Tribal Consultation on Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA) Sec. 304, Transition Plan for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians, 51860-51861 [2017-24319]

Download as PDF 51860 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 215 / Wednesday, November 8, 2017 / Notices part 990, NEPA, the Consent Decree, the Final PDARP/PEIS, the Phase III ERP/ PEIS and the Phase V ERP/EA. The Florida TIG is considering the second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project in the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA to address lost recreational opportunities in Florida caused by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA, the Florida TIG proposes one preferred alternative, the Salinas Park Addition, which involves the acquisition and enhancement of a 6.6-acre coastal parcel. The Florida Coastal Access Project was allocated approximately $45.4 million in early restoration funds, and the Salinas Park Addition would cost approximately $3.1 million of the $6.4 million remaining funds not utilized in the first phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project. The Florida TIG also considered two additional land acquisition and improvement alternatives, as well as the no action alternative in the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA. One or more alternatives may be selected for implementation by the Florida TIG in the Final Phase V.2 RP/SEA or in future restoration plans. Details on the proposed second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project are provided in the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA. The proposed second phase of the Florida Coastal Access Project is intended to continue the process of using restoration funding to restore natural resources, ecological services, and recreational use services injured or lost as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Additional restoration planning for the Florida Restoration Area will continue. Next Steps As described above, a public meeting is scheduled to facilitate the public review and comment process on the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA. After the public comment period ends, the Florida TIG will consider and address the comments received before issuing a final Phase V.2 RP/SEA. ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Public Availability of Comments Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment—including your personal identifying information—may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Nov 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 Administrative Record The documents comprising the Administrative Record for the Draft Phase V.2 RP/SEA can be viewed electronically at https://www.doi.gov/ deepwaterhorizon/administrativerecord. Authority The authority of this action is the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (33 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.) and its implementing Natural Resource Damage Assessment regulations found at 15 CFR part 990 and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). Kevin D. Reynolds, Designated Department of the Interior Natural Resource Trustee Official. [FR Doc. 2017–24197 Filed 11–7–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4333–15–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary [18XD0120AF/DT20000000/DST000000/ 241A/T0110100] Tribal Consultation on Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA) Sec. 304, Transition Plan for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians Office of the Secretary, Interior. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: This notice announces that the Department of the Interior (Department) will be hosting two Tribal consultation sessions on a proposal to transfer the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) to report to the Office of the Assistant Secretary— Indian Affairs (AS–IA) in FY 2018 via a Secretary’s Order. Under the proposal, the office would be headed temporarily by the Principal Deputy Special Trustee, who would be delegated the authorities of the Special Trustee for American Indians. Subsequently, the Department plans to appoint a career executive to act as the Director of OST. DATES: Tribal consultation sessions will be held by phone on Wednesday, December 13, 1:00 p.m.– 4:00 p.m. EST, and Thursday, December 14, 9:00 a.m.– 12:00 p.m. EST. Comments on this proposal must be received by January 15, 2018. ADDRESSES: Please submit comments via email to consultation@bia.gov or mail to Attn: ITARA Transition, c/o Elizabeth Appel, Office of Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action—Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW., Mail Stop 4660, Washington, DC 20240. The toll free call-in number for the consultation sessions is: (888) 324–2907, and the SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00060 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 passcode is 9793554. Additional information is available at www.doi.gov/ OST/ITARA. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Appel, Director, Office of Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action, Office of the Assistant Secretary—Indian Affairs, at elizabeth.appel@bia.gov or (202) 273– 4680. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OST was established in the Department by the American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (1994 Act), Public Law 103–412, when Congress decided a Special Trustee was needed to oversee reforms relating to trust responsibilities throughout the Department. In 1996, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) transferred management of Indian trust funds from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to the OST. See Secretarial Order No. 3197. OST has implemented reforms and managed Indian trust funds for over 20 years. In June 2016, Congress passed the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA), Public Law 114–178. ITARA Section 304(a) requires the Secretary to prepare and submit a plan for the transition of functions of the OST to other bureaus or agencies within the Department within two years of submission of the plan to Congress. Beginning in August 2016, the Department held one listening session and 10 Tribal consultation sessions throughout Indian Country and held an open period to solicit comments via a notice in the Federal Register. Based on consultation feedback, the Department determined that the most appropriate place for OST’s core functions is to remain with OST as a permanent organization. To ensure fully integrated Indian policy and programs, we propose to realign OST to report to AS–IA. To meet the two-year deadline required by ITARA Section 304(a), the Department proposes transferring the OST to AS–IA in FY 2018 via a Secretary’s Order. Today, the OST holds approximately $5 billion under trust management and administers approximately 3,400 tribal trust accounts for more than 250 Indian Tribes and over 