Indian Affairs Bureau 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), in cooperation with the Spokane Tribe of Indians (Tribe), intends to file a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Integrated Resource Management Plan (IRMP) for the Spokane Indian Reservation, Washington, with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and that the FEIS is now available to the public. The proposed action would update the Tribe's existing IRMP, in order to continue long term resource management.

This is a notice that the Department of the Interior has received a petition from the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas for the tribal reassumption of jurisdiction over Indian child custody proceedings. The petition is under review by, and may be inspected at, the address listed in the ADDRESSES section.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is submitting to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) a request for the renewal of a tribal enrollment information collection as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The information, collected under OMB Control No. 1076- 0165, will be used to establish that the applicants meet the eligibility requirements to share in the Western Shoshone judgment fund distribution.

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.10(h), the Department of the Interior (Department) gives notice that the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs (AS-IA) proposes to determine that the Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe, c/ o Charles Verdin, P.O. Box 416, Montegut, Louisiana 70377, is not an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. This notice is based on a determination that the petitioner does not satisfy all seven of the criteria set forth in Part 83 of Title 25 of the Code of Federal Regulations (25 CFR Part 83), specifically criteria 83.7(b), 83.7(c), and 83.7(e), and therefore, does not meet the requirements for a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

The Department of the Interior is submitting the information collection, titled the Bureau of Indian Education Higher Education Grant Application Form, OMB Control 1076-0101, for reinstatement. The Higher Education Grant Application Form needs to be reinstated because it expired during the renewal process.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs of the Department of the Interior is providing guidance and direction to Office of Federal Acknowledgment (OFA) staff for managing recurring administrative and technical problems in processing petitions for Federal acknowledgment. This guidance and direction does not amend the acknowledgment regulations at 25 CFR part 83.

This notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to cancel work on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Los Coyotes Band of Cahuilla and Cupe[ntilde]o Indians and the Big Lagoon Rancheria's Fee-to-Trust Transfer and Casino-Hotel Project, to have been located in San Bernardino County, California. The EIS is no longer needed because the Department of the Interior has decided not to accept the land into trust, on the basis that the proposed action did not adequately meet criteria in 25 CFR 151.3; 151.10(b); 151.10(c); and 151.11(b) for trust acquisition.

This notice announces that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to cancel work on the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lower Lake Rancheria's proposed casino and hotel project, to have been located in Oakland, California. The EIS is no longer needed because the Lower Lake Rancheria Koi Nation has not submitted a complete land acquisition application per 25 CFR 151 and has ceased pursuing activity on the EIS.

The Department of the Interior's Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs (AS-IA) is forming a Tribal Energy Policy Advisory Committee (Committee) of tribal officials and Federal representatives to provide advice on implementing regulations promulgated under the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act of 2005 (Act) and other Indian energy resource development matters. The AS-IA is requesting nominations to the Committee for tribal representatives of federally recognized Indian tribes from all of the Bureau of Indian Affairs regions except Alaska (the Act does not include Alaska).

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 254 acres of land into trust for the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria of California on April 18, 2008. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1.

This notice announces that the Information Collection Request for the 25 CFR part 256, U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Housing Improvement Program, OMB Control 1076-0084, is being submitted to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget for reinstatement. The collection expired during the renewal process.

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes the Secretary to provide assistance to Indian tribes for use in developing and sustaining the managerial and technical capacity needed to develop energy resources on Indian land, and to properly account for resulting energy production and revenues. In furtherance of this goal, the Department of the Interior's Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development is soliciting proposals from tribes and tribal energy resource development organizations. The Department will use a competitive evaluation process to select several proposed projects to receive an award.

This publishes notice of an Amendment to the 1998 Class III Gaming Compacts between the State of Michigan and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians taking effect.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is seeking comments on the renewal of OMB 1076-0094, Law and Order on Indian Reservations which concerns marriage and dissolution of marriage in a Court of Indian Offenses. This collection will expire in August 2008.

This notice advises the public that the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) will hold an all-day public information session on April 29, 2008, concerning the final regulations authorizing Tribal Energy Resource Agreements (TERA). These final regulations provide the process under which a tribe may apply for, and the Secretary of the Interior may grant, authority for an Indian tribe to review and approve leases and business agreements and grant rights- of-way for specific energy development activities on tribal lands through an approved TERA. The regulations also cover processes for implementation of TERAs, including periodic review and evaluation of a tribe's activities under a TERA, enforcement of TERA provisions, and administrative appeals. The regulations also include a process for a tribe to voluntarily rescind a TERA.

