OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, November 20, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor will host a news media teleconference to discuss the year-to-date accomplishments and next schedule for the continued implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program).

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period.

Land fractionation is a serious problem across Indian Country. As lands are passed down through generations, they gain more owners. Many tracts now have hundreds and even thousands of individual owners. Because it is difficult to gain landowner consensus, the lands often lie idle and cannot be used for any beneficial purpose.

In its first year of sending offers, the Program has already successfully concluded transactions worth nearly $225 million to American Indian landowners and has restored the equivalent of more than 375,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Deputy Secretary Mike Connor and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin Washburn will join President Obama, other cabinet Secretaries and leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes at the 2014 Annual White House Tribal Nations Conference.

Secretary Jewell will deliver remarks during the opening ceremony of the 6th annual conference and will join panel discussions on Indian education reform and climate change, along with other stakeholder meetings and briefings. Deputy Secretary Mike Connor will participate in discussions on protecting natural and cultural resources and Assistant Secretary Washburn will join sessions on government-to-government relations, economic development and upholding federal trust and treaty responsibilities.

The annual White House Tribal Nations Conference provides tribal leaders the opportunity to interact directly with President Obama, Secretary Jewell and members of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The Council, which is chaired by Secretary Jewell and includes the heads of more than 20 federal departments and agencies, has convened four times since its inception in June 2013 and works to improve interagency coordination, efficiency and expand efforts to leverage federal programs and resources available to tribal communities.

Since assuming her role at Interior, Secretary Jewell has visited more than 20 tribal communities and half dozen Bureau of Indian Education schools. Jewell also joined President Obama and the First lady on their historic visit to Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation earlier this year.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Wednesday, December 3, 2014, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Deputy Secretary Mike Connor and Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn will join President Obama, Vice President Biden, other cabinet Secretaries and leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes at the 2014 Annual White House Tribal Nations Conference.

Secretary Jewell will deliver remarks during the opening ceremony of the 6th annual conference and will join panel discussions on Indian education reform and climate change, along with other stakeholder meetings and briefings. Deputy Secretary Mike Connor will participate in discussions on protecting natural and cultural resources and Assistant Secretary Washburn will join sessions on government-to-government relations, economic development and upholding federal trust and treaty responsibilities.

The annual White House Tribal Nations Conference provides tribal leaders the opportunity to interact directly with President Obama, Secretary Jewell and members of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The Council, which is chaired by Secretary Jewell and includes the heads of more than 20 federal departments and agencies, has convened four times since its inception in June 2013 and works to improve interagency coordination, efficiency and expand efforts to leverage federal programs and resources available to tribal communities.

Since assuming her role at Interior, Secretary Jewell has visited more than 20 tribal communities and a half dozen Bureau of Indian Education schools. Jewell also joined President Obama and the First Lady on their historic visit to Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation earlier this year.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today announced that the Department of the Interior disbursed more than $13.4 billion in revenue generated by energy production on Federal and American Indian lands and offshore areas in Fiscal Year 2014, with increases in state and Indian Country revenues over the prior year.

The disbursements include more than $1 billion to American Indian Tribes and individual Indian mineral owners, marking the first time disbursements from energy production on American Indian lands topped the billion-dollar mark.

The Interior Department distributes energy revenues to state, local, and federal accounts to support critical reclamation, conservation, recreation, and historic preservation projects. Local governments apply the revenues to meet a variety of needs, ranging from school funding to infrastructure improvements and water conservation projects.

“Revenue generated from developing public energy resources that belong to all Americans helps fund critical investments in communities across the United States and creates American jobs, fosters land and water conservation efforts, improves critical infrastructure, and supports education,” said Jewell. “This year’s disbursements continue to reflect significant energy production from public and tribal lands in the United States.”

The $1.1 billion disbursed to 34 American Indian Tribes and more than 34,000 individual Indian mineral owners for resources held for them in trust or restricted status represents an increase of more than $200 million over FY 2013 disbursements that totaled $932.9 million. This increase to Indian Country is attributed primarily to increasing oil production from the Ft. Berthold Reservation in North Dakota.

