Final regulations to establish officially the Reservation Acceleration Program (RAP) are being published in the Federal Register, the Commissioner of the Interior Department's Bureau of Indian Affairs, Louis R. Bruce, announced today. Publication of the-new regulations in the Federal Register officially establishes the Bureau program which has been in operation since January.
RAP is designed to give federally recognized Indian tribes the chance to consult with Bureau of Indian Affairs line officials on restructuring Bureau services to provide maximum support for the tribes' comprehensive development plans. To date, 37 tribes have been selected to participate in the program, and are presently in negotiations.
The regulations establish purpose, eligibility, applicant submission and acceptance, and implementation procedures of the Reservation Acceleration Program, and will become effective 30 days after the date of publication in the Federal Register.
In line with President Nixon's 1970 message to the Congress on self-determination for Native Americans, RAP was one of the principal features of the Commissioner's 5-point policy directions for '72.
