[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71479-71480]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28995]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Community Development Financial Institutions Fund


Tribal Consultation Consistent With Executive Order 13175; 
Request for Public Comment

AGENCY: Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund), 
U.S. Department of the Treasury.

ACTION: Request for public comment; Tribal consultation consistent with 
Executive Order 13175.

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SUMMARY: This notice invites comments from the public on issues 
regarding the CDFI Fund's proposed report to assess the state of access 
to capital and credit in Native Communities as consistent with 
Executive Order 13175. The CDFI Fund will offer three opportunities to 
engage the public on this topic: (1) Through written comment; and (2) 
through two virtual meetings conducted as webcasts. All material 
submitted will be available for public inspection and copying.

DATES: For the three opportunities, the dates are listed below.
    1. All written public comments and submissions must be received by 
the CDFI Fund no later than February 28, 2013.
    2. The CDFI Fund's first webcast will be held at 1:00 p.m. ET, 
January 15, 2013. Please RSVP for the event by emailing 
[email protected] and we will provide the call in information.
    3. The CDFI Fund's second webcast will be held at 4:00 p.m. ET, 
January 17, 2013. Please RSVP for the event by emailing 
[email protected] and we will provide the call in information.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be sent by mail to: Amber Kuchar, Associate 
Program Manager, CDFI Fund, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 1500 
Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20005, or by email to 
[email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information regarding the CDFI Fund 
and its programs may be downloaded from the CDFI Fund's Web site at 
http://www.cdfifund.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The CDFI Fund was created for the purpose of 
promoting economic revitalization and community development through 
investment in and assistance to Community Development Financial 
Institutions (CDFIs). Its vision is to economically empower America's 
underserved and distressed communities through the provision of low-
cost capital to certified CDFIs. The CDFI Fund was established by the 
Riegle Community Development Banking and Financial Institutions Act of 
1994.
    In 2001, the CDFI Fund produced the Native American Lending Study 
(NALS), which analyzed lending and investment practices on Indian 
reservations and other lands held in trust by the United States 
government. Specifically, the NALS attempted to provide a baseline of 
information on access to capital and credit for Native Communities, 
identify barriers to private financing, analyze the impact on access to 
capital and to credit for Native people, and provide options to address 
these barriers.
    The CDFI Fund is now building upon the original study and will 
assess to what extent Native Americans have access to capital and 
credit in Native Communities in today's economy. The CDFI Fund will 
produce a report that will be presented to the Department of the 
Treasury, United States Congress, Tribal governments, Tribal 
organizations, stakeholders, and the public. The new report will be a 
publicly available document to guide the CDFI Fund's continued outreach 
to Native Communities \1\ and provide baseline information on the 
current state of access to credit and capital in Native Communities. 
The research will provide policy-makers, Tribal governments, Tribal 
community organizations, and economic development practitioners with 
detailed analysis and quantitative research that can lead to actionable 
recommendations for improving access to capital and credit in Native 
Communities.
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    \1\ Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian 
communities are collectively referred to as ``Native Communities''.
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    On November 6, 2000, President Clinton signed Executive Order 13175 
(Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments) in order 
to ``establish regular and meaningful consultation and collaboration 
with Tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have 
Tribal implications, to strengthen the United States government-to-
government relationships with Indian Tribes, and to reduce the 
imposition of unfunded mandates upon Indian Tribes * * *'' The 
Executive Order was further supported on November 5, 2009 when 
President Obama signed the Memorandum on Tribal Consultation, 
pronouncing Tribal consultations a critical ingredient of a sound and 
productive Federal-Tribal relationship. The CDFI Fund fully embraces 
the Executive Order and is taking this initial step to engage Tribes 
and the public in meaningful consultation.
    The CDFI Fund invites and encourages comments and suggestions 
germane to the mission, purpose, content, and implementation of the 
new, proposed report. The CDFI Fund is particularly interested in 
comments that will help determine the focus and mission of the report, 
as well as influence its methodology. Specifically, the CDFI Fund is 
interested in comments that address the following questions:
    1. What should the access to capital and credit report accomplish?
    2. What should be the scope and focus of the report?
    3. What are the top three desired outcomes of the report?
    4. Who are the key users of the report?
    5. Are there emerging trends, innovative concepts, and promising 
solutions that could significantly improve capital access and 
availability and quality of credit in Native Communities that the 
report should focus on or address?
    6. How did you or your organization use the NALS?

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    7. What were the most significant outcomes for you or your 
organization from the NALS?
    8. What were the best elements of how the NALS was conducted?

General Comments

    The CDFI Fund is also interested in receiving any general comments 
and suggestions regarding the focus, mission, and content of the report 
that are not addressed above.

    Dated: November 20, 2012.
Donna J. Gambrell,
Director, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund.
[FR Doc. 2012-28995 Filed 11-29-12; 8:45 am]
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