[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 26 (Wednesday, February 7, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5456-5457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-02436]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Indian Affairs

[189A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900 253G]


Indian Trust Asset Reform Act, Title II--Indian Trust Asset 
Management Demonstration Project

AGENCY: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will host three Tribal 
consultation sessions on the development of the Indian Trust Asset 
Management Demonstration Project authorized by the Indian Trust Asset 
Management Reform Act (ITARA), Public Law 114-178.

DATES: Written comments must be received by March 15 2018. Please see 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document for dates of 
Tribal consultation sessions.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by one of the following methods:
     Email: [email protected].
     By hard copy: Submit by U.S. mail or hand delivery to: Ms. 
Elizabeth Appel, Office of Regulatory Affairs and Collaborative Action, 
U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Mail Stop 4660-MIB, 
Washington, DC 20240. Please note: If you provide comments by email, 
there is no need to provide a duplicate hard copy.
    Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice for 
information on the Tribal consultation sessions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Doug Lords, Deputy Bureau 
Director, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Trust

[[Page 5457]]

Services, (505) 563-3787, or email at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The ITARA became law on June 22, 2016. Title 
II of ITARA authorizes the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to 
establish and carry out an Indian trust asset management demonstration 
project (demonstration project or project). The demonstration project 
will allow participating Tribes to enter into, approve, and carry out 
surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity without 
approval of the Secretary if certain conditions are met.
    Once the demonstration project is established, eligible Tribes may 
request to participate by submitting to the Secretary a complete 
application package. Applications must include a copy of a resolution 
or other appropriate action by the governing body of the Indian Tribe 
in support of or authorizing the application and state that the Indian 
Tribe is requesting to participate in the demonstration project. The 
Secretary will provide a written notice to each Tribe approved to 
participate in the project.
    Tribes that have been selected to participate in the project may 
submit to the Secretary a proposed Indian trust asset management plan. 
Under section 204(a)(2) of ITARA, Indian trust asset management plans 
must:
    (A) Identify the trust assets that will be subject to the plan;
    (B) Establish trust asset management objectives and priorities for 
Indian trust assets that are located within the reservation, or 
otherwise subject to the jurisdiction, of the Indian Tribe;
    (C) Allocate trust asset management funding that is available for 
the Indian trust assets subject to the plan in order to meet the trust 
asset management objectives and priorities;
    (D) Identify functions or activities that are being or will be 
performed by the Indian Tribe under contract, compacts, or other 
agreements under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), which may include any of the surface 
leasing or forest land management activities authorized by the proposed 
management plan and describe the practices and procedures that the 
Indian Tribe will follow;
    (E) Establish procedures for nonbinding mediation or resolution of 
any dispute between the Indian Tribe and the United States relating to 
the trust asset management plan;
    (F) Include a process for the Indian Tribe and the Federal agencies 
affected by the trust asset management plan to conduct evaluations to 
ensure that trust assets are being managed in accordance with the plan; 
and
    (G) Identify any Federal regulations that will be superseded by the 
plan.
    Further, in accordance with section 204(c), an Indian trust asset 
management plan, and any activity carried out under the plan, shall not 
be approved unless the proposed plan is consistent with any treaties, 
statutes, and executive orders that are applicable to the trust assets, 
or the management of the trust assets, identified in the plan.
    The Secretary may approve an Indian trust asset management plan 
that includes a provision authorizing the Tribe to enter into, approve, 
and carry out a surface leasing transaction or forest management 
activity without approval of the Secretary, regardless of whether the 
surface leasing transaction or forest land management activity would 
require such an approval under otherwise applicable law (including 
regulations), under certain conditions described in section 205. Under 
section 204(b), the Secretary has 120 days to approve or disapprove a 
Tribe's proposed management plan.
    A draft template of an Indian trust asset management plan is 
available at the following website: https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/raca/regulations-and-other-documents-in-development.

Tribal Consultation Sessions

    The BIA will host two on-site Tribal consultations sessions and one 
telephonic consultation as follows:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
             Date                      Time               Location
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, February 27, 2018....  1:00 p.m.-4:00     Mystic Lake Casino
                                 p.m. Local Time.   Hotel, 2400 Mystic
                                                    Lake Boulevard,
                                                    Prior Lake, MN
                                                    55372.
Thursday, March 1, 2018.......  1:00 p.m-4:00      Portland, OR--please
                                 p.m., Local Time.  check website above
                                                    for venue.
Thursday, March 8, 2018.......  1:00 p.m.-4:00     Teleconference, Call-
                                 p.m. Eastern       in number: (888) 324-
                                 Time.              7176, Passcode:
                                                    3730875.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    Dated: January 24, 2018.
John Tahsuda,
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, Exercising the 
Authority of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2018-02436 Filed 2-6-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4337-15-P