[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52340-52341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-21248]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary


Meeting of the Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust 
Administration and Reform

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

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SUMMARY: The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and 
Reform (the Commission) will hold a public meeting on September 13 and 
14, 2012. The Commission will also host a public facilitated discussion 
the afternoon of September 12, 2012, on the Fort Berthold Reservation, 
and a youth outreach session the evening of September 13, 2012, at the 
United Tribes Technical College.

DATES: The Commission's public meeting will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 
5 p.m. on September 13 and 14, 2012. Members of the public who wish to 
attend should respond by September 7, 2012, to: 
[email protected] to ensure adequate meeting packets will be 
made available. The Commission's public facilitated discussion will be 
held in the afternoon (time to be determined) on September 12, 2012, 
and the youth outreach session will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on 
September 13, 2012; additional information will be available at: http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Best Western Ramkota 
Hotel Bismarck, 800 South Third Street, Bismarck, North Dakota 58504. 
We encourage you to respond to [email protected] by September 
7, 2012. The public facilitated session will be held on the Fort 
Berthold Indian Reservation and the youth outreach session will be held 
at the United Tribes Technical College; further information on these 
locations will be available at http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The Designated Federal Official, 
Lizzie Marsters, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, Department of 
the Interior, 1849 C Street NW., Room 6118, Washington, DC 20240; or 
email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Secretarial Commission on Indian Trust Administration and 
Reform was established under Secretarial Order No. 3292, dated December 
8, 2009. The Commission plays a key role in the Department's ongoing 
efforts to empower Indian nations and strengthen nation-to-nation 
relationships.
    The Commission will complete a comprehensive evaluation of the 
Department's management and administration of the trust assets within a 
two-year period and offer recommendations to the Secretary of the 
Interior on how to improve in the future. The Commission will:
    (1) Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the Department's 
management and administration of the trust administration system;
    (2) Review the Department's provision of services to trust 
beneficiaries;
    (3) Review input from the public, interested parties, and trust 
beneficiaries involving a number of regional listening sessions;
    (4) Consider the nature and scope of necessary audits of the 
Department's trust administration system;
    (5) Recommend options to the Secretary to improve the Department's 
management and administration of the trust administration system based 
on information obtained from the Commission's activities, including 
whether any legislative or regulatory changes are necessary to 
permanently implement the recommended improvements; and
    (6) Consider the provisions of the American Indian Trust Fund 
Management Reform Act of 1994 providing for termination of the Office 
of the Special Trustee for American Indians, and make recommendations 
to the Secretary regarding termination.

Meeting Details

    On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, in the afternoon, the Commission 
will host a public facilitated discussion to offer opportunities for 
members of the public to share their concerns about trust management 
and administration.
    On the evening of Thursday, September 13, 2012, the Commission will 
host a youth outreach session beginning at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the 
United Tribes Technical College. For additional information please 
refer to http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm.
    On Thursday, September 13, 2012, and Friday, September 14, 2012, 
the Commission will hold a public meeting. The following items will be 
on the agenda for the public meeting.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

     Invocation;
     Welcome, introductions, agenda review;
     Commission operations reports and decision-making;
     Commission review and discussion of preliminary 
recommendations;
     Initial observations and comments from public regarding 
Commission recommendations;
     Summary of comments as of August 31, 2012, from Commission 
outreach letter and survey to DOI employees;
     Panel session regarding hard assets;
     Commissioner reflections and insights from the day; and
     Review of action items from today's discussion.

Friday, September 14, 2012

     Invocation;
     Welcome, introductions, agenda review;
     Reflections from Thursday's deliberations;
     Trust reform and trust models panel session;
     Public comment regarding Commission recommendations and 
discussions;
     Commission working session to continue development of 
preliminary recommendations;
     Status update on settlement (proposed);
     Commission discussion of insights and conclusions from 
morning and afternoon deliberations;
     Planning for next meetings;
     Review action items, meeting accomplishments; and
     Closing blessing, adjourn.
    Written comments may be sent to the Designated Federal Official 
listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section above. To review 
all materials

[[Page 52341]]

related to the Commission's work, please refer to http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm. All meetings are open to the public.

    Dated: August 23, 2012.
David J. Hayes,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-21248 Filed 8-28-12; 8:45 am]
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