The Interior Department disburses 100 percent of the revenues received for energy and mineral production activities on Indian lands directly to the Tribes and individual Indian mineral owners through Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians. Tribes then use the revenues to develop infrastructure, provide healthcare and education, and support other critical community development programs, such as senior centers, public safety projects, and youth initiatives.

Secretary Jewell in June announced a package of regulatory initiatives intended to help tribal leaders to spur investment opportunities and economic development in Indian Country, including efforts to remove regulatory barriers to infrastructure and energy development in Indian Country; increase tribal community access to expanded, high-speed Internet resources via broadband; eliminate leasing impediments to land development; and support the growth of new markets for Native American and Alaska Native businesses.

“While some tribes continue to experience recent economic progress from energy development, these tribes and many other tribal communities continue to face formidable economic hardship,” said Jewell. “In our efforts to foster tribal self-determination and improve our federal regulations to meet the needs of the 21st century, we will continue to look for opportunities to provide greater deference to tribes to help remove barriers to economic development on tribal lands. Working hand in hand with tribal communities and with my colleagues across the Administration, we hope to help lay a solid foundation for economic development and improve the quality of life for American Indians and Alaska Natives in their homelands.”

More than $2.2 billion of the FY 2014 energy revenues were disbursed to 36 states as their cumulative share of revenues collected from oil, gas and mineral production on federal lands within their borders and from U.S. offshore oil and gas tracts adjacent to their shores. In FY 2013 disbursements to the states totaled about $2 billion. Among the top states receiving FY 2014 revenue are Wyoming ($1 billion); New Mexico ($579 million); Utah ($171 million); Colorado ($169 million); California ($100 million); North Dakota ($68 million); Montana ($38 million); Louisiana ($24 million); Alaska ($20 million); and Texas ($12 million).

Included in the state disbursements is $4.1 million sent directly to 37 individual counties in eight states from geothermal energy production. State disbursements also include $4.3 million to four coastal states and 42 eligible political subdivisions (counties and parishes) under provisions of the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006. A complete list of states receiving revenues through Fiscal Year 2014 is available on Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue’s website at: http://www.onrr.gov/

A total of $7.2 billion was disbursed to the U.S. Treasury to fund programs for the entire nation, making the Department’s mineral revenue disbursements one of the nation’s largest sources of non-tax revenue. The disbursements also fund several special use accounts in the U.S. Treasury, including FY 2014 transfers to the Land & Water Conservation Fund, the Reclamation Fund, and the Historic Preservation Fund.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, established by Congress in 1964, receives revenue from energy development to provide grants to state, federal and local governments to acquire land, water and easements for recreation use and to protect natural treasures. Receipts deposited in the Reclamation Fund are made available by Congress through annual appropriation acts for authorized water management and efficiency programs that directly benefit 17 Western States. The Historic Preservation Fund provides matching grants to help state and tribal historic preservation offices preserve cultural and other historic resources.

All federal energy revenues are collected and disbursed by Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), which is under the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget. ONRR makes disbursements on a monthly basis from the royalties, rents and bonuses it collects from energy and mineral companies.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the White House will hold an on-the-record conference call to preview the White House Tribal Nations Conference that the President will host on Wednesday, December 3rd. The conference will provide leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with the President and members of the White House Council on Native American Affairs. For the first time in these conferences, the voice of Native youth will also be represented by 36 White House Youth Ambassadors. This year’s conference builds on the President’s visit in June of this year to the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, where he reaffirmed his commitment to education and economic development, and announced a call to action to support Native youth. This will be the sixth White House Tribal Nations Conference for the Obama Administration.

This call will be on-the-record, embargoed for 6:00AM EST, tomorrow, Wednesday, December 3rd, 2014.

WHO: Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz

WHAT: On-the-record press call, embargoed for Wednesday, December 3rd 6:00AM EST.

WHEN: Tuesday, December 2, 2014 12:00PM EST RSVP: Members of the media who wish to join this call should dial (800) 230-1092 and ask for the “White House Tribal Nations Call.” No passcode is necessary.