This notice informs the public that the General Services Administration (GSA), Greater Southwest Region, Fort Worth, Texas, has transferred approximately 790.70 acres, of excess property, more or less, in Sequoyah County, Oklahoma, to the Secretary of the Interior, to be held in trust for the benefit and use of the Cherokee Nation.

This notice publishes an Approval of the Amendment to Interim Compact between the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boy's Reservation and the State of Montana regarding Class III Gaming on the Rocky Boy's Reservation.

This notice advises the public that date for the public hearing on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Absaloka Mine Crow Reservation South Extension Coal Lease Approval, Mine Development Plan and Related Federal and State Permitting Actions, announced in the Federal Register on March 21, 2008, (73 FR 15189) was incorrect. The correct date for the public hearing is April 23, 2008.

In accordance with the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987, and as authorized by the Secretary of Transportation, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) intends to make funds available to federally recognized Indian tribes on an annual basis for implementing traffic safety projects, which are designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes, death, injuries, and property damage within Indian Country. All project applications received will be reviewed and selected on a competitive basis. This notice informs Indian tribes that grant funds are available and that information packets are being mailed to all tribal leaders on the latest Tribal Leaders list that is compiled by the BIA. A copy of the Application Packet can also be obtained by contacting the BIA Indian Highway Safety Office.

The Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs made a final agency determination to acquire approximately 10.2 acres of land into trust for the Puyallup Tribe of Washington on March 14, 2008. This notice is published in the exercise of authority delegated by the Secretary of the Interior to the Assistant SecretaryIndian Affairs by 209 Departmental Manual 8.1.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) as joint lead agencies, with the Crow Tribe of Indians, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as cooperating agencies, intend to file a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) with the EPA for the proposed extension of the existing Absaloka mine onto the Crow Indian Reservation and for related Federal and state permitting actions; and that the DEIS is now available for public review. The purpose of the proposed action is to maximize the economic benefit from the coal trust resource by continuing to provide benefits to the Crow Tribe, including royalty, tax income and employment; as well as allow Westmoreland Resources Inc. (WRI) to continue to access coal resources, owned by the Crow Tribe, for the sale to customers using it for electric power generation. This notice also announces a public hearing to receive comments on the DEIS.

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.10(l)(2), notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior (Department) declines to acknowledge the group known as the Steilacoom Tribe of Indians (STI) of 1515 Lafayette Street, P.O. Box 88419, Steilacoom, Washington 98388, c/o Mr. Danny Marshall, as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. This notice is based on a determination that the petitioner does not satisfy four of the seven mandatory criteria for acknowledgment, specifically Sec. Sec. 83.7(a), 83.7(b), 83.7(c), and 83.7(e), as defined in 25 CFR part 83. Consequently, the STI does not meet the requirements for a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

The Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) is promulgating final regulations providing that Indian tribes, at their discretion, may enter into business agreements and leases for energy resource development and grant rights-of-way for pipelines or electric transmission or distribution lines on tribal land without the Secretary's review and approval. Indian tribes entering into such business agreements, leases, and grants of rights-of-way must execute them under an approved tribal energy resource agreement (TERA) between the Secretary and the tribe. These final regulations provide the process under which a tribe may apply for, and the Secretary may grant, authority for an Indian tribe to review and approve leases and business agreements and grant rights-of-way for specific energy development activities on tribal lands through an approved TERA. The regulations also cover processes for implementation of TERAs, including periodic review and evaluation of a tribe's activities under a TERA, enforcement of TERA provisions, and administrative appeals. The regulations also include a process for a tribe's voluntarily rescinding a TERA.

This notice advises the public that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), as lead agency, with the National Indian Gaming Commission, the City of Calexico and the Manzanita Band of Kumeyaay Indians (Tribe) as cooperating agencies, intends to gather information necessary for preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed 60.8-acre fee-to-trust transfer and casino project in Calexico, Imperial County, California. This notice also announces a public scoping meeting to identify potential issues, concerns and alternatives to be considered in the EIS.

This notice publishes an approval of Amendment II of the Amended and Restated Class III Gaming Compact between the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and the State of Oregon.