400,000 Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. Each year, OST disburses roughly $1.2 billion to individual Indians and tribes. Receipting, investing, and disbursing activity is accomplished through the processing of 10.3 million financial transactions. The OST organization features five Regional Trust Administrators with extensive backgrounds in trust management, with over 50 Fiduciary Trust Officers to serve as the primary E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1 Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 215 / Wednesday, November 8, 2017 / Notices point-of-contact for beneficiaries on trust matters, allowing OST to coordinate trust asset management activities with the BIA, tribes, and individual beneficiaries in their respective geographic areas. The OST operates a Trust Beneficiary Call Center (TBCC) to support a strong beneficiary trust relationship as envisioned in the original reform goals. Section 306 of ITARA requires the Secretary to identify cost savings that would result from the elimination of ‘‘any program, function, service, or activity . . . of the Office of the Special Trustee that will not be operated or carried out as a result of a transfer of functions and personnel following enactment of this Act’’. As the proposed plan calls for all functions of OST to be transferred under AS–IA intact, there will be no cost savings as defined by ITARA. Moreover, appropriations for OST increased relatively quickly after its inception as functions were transferred from other organizations within the Department to OST. Funding levels peaked in FY 2007 when OST received $223.3 million. In the last decade, however, funding has steadily decreased as reforms have been completed and efficiencies have been realized. In FY 2017, OST received $138.8 million—a 38 percent decrease from its peak funding. Any cost savings resulting from trust reforms have already been captured in the form of decreased budget requests. Authority: E.O. 13175, 65 FR 67250. Jerold Gidner, Principal Deputy Special Trustee. [FR Doc. 2017–24319 Filed 11–7–17; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4334–63–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0024147; PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000] Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, Anchorage, AK National Park Service, Interior. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, (Alaska Region USFWS), has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains ethrower on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:26 Nov 07, 2017 Jkt 244001 and associated funerary objects and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to the Alaska Region USFWS. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed. DATES: Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request with information in support of the request to the Alaska Region USFWS at the address in this notice by December 8, 2017. ADDRESSES: Edward J. DeCleva, Regional Historic Preservation Officer, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Region, 1011 East Tudor Road, MS–235, Anchorage, AK 99503, telephone (907) 786–3399, email edward_decleva@ fws.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3003, of the completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects under the control of the Alaska Region USFWS. The human remains and associated funerary objects were recovered from site 049–KOD– 00083, Kodiak Island Borough, AK. This notice is published as part of the National Park Service’s administrative responsibilities under NAGPRA, 25 U.S.C. 3003(d)(3). The determinations in this notice are the sole responsibility of the museum, institution, or Federal agency that has control of the Native American human remains and associated funerary objects. The National Park Service is not responsible for the determinations in this notice. Consultation A detailed assessment of the human remains was made by the Alaska Region USFWS professional staff in consultation with representatives of the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository of Kodiak, Alaska, acting as agent for the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor (previously listed as Native Village of Old Harbor and Village of Old Harbor), Kaguyak Village, Native Village of PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 51861 Afognak, Native Village of Akhiok, Native Village of Larsen Bay, Native Village of Ouzinkie, Native Village of Port Lions, Sun’aq Tribe of Kodiak (previously listed as the Shoonaq’ Tribe of Kodiak), and the Tangirnaq Native Village (formerly Lesnoi Village (aka Woody Island)). History and Description of the Remains Beginning in 1961 and continuing through 1963, human remains representing, at minimum, 23 individuals, including 17 adults (two possible males, two possible females, and 13 individuals of indeterminate sex), five sub adults, and one infant were removed from the Three Saints Bay site (049–KOD–00083) on Kodiak Island as part of the Aleut-Konyag project conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, under the direction of Morgan Usadel, Donald Clark, William Workman, and Peter Storck. The collection was curated and stored at the University of Wisconsin-Madison until 2006. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, working with the Regional Historic Preservation Officer of the Alaska Region USFWS to determine locations of Alaskan archeological collections, located and recovered this collection, conducted a complete inventory, and returned the human remains to the Alaska Region USFWS for storage. No known individuals were identified. The 23 associated funerary objects include 19 unmodified faunal remains, 1 lot of charcoal samples, 1 carved bone figurine pin, 1 amber bead, and 1 bone buckle. The Three Saints Bay site is a two component site, the lower component corresponds to the prehistoric late Kachemak tradition winter settlement dating to BP 2000 to 1100. The upper component consists of seven or eight log houses, warehouse, barns, bunkhouses, carpentry shop, and storage buildings of the first settlement established in North America by the Russian American Company in 1784. Five to nine burials were encountered at Three Saints Bay which, according to Donald Clark’s 1970 report, exhibited burial practices that fit within the general Kachemak traditional pattern. The present-day descendant of the Kachemak tradition is the Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor (previously listed as Native Village of Old Harbor and Village of Old Harbor). Determinations Made by the Alaska Region USFWS Officials of the Alaska Region USFWS have determined that: • Pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3001(9), the human remains described in this notice E:\FR\FM\08NON1.SGM 08NON1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 215 (Wednesday, November 8, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51860-51861]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-24319]