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WASHINGTON, DC – Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell today delivered opening remarks at the sixth White House Tribal Nation’s Conference, where she emphasized the Obama Administration's commitment to Indian Country, including self-determination and self-governance initiatives that are helping tribal nations to build a foundation for a successful and culturally vibrant future.

“All of the work we are undertaking in partnership with tribes – whether on education, tackling climate change, or upholding trust reforms and treaty obligations – is with an eye toward the health and prosperity of the next generation,” said Secretary Jewell, who will also participate in panel discussions with tribal leaders on education and native youth, and climate change. “The White House Tribal Nations Conference is one piece of President Obama’s commitment to make meaningful and lasting progress in support of American Indians’ and Alaska Natives’ vision for a strong and successful future.”

The conference provides leaders from the 566 federally recognized tribes the opportunity to interact directly with President Obama, members of his Cabinet and other federal policy-level officials, building on the President’s commitment to strengthen our government-to-government relationship with Indian Country and to improve the livelihood of Native Americans. President Obama held the first-ever conference and has ensured that it will be an enduring, annual conference by Executive Order.

During this year’s conference, Jewell will discuss some of the progress made by the White House Council on Native American Affairs in advancing initiatives on educational reform, energy and economic development and climate change.

The Council, which is chaired by Secretary Jewell and includes the heads of more than 20 federal departments and agencies, has convened four times since its inception in June 2013 and works to improve interagency coordination and expand efforts to leverage federal programs and resources available to tribal communities.

Under a Council initiative, Secretary Jewell and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, after consultation with tribal leaders, issued a Blueprint for Reform in June 2014 to redesign the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Building on the Blueprint’s recommendations, Jewell issued a Secretarial Order to begin restructuring BIE from solely a provider of education to a capacity-builder and education service-provider to tribes. The goal of this transformation is to give tribes the ability themselves to provide an academically rigorous and culturally appropriate education to their students, according to their needs.

“The heart of the matter is that no one cares more, or knows more about what’s right for young people, than their parents and their community,” said Jewell, who noted that the BIE recently awarded $1.2 million to tribes to promote tribal control of BIE-funded schools on their reservations.

Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn also participated in today’s Tribal Nation’s Conference where he joined panel sessions and reaffirmed the Obama Administration’s sacred duty to uphold federal trust responsibilities and help restore tribal homelands.

“Each of the Administration's successes is progress for tribes because tribal self-determination and self-governance animate each of our programs,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “Our programs cannot fully succeed unless Indian tribal governments also succeed.”

He noted Jewell's second Secretarial Order focused on Indian Country and the Department’s tribal trust responsibilities – underscoring Interior’s commitment to a new chapter in government-to-government relations. The Order reaffirmed the Department’s unique, historic responsibilities and provided guidance for each of Interior agencies to carry out trust obligations to tribes and individual Indian beneficiaries.

Assistant Secretary Washburn also discussed the status of proposed changes to the Department’s federal acknowledgment regulations to improve efficiency and fairness in that process.

Jewell underscored historic settlements and progress in restoring tribal homelands through land-into-trust and the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. In addition to the historic $3.4 billion Cobell settlement, the Administration has resolved more than 80 individual tribal trust management lawsuits for a total of $2.5 billion. The most recent settlement was announced in September and provided $554 million in settlement of long-standing trust disputes with the Navajo Nation, with some claims dating back more than 50 years.

“Resolution of historic tribal trust cases and the Cobell litigation has allowed the Department to work with Indian country on rebuilding the trust relationship in a collaborative manner, outside the adversarial atmosphere of litigation,” noted Interior Solicitor Hilary Tompkins, who also participated in the conference.

In ongoing efforts to help restore tribal homelands, Interior has completed 282 cases so far this year, taking 40,339 acres into trust for Tribes. Since 2009, more than 280,408 acres have been taken into trust on behalf of tribes, more than half way toward the Department’s goal of 500,000 acres before the end of the President’s term. Indian Affairs has also been working on regulations that would allow the Department to take land into trust in Alaska.

