81 FR 47176 - Tribal Consultation and Listening Sessions on Indian Trust Asset Reform Act

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Office of the Secretary

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 139 (July 20, 2016)

The Department of the Interior (Interior) is hosting a listening session and tribal consultation sessions with Indian Tribes, appropriate Indian organizations, and individual Indians on the implementation of Title III of the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act recently passed by Congress. Topics to be addressed in these sessions include the establishment of an Under Secretary for Indian Affairs, the transition of certain functions of the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) to other entities within Interior, the identification of options for a single entity to conduct appraisals and valuations of Indian trust property, and draft minimum qualifications for individuals to prepare appraisals and valuations of Indian trust property.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 139 (Wednesday, July 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47176-47177]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-17166]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[167 A2100DD/AAKC001030/A0A501010.999900]


Tribal Consultation and Listening Sessions on Indian Trust Asset 
Reform Act

AGENCIES: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Interior (Interior) is hosting a 
listening session and tribal consultation sessions with Indian Tribes, 
appropriate Indian organizations, and individual Indians on the 
implementation of Title III of the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act 
recently passed by Congress. Topics to be addressed in these sessions 
include the establishment of an Under Secretary for Indian Affairs, the 
transition of certain functions of the Office of the Special Trustee 
for American Indians (OST) to other entities within Interior, the 
identification of options for a single entity to conduct appraisals and 
valuations of Indian trust property, and draft minimum qualifications 
for individuals to prepare appraisals and valuations of Indian trust 
property.

DATES: Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice 
for dates of the listening sessions and tribal/individual Indian 
consultation sessions. Written comments are due by September 30, 2016.

ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments by email to 
[email protected]. If you do not have access to email, please send 
a hard copy to the following address, but please do not send a 
duplicate hard copy if you have emailed a copy: Ms. Elizabeth Appel, 
Office of the Assistant Secretary--Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW., 
MS 3642, Washington, DC 20240. Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION 
section of this notice for locations of the listening sessions and 
Tribal/individual Indian consultation sessions.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Debra DuMontier, Office of the 
Special Trustee for American Indians at [email protected] or 
(505) 816-1131 or Ms. Elizabeth Appel, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs at [email protected] or (202) 273-4680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 22, 2016, President Obama signed 
into law the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act, Public Law 114-178. Title 
III of this Act:
     Allows the Secretary of the Interior to establish an Under 
Secretary for Indian Affairs who is to report directly to the Secretary 
of the Interior and coordinate with OST to ensure an orderly transition 
of OST functions to an agency or bureau within Interior;
     Requires Interior to prepare a transition plan and 
timetable for how identified OST functions might be moved to other 
entities within the Department of the Interior;
     Requires appraisals and valuations of Indian trust 
property to be administered by a single administrative entity within 
Interior; and
     Requires Interior to establish minimum qualifications for 
individuals to prepare appraisals and valuations of Indian trust 
property and allows an appraisal or valuation that meets those

[[Page 47177]]

minimum qualifications to be considered final without being reviewed or 
approved by Interior under certain conditions.
    The Department is hosting listening sessions and consultation 
sessions with Indian tribes and individual Indians on each of the 
topics identified above on the following dates and in certain 
locations. More specific information on the location identifying the 
venue will be posted as soon as it becomes available at www.doi.gov/OST/ITARA.

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                                                               Listening sessions/
                Date                 Time (All times local)    Tribal consultation             Location
                                                                    sessions
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Wednesday 8/17/2016................  1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m....  Listening Session (in   Oneida Tribe of Indians of
                                                              conjunction with the    Wisconsin, Radisson Hotel
                                                              Indian Land Working     and Conference Center,
                                                              Group 2016 Symposium).  Airport Drive, Green Bay,
                                                                                      WI 54313.
Monday 8/22/2016...................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  U.S. Forest Service, 4000
                                                                                      Masthead St. NE.,
                                                                                      Albuquerque, NM 87109.
Friday, 8/26/2016..................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Minneapolis, MN.
Monday 8/29/2016...................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Henry M. Jackson Federal
                                                                                      Building, 915 2nd Avenue,
                                                                                      Seattle, WA 98104.
Wednesday 8/31/2016................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Billings, MT.
Wednesday 9/7/2016.................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Tulsa, OK.
Friday 9/9/2016....................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Sioux Falls, SD.
Monday 9/12/2016...................  8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m...  Tribal Consultation...  Palm Springs, CA.
Monday 9/19/2016...................  1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m....  Tribal Consultation,    (888) 282-0365, passcode:
                                                              Teleconference.         9342929.
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    Additional information, including possible OST functions that may 
be transferrable to other entities within the Department and potential 
options for a single entity within the Department that might perform 
appraisal and valuation services for Indian trust property, is also 
available at the Web site listed above (www.doi.gov/OST/ITARA).

    Dated: July 13, 2016.
Michael L. Connor,
Deputy Secretary.
[FR Doc. 2016-17166 Filed 7-19-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4337-15-P