[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 153 (Wednesday, August 9, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Page 45575]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-13089]



[[Page 45575]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs


Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 1813, Draft Report to Congress

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Publication of Draft Report to Congress.

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SUMMARY: Section 1813 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) 
requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy 
(Departments) to jointly conduct a study of issues related to energy 
rights-of-way (ROWs) on tribal lands. The Act further directs the 
Departments to submit a report to Congress on the findings of the 
study. The Draft Report to Congress is available for review on the 
Section 1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).
    The Departments will hold several meetings to receive comments and 
suggestions on the Draft Report to Congress. Meeting locations and 
schedules have not been finalized; details will be provided on the 
Section 1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).

DATES: Comments and suggestions on the Draft Report to Congress will be 
accepted through September 1, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Mail, personal, or messenger delivery: Attention: Section 1813 ROW 
Study, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, Room 20--South 
Interior Building, 1951 Constitution Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20245.
    E-mail: [email protected] (please include the phrase ``Section 1813 
Comments'' in the subject line).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Darryl Francois (DOI Office of Indian 
Energy and Economic Development) at (202) 219-0740, or Rollie Wilson 
(DOE Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability) at (202) 
586-3946. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 
(TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-
877-8339, to contact the above individuals during business hours. FIRS 
is available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Public Comment Procedures

Commenting on the Draft Report to Congress

    Written comments or suggestions should:
     Be specific and substantive;
     Explain the reasoning behind your comments and 
suggestions; and
     Where possible, reference the specific section or 
paragraph you are addressing.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the address listed under ``ADDRESSES: 
Mail, personal, or messenger delivery'' during regular business hours 
(9 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality, which will be honored to the 
extent allowable by law. Those wishing to withhold their name or 
address (except for the city or town) must state this prominently at 
the beginning of their comment. Submissions from organizations or 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.

II. Background

    Section 1813 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Pub. L. 109-58) 
requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Energy 
(Departments) to jointly conduct a study of issues regarding grants, 
expansions, and renewals of energy rights-of-way (ROWs) on tribal 
lands. The Act further directs the Departments to submit a report to 
Congress on the findings of the study, including:
    (1) An analysis of historic rates of compensation paid for energy 
ROWs on tribal land;
    (2) Recommendations for appropriate standards and procedures for 
determining fair and appropriate compensation to Indian tribes for 
grants, expansions, and renewals of energy ROWs on tribal land;
    (3) An assessment of the tribal self-determination and sovereignty 
interests implicated by applications for the grant, expansion, or 
renewal of energy ROWs on tribal land; and
    (4) An analysis of relevant national energy transportation policies 
relating to grants, expansions, and renewals of energy ROWs on tribal 
land.
    The Draft Report to Congress is available for review on the Section 
1813 Web site (http://1813.anl.gov).

III. Description of Planned Meetings

    The Departments will hold several public meetings and tribal 
consultation meetings to receive comments and suggestions on the Draft 
Report to Congress. The meetings are scheduled as follows:
    August 24, 2006: Sheraton Denver West, 360 Union Boulevard, 
Lakewood, CO.
    August 25, 2006: Radisson Salt Lake City Downtown, 215 West South 
Temple, Salt Lake City, UT.
    August 28, 2006: Morongo Casino, Resort and Spa Hotel, 49750 
Seminole Drive, Cabazon, CA.
    August 30, 2006: Carlisle Hotel and Conference Center, 2500 
Carlisle Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM.
    Meetings will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The meeting 
in Denver/Lakewood, CO will be an all-day public meeting open to all 
stakeholders. The meetings in Salt Lake City, UT; Cabazon, CA; and 
Albuquerque, NM will consist of short one-or two-hour public meetings 
followed by government-to-government meetings. These government-to-
government meetings will allow for consultation between tribal 
representatives and Federal officials, as called for in the Act, and in 
Executive Order No. 13175, [65 FR 67429 (Nov. 9, 2000)], ``Consultation 
and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments.''

    Dated: August 3, 2006.
Abraham E. Haspel,
Assistant Deputy Secretary.
 [FR Doc. E6-13089 Filed 8-8-06; 8:45 am]
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