In addition, Interior has been carrying out the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations a program designed to buy highly fractionated land interests from willing American Indian sellers at fair market value and transfer consolidated titles to tribal governments for the beneficial use of their communities. In the last 12 months, the Program has made $754 million in offers to more than 44,000 individual landowners and restored the equivalent of more than 475,000 acres to tribes. The Department recently announced 21 additional locations where the Program will begin implementation, bringing the total number of locations actively engaged in the Buy-Back Program to 42. That total represents 83 percent of all outstanding fractionated ownership interests.

Since assuming her role at Interior, Secretary Jewell has visited more than 20 tribal communities and half a dozen Bureau of Indian Education schools. Jewell also joined President Obama and the First lady on their historic visit to Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Nation earlier this year.

WASHINGTON, DC – Deputy Secretary of the Interior Mike Connor today announced that nearly $1.5 million in purchase offers have been sent to more than 600 landowners with fractional interests at the Squaxin Island Indian Reservation in Washington through the Department’s Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). Interested sellers will have until January 26, 2015, to return accepted offers.

An important step in President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Native American communities, the Buy-Back Program has successfully concluded transactions worth more than $300 million and has restored the equivalent of nearly 500,000 acres of land to tribal governments.

“This Program – developed in partnership with Cobell plaintiffs – is an exceptional opportunity that cannot be taken for granted. As we enter our second year of sales for this voluntary program, we will continue our commitment to reach as many interested landowners as possible across Indian Country,” said Deputy Secretary Connor. “We must ensure that landowners are given every chance to make informed decisions about the potential sale of their land at fair market value.”

The tribe will host an outreach event on Monday, December 15, from 5-7 p.m. PT at the Squaxin Island Tribe Community Kitchen, 10 SE Squaxin Lane, Shelton, Wash. The event will feature speakers from the Buy-Back Program, notary public services, and staff available to help landowners with questions about their offer packages. Landowners can contact the tribe’s staff at: 877-387-3649 or 360-426-9781.

The Buy-Back Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractional interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value within a 10-year period. Individuals who choose to sell their interests receive payments directly into their Individual Indian Money (IIM) accounts. In addition to receiving fair market value for their land based on objective appraisals, sellers also receive a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land.

Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

Sales of land interests will also result in up to $60 million in contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. This contribution by Interior is in addition to the amounts paid to individual sellers, so it will not reduce the amount landowners receive for their interests.

There are approximately 245,000 owners of nearly three million fractional interests, spanning 150 Indian reservations, who are eligible to participate in the Buy-Back Program.Many see little or no economic benefit from what are often very small, undivided interests in lands that cannot be utilized due to their highly fractionated state.

The Department recently announced 21 additional locations where the Program will begin implementation, bringing the total number of locations actively engaged in the Buy-Back Program to 42. This total represents 83 percent of all outstanding fractionated ownership interests.

Landowners can contact the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers. Individuals can also visit their local Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians (OST) or Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) office, or find more information at www.doi.gov/buybackprogram/landowners in order to make informed decisions about their land.

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of the Interior today launched a new data portal that raises the bar on transparency of natural resource revenue by offering the public a one-stop shop to access revenues paid for developing energy and mineral resources on public lands and waters at the company and commodity level for the first time.

The interactive pilot data portal is part of the U.S. implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (USEITI) – a global, voluntary partnership to strengthen the accountability of natural resource revenue reporting and build public trust for the governance of these vital activities. In March 2014, the United States was the first G7 country to achieve Candidate Country status and become an EITI implementing country.

“This interactive data portal offers a wealth of information to the public in a comprehensive and accessible fashion and is another step in our efforts to reform and modernize royalty revenue management by the Department,” said Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. “This new tool provides clarity and transparency on the revenues generated by energy development on public lands and waters – a significant source of financial support for local communities, states, tribes and the nation – and the Department’s implementation of USEITI upholds President Obama’s commitment to the principles of open government.”

