular criterion will receive a 
zero score for that criterion. EPA strongly encourages direct 
involvement by staff from your environmental program/department, 
facility managers, and members of the local business community/chamber 
of commerce.
    An EPA panel consisting of representatives from across the Agency 
will evaluate all qualifying submissions according to the listed 
criteria, and rank them according to final score. EPA will award a 
grant to the selected tribal host with the highest scoring proposal to 
cover personnel, planning, and management expenses. EPA reserves the 
right to reject all proposals and make alternative arrangements for the 
conference. EPA will follow the dispute resolution process in 
accordance with 40 CFR part 31, subpart F for disagreements.
    Please submit a description of your facilities and a summary of 
your capabilities (with limited examples, if appropriate) for all of 
the criteria listed below.

A. Threshold Factors

    1. Proposal must be submitted by an eligible federally recognized 
Indian tribe or intertribal consortium.
    2. Have a conference center or other suitable meeting facilities 
capable of holding at least 4 concurrent sessions and a plenary session 
that will accommodate 700 people.
    3. Have the capability to lodge 700 people.
    4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively manage EPA financial 
assistance (i.e., an adequate financial management system with 
effective accounting procedures that maintain fiscal control).

B. Evaluation Criteria

    1. Conference management. The proposal should clearly demonstrate 
the capability to manage all aspects of a major conference with 
detailed information and examples. The proposal should provide a 
preliminary conference plan of the host tribe's proposed approach. 
Conference management includes outreach, preparation, implementation, 
and wrap-up of the conference. Outreach should address issues such as 
effective involvement of tribes, communications plan, and internet 
capability. Preparation and implementation should address such issues 
as staffing; design and development of agenda; travel and facility 
logistics; registration; tribal travel scholarships; events; and 
contractual support. Wrap-up should address issues such as conference 
proceedings and evaluation by participants. Inclusion of (limited) 
documentation that specifically illustrates tribal conference 
management capability is strongly encouraged. (Maximum of 20 points)
    2. Tribal environmental capabilities. Tribe or intertribal 
consortium demonstrates they have developed substantive environmental 
capabilities through, for example, establishing and implementing tribal 
environmental programs or coordinating/leading tribal environmental 
projects. Tribe or intertribal consortium demonstrates how such 
experience will be integrated into the conference, to include tribal 
environmental management and program perspectives, approaches and 
cultural aspects, such that the conference is distinguished from other 
environmental conferences. Proposal demonstrates how the tribe or 
intertribal consortium will closely tie the event to Indian country or 
tribal homelands. Proposal highlights how the host tribe will reflect 
tribal environmental issues in the conference theme and agenda. 
Proposal highlights local events, activities and/or projects that 
reflect tribal perspective. Examples from previous conferences include 
host tribe environmental program presentations and tours, technical and 
ceremonial demonstrations, tours of communities, and field trips to 
environmental sites. (Maximum of 20 points)
    3. Conference facilities. Consideration will be given for 
conference facilities/amenities that are tribally owned or located on 
tribal land. Tribes that do not have facilities located on their lands 
can outline a plan to utilize nearby facilities that meet the 
logistical needs described in the criteria. (Maximum of 12 points).
    4. Conference transportation. Demonstrate that: (i) Airline 
transportation is economically feasible for most conference 
participants; (ii) the conference facilities are located within 90 
minutes of a major airport; and (iii) ground transportation can be 
provided for attendees to and from the airport and around the meeting 
sites (e.g., between meeting facility and offsite locations such as 
hotels and special event locations). Lodging should be available within 
a reasonable travel time, preferably within 15 minutes of conference 
facilities. (Maximum of 12 points)
    5. Conference materials. Capability to produce and distribute 
conference materials, such as a conference logo, registration 
materials, signs/banners, an agenda booklet, and handouts. (Maximum of 
12 points)
    6. Vendor area. Use of an area in close proximity to the meeting 
area(s) capable of accommodating 25 or more vendors, providing exhibit 
booth space of 8' x 8' or 10' x 10' per vendor and access to electrical 
and telephone service. (Maximum of 12 points)
    7. Resource conservation. Commitment to find flexible, yet more 
protective ways to conserve natural resources in the conduct of the 
conference. Proposal describes how the host tribe will communicate the 
environmentally friendly practices used at the conference to conference 
participants. Examples of resource conservation include: Using products 
with recycled content or other environmentally friendly materials, 
collecting recyclables, energy or water-use efficiency activities, 
providing opportunities for reuse, and providing sources of education. 
(Maximum of 12 points)
Total: 100 points.
    In addition to soliciting proposals for the 2005 conference, EPA 
encourages you to submit suggestions or ideas for

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potential agenda topics that your tribe would like to see addressed at 
the conference. EPA will forward all suggestions to the selected tribal 
host. EPA also encourages you to attend the conference regardless of 
whether you are interested in hosting the event.

List of Subjects

    Environmental protection, Indian tribes.


    Dated: April 16, 2003.
Stephen L. Johnson,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic 
Substances.

[FR Doc. 03-10168 Filed 4-23-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6560-50-S