OPA

WASHINGTON — A partnership among Department of the Interior agencies and American Indian communities in North Dakota has spurred a 400 percent increase in revenues from increased domestic energy production over last year – providing substantial economic benefits to the tribal government and individual mineral owners.

“The Bakken Formation in North Dakota is producing more and more energy resources for domestic consumption, while providing increasing royalty revenue to the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Ft. Berthold Reservation,” said Greg Gould, Interior’s Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Natural Resources Revenue. “These royalty revenues are returned 100 percent to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara tribal government and individual American Indian mineral owners, providing a crucial source of income and helping to spur local economies.”

During fiscal year 2011, the production of oil, natural gas and other hydrocarbons generated more than $117.4 million in royalty revenue at Ft. Berthold – a 400 percent increase over the previous year’s $26.5 million in royalty revenue. In fiscal year 2009, royalty revenue at Ft. Berthold totaled just $4.5 million.

Oil production represented the largest amount of royalties in fiscal year 2011 with a sales volume of about 7 million barrels, producing more than $105 million in revenue. Those numbers compare to the $25 million in royalty revenue received in fiscal year 2010, based on an oil sales volume of approximately 2 million barrels.

“The impressive energy production and revenue that are being generated on the Ft. Berthold Reservation are proof of what a successful federal-tribal partnership looks like,” said Interior Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk. “This effort is based on the Tribes’ vision of economic self-sufficiency through the safe development of its energy resources coupled with strong leadership and determination to succeed from the Tribes’ and their federal partners.”

The federal partners include the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, the Bureau of Land Management, the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians, the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Geological Survey and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development approached the Three Affiliated Tribes in 2002 to facilitate tribal efforts to develop energy resources on their lands. In 2008, a U.S. Geological Survey assessment of the Bakken Formation of the Williston Basin Province in Montana and North Dakota estimated a mean undiscovered resource volume at 3.65 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil, 1.85 trillion cubic feet of associated/dissolved natural gas, and 148 million barrels of natural gas liquids.

Lease sales on the reservation began in 2006 and the first new wells were drilled in 2009. The Bureau of Indian Affairs conducts the lease sales and the Bureau of Land Management performs compliance inspections on drillers operating on the reservation. BLM's Montana state office, which carries out these responsibilities for the Dakotas, has helped to improve leasing and inspections on the reservation. The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development provides technical support to Interior’s efforts at Ft. Berthold to more efficiently and more effectively provide services to the Indian mineral owners concerning the rapidly expanding oil and gas development taking place on the reservation.

Ongoing meetings among federal partners and tribal representatives are held to listen to tribal concerns and to address a wide range of coordination issues, identify opportunities to collaborate – including revisions in document processing – and other matters that impact the development of oil and gas resources on the reservation and the distribution of royalties.

The Bakken Formation, which straddles the northern United States and Canada and includes private, tribal, state and federal lands, has been characterized as a “world-class find.” In July 2011, for example, the Bakken Formation produced 424,000 barrels, compared to Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, which produced 453,000 barrels of oil during the same month.

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The Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs carries out the Secretary’s responsibility for managing the government-to-government relationship between the federal government and the 565 federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes with a combined service population of about 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development provides assistance to tribal communities with managing and developing their renewable and non-renewable energy resources