The pilot data portal went live today during a meeting of the USEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group, a body comprised of representatives from government, industry and civil society that oversees the design and implementation of USEITI efforts. The pilot data portal was developed jointly by Interior and the General Services Administration 18F program. When fully developed, the data portal will include information on more than 550 companies that meet the minimum payment threshold determined by the USEITI Multi-Stakeholder Group, which is currently set at $100,000 per year. The data portal can be accessed at: http://useiti.doi.gov/

Information currently available on the pilot data portal was provided by the Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), which collects and disburses revenues from energy production on Federal onshore and offshore lands, and on American Indian lands. ONRR makes disbursements on a monthly basis to appropriate federal, state and American Indian accounts from the royalties, rents and bonuses it collects from energy and mineral companies. Royalty revenue is often reported by the fiscal year, but the new interactive data portal will include revenue data based on a calendar year, which will help provide consistency with international and industry reporting.

As the work on USEITI progresses in the coming years, the pilot data portal will be expanded and enhanced to provide even greater levels of data and information from other Department bureaus and offices involved in energy production on Federal lands.

In September 2010, President Obama challenged the members of the United Nations General Assembly to make all governments more open. Spearheaded by the United States and Brazil, groups of governments and civil society organizations around the world formed the Open Government Partnership. In September 2011, President Obama announced the U.S. commitment to domestic implementation of EITI, a key element of the U.S. Open Government Partnership commitments, and soon after appointed the Secretary of the Interior to lead U.S. implementation.

Across the globe, 48 countries are now working actively to implement this initiative and improve the governance of their oil, gas and mining resources.

Under EITI, participating governments work hand-in-hand with company and civil society representatives to produce reports that help citizens understand how the government manages its extractive sectors. The reports include parallel public disclosures by both the government and industry of the payments that companies make to the government for oil, gas and mining resource development. An Independent Administrator will reconcile the two data sets to produce annual reports beginning in December 2015. ####

WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that the Department of the Interior has extended to January 16, 2015, the public comment period for a proposed rule to update the regulations on the procedures by which Secretarial elections are handled. A Secretarial election is a federal election conducted by the Secretary of the Interior under a federal statute or tribal governing document in accordance with 25 CFR Part 81.

The rule proposes to update Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) regulations at 25 CFR Part 81, which govern how the BIA conducts Secretarial elections for federally recognized Indian tribes, and 25 CFR Part 82, which govern how their tribal members can petition for a Secretarial election. The proposed rule would combine the two provisions into one Code of Federal Regulations part at 25 CFR Part 81, and make other updates to reflect changes in statutory law. The Department held three consultation sessions this year with tribal leaders on the proposed rule, but is granting additional time for comments.

The proposed rule is available for viewing at http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/ASIA/ORM/SecElections/index.htm.

The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or fund tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies.

The Office of Indian Services Division of Tribal Government Services administers the 25 CFR Part 81 regulations. For more information about the BIA Division of Tribal Government Services, visit http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/TribalGovernmentServices/index.htm.

WASHINGTON, DC – Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced proposed revisions to tribal transportation regulations to comply with the national surface transportation law known as Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21, as extended. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will be hosting upcoming tribal consultation sessions on the proposed revisions.

The rule proposes to update regulations at 25 CFR Part 170 that govern BIA’s Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) (formerly the Indian Reservation Roads program) to comply with MAP-21. Additionally, the proposed rule reflects changes in the delivery options for the TTP available to tribal governments as well as clarification of the requirements for adding or keeping roads on the National Tribal Transportation Facilities Inventory. In preparing this rule, BIA coordinated closely with the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and held several consultation sessions with tribes in 2013.

Consultation sessions on the proposed rule will be held on the following dates in the following cities:

Go to http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/ORM/TTP/index.htm for more information on the proposed revisions and sessions. The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs oversees the BIA, which is headed by a director who is responsible for managing day-to-day operations through four offices – Indian Services, Justice Services, Trust Services and Field Operations. These offices directly administer or funds tribally based infrastructure, law enforcement, social services, tribal governance, natural and energy resources, and trust management programs for the nation’s federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes and villages through 12 regional offices and 81 agencies. The Office of Indian Services Division of Transportation administers the 25 CFR Part 170 regulations. For more information about the BIA Division of Transportation, visit http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/BIA/OIS/Transportation/index.htm