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

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Office of the Secretary

[18XD0120AF/DT20000000/DST000000/241A/T0110100]


Tribal Consultation on Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA) Sec. 
304, Transition Plan for the Office of the Special Trustee for American 
Indians

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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

SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Department of the Interior 
(Department) will be hosting two Tribal consultation sessions on a 
proposal to transfer the Office of the Special Trustee for American 
Indians (OST) to report to the Office of the Assistant Secretary--
Indian Affairs (AS-IA) in FY 2018 via a Secretary's Order. Under the 
proposal, the office would be headed temporarily by the Principal 
Deputy Special Trustee, who would be delegated the authorities of the 
Special Trustee for American Indians. Subsequently, the Department 
plans to appoint a career executive to act as the Director of OST.

DATES: Tribal consultation sessions will be held by phone on Wednesday, 
December 13, 1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. EST, and Thursday, December 14, 9:00 
a.m.- 12:00 p.m. EST. Comments on this proposal must be received by 
January 15, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Please submit comments via email to consultation@bia.gov or 
mail to Attn: ITARA Transition, c/o Elizabeth Appel, Office of 
Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action--Indian Affairs, 1849 C 
Street NW., Mail Stop 4660, Washington, DC 20240. The toll free call-in 
number for the consultation sessions is: (888) 324-2907, and the 
passcode is 9793554. Additional information is available at 
www.doi.gov/OST/ITARA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Elizabeth Appel, Director, Office 
of Regulatory Affairs & Collaborative Action, Office of the Assistant 
Secretary--Indian Affairs, at elizabeth.appel@bia.gov or (202) 273-
4680.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: OST was established in the Department by the 
American Indian Trust Fund Management Reform Act of 1994 (1994 Act), 
Public Law 103-412, when Congress decided a Special Trustee was needed 
to oversee reforms relating to trust responsibilities throughout the 
Department. In 1996, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) 
transferred management of Indian trust funds from the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs (BIA) to the OST. See Secretarial Order No. 3197. OST has 
implemented reforms and managed Indian trust funds for over 20 years.
    In June 2016, Congress passed the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act 
(ITARA), Public Law 114-178. ITARA Section 304(a) requires the 
Secretary to prepare and submit a plan for the transition of functions 
of the OST to other bureaus or agencies within the Department within 
two years of submission of the plan to Congress. Beginning in August 
2016, the Department held one listening session and 10 Tribal 
consultation sessions throughout Indian Country and held an open period 
to solicit comments via a notice in the Federal Register. Based on 
consultation feedback, the Department determined that the most 
appropriate place for OST's core functions is to remain with OST as a 
permanent organization. To ensure fully integrated Indian policy and 
programs, we propose to realign OST to report to AS-IA. To meet the 
two-year deadline required by ITARA Section 304(a), the Department 
proposes transferring the OST to AS-IA in FY 2018 via a Secretary's 
Order.
    Today, the OST holds approximately $5 billion under trust 
management and administers approximately 3,400 tribal trust accounts 
for more than 250 Indian Tribes and over 400,000 Individual Indian 
Money (IIM) accounts. Each year, OST disburses roughly $1.2 billion to 
individual Indians and tribes. Receipting, investing, and disbursing 
activity is accomplished through the processing of 10.3 million 
financial transactions.
    The OST organization features five Regional Trust Administrators 
with extensive backgrounds in trust management, with over 50 Fiduciary 
Trust Officers to serve as the primary

[[Page 51861]]

point-of-contact for beneficiaries on trust matters, allowing OST to 
coordinate trust asset management activities with the BIA, tribes, and 
individual beneficiaries in their respective geographic areas. The OST 
operates a Trust Beneficiary Call Center (TBCC) to support a strong 
beneficiary trust relationship as envisioned in the original reform 
goals.
    Section 306 of ITARA requires the Secretary to identify cost 
savings that would result from the elimination of ``any program, 
function, service, or activity . . . of the Office of the Special 
Trustee that will not be operated or carried out as a result of a 
transfer of functions and personnel following enactment of this Act''. 
As the proposed plan calls for all functions of OST to be transferred 
under AS-IA intact, there will be no cost savings as defined by ITARA.
    Moreover, appropriations for OST increased relatively quickly after 
its inception as functions were transferred from other organizations 
within the Department to OST. Funding levels peaked in FY 2007 when OST 
received $223.3 million. In the last decade, however, funding has 
steadily decreased as reforms have been completed and efficiencies have 
been realized. In FY 2017, OST received $138.8 million--a 38 percent 
decrease from its peak funding. Any cost savings resulting from trust 
reforms have already been captured in the form of decreased budget 
requests.

    Authority: E.O. 13175, 65 FR 67250.

Jerold Gidner,
Principal Deputy Special Trustee.
[FR Doc. 2017-24319 Filed 11-7-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4334-63-P
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.