[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 14 (Friday, January 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3280-3281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-01118]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

[RTID 0648-XB398]


Review and Comment of National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration Tribal Consultation Policy and Procedures: Extension of 
Public Comment Period

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; extension of public comment period.

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SUMMARY: NOAA is extending the public comment period associated with 
its request for information (RFI) on its policies and guidance 
documents for government-to-government consultation with federally 
recognized Indian Tribes. The RFI was published in the Federal Register 
on Wednesday, November 24, 2021. The public comment period on the RFI 
was originally scheduled to end January 24, 2022. NOAA is extending 
that comment period by 30 days and will now consider comments received 
through February 24, 2022.

DATES: The deadline for receipt of comments on the RFI published on 
November 24, 2021 (83 FR 26009), is extended by 30 days to February 24, 
2022.

ADDRESSES: Responses should be submitted via email to 
[email protected]. Include ``NOAA Tribal Consultation Policy'' in 
the subject line of the message.
    Instructions: Response to this request for information (RFI) is 
voluntary. Email attachments will be accepted in plain text, Microsoft 
Word, or Adobe PDF formats only. Each individual or institution is 
requested to submit only one response. NOAA may post responses to this 
RFI, without change, on a Federal website. It is, therefore, requested 
that no business proprietary information, copyrighted information, or 
personally identifiable information be submitted in response to this 
RFI. Please note that the U.S. Government will not pay for response 
preparation, or for the use of any information contained in the 
response.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Heather Sagar, [email protected], 
(301) 427-8019.

[[Page 3281]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On Wednesday, November 24, 2021, NOAA 
published an RFI seeking comments from Tribal Nations, Tribal 
officials, members of the public, and other interested parties to help 
identify appropriate updates or revisions to the following NOAA 
policies and guidance documents, which facilitate NOAA's implementation 
of E.O. 13175: (1) Tribal Consultation Handbook titled NOAA Procedures 
for Government-to-Government Consultation With Federally Recognized 
Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations (2013); (2) NOAA 
Administrative Order 218-8 titled Policy on Government-to-Government 
Consultation with Federally Recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native 
Corporations (Reaffirmed in 2018); and (3) a traditional ecological 
knowledge (TEK) guidance currently titled NOAA Fisheries and National 
Ocean Service Guidance and Best Practices for Engaging and 
Incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Decision-Making 
(2019). NOAA proposes revisions to its Tribal Consultation Handbook to 
reflect lessons learned and improved practices to better facilitate 
meaningful and effective tribal consultations. NOAA also proposes minor 
revisions to Administrative Order 218-8 to reflect necessary updates 
since its issuance in 2014. We are also seeking comments on the 
existing TEK Guidance, which has not been previously made available for 
public comment. Though the TEK Guidance is only currently implemented 
by NOAA Fisheries and the National Ocean Service, NOAA is now extending 
the applicability of the TEK Guidance to all NOAA Offices. NOAA is 
interested in whether updates or revisions are appropriate for this TEK 
Guidance, including terminology. Updates or revisions to NOAA's Tribal 
Consultation Handbook, Administrative Order, and TEK Guidance will be 
informed by the input we receive from federally recognized Indian 
Tribes, the public, and other interested parties.
    NOAA has decided to extend the public comment period on the RFI by 
30 days to Thursday, February 24, 2022, to allow opportunity for the 
public to continue to provide information on these important documents. 
All three documents can be viewed at this NOAA website: https://www.noaa.gov/legislative-and-intergovernmental-affairs/noaa-tribal-resources-updates.

     Dated: January 14, 2022.
Richard W. Spinrad,
Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA 
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2022-01118 Filed 1-20-22; 8:45 am]
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