[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 14, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67827-67828]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27595]


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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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[[Page 67828]]

SUMMARY: The Office of the Secretary is announcing that the Secretarial 
Commission on Indian Trust Administration and Reform (the Commission) 
will hold a public meeting on December 6 and 7, 2012. During the public 
meeting, the Commission will hear from invited speakers about: 
management and administration of probate and real estate services 
administered through compacts and contracts; management and 
administration of natural resources held in trust; and trust reform, 
including other trust models and the trust relationship. The meeting 
will allow the Commission to gain insights and perspectives from 
members of the public. The Commission will also be hosting a youth 
outreach session on the evening of December 6, 2012, on the University 
of Washington campus to meet with young adults and college students on 
their ideas and recommendations to improve performance and services to 
trust beneficiaries.

DATES: The Commission's public meeting will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 
5 p.m. on December 6, and begin at 8 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. on December 
7, 2012. Members of the public who wish to attend in person should 
respond by December 4, 2012, to: [email protected] to ensure 
adequate meeting packets will be made available. Members of the public 
who wish to participate via teleconference and/or webinar should 
respond by December 4, 2012, to: [email protected] and 
information on how to register will be provided; virtual participation 
is limited to 100 participants. The Commission's public youth outreach 
session will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on December 6, 2012; 
additional information will be available at: http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Double Tree Suites by 
Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport, 18740 International Boulevard, Seattle, 
Washington 98188. We encourage you to respond to 
[email protected] by December 4, 2012. The public youth 
outreach session will be held on the University of Washington campus; 
further information on the location 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, which should involve conducting 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 improvements; and
    (6) Consider the provisions of the American Indian Trust Fund 
Management Reform Act of 1994 providing for the termination of the 
Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, and make 
recommendations to the Secretary regarding termination.

Meeting Details

    On Thursday, December 6, 2012, and Friday, December 7, 2012, the 
Commission will hold a meeting open to the public. The following items 
will be on the agenda.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

     Invocation;
     Welcome, introductions, agenda review;
     Commission operations reports and decisions;
     Commission review and discussion of preliminary 
recommendations;
     Public observations and comments regarding Commission 
recommendations;
     Panel session regarding real estate and probate;
     Panel session regarding natural resource assets;
     Status update on settlement;
     Commissioner reflections and insights from the day; and
     Review of action items from the today's discussion.
    On the evening of Thursday, December 6, 2012, the Commission will 
host a youth outreach session from at 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the 
University of Washington campus to meet with young adults and college 
students on their ideas and recommendations to improve performance and 
services to trust beneficiaries. For additional information please 
refer to http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm.

Friday, December 7, 2012

     Invocation;
     Welcome, introductions, agenda review;
     Presentation and discussion from BIA Budget Office;
     Panel session regarding trust reform and administration;
     Public comment regarding Commission discussion thus far;
     Planning for 2013 meetings;
     Commission discussion of insights and conclusions from 
panel speakers and preliminary discussion of how to integrate ideas 
into draft recommendations;
     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 related material on the Commission's work, please refer to http://www.doi.gov/cobell/commission/index.cfm. All meetings are open to the 
public.

    Dated: November 5, 2012.
David J. Hayes,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2012-27595 Filed 11-13-12; 8:45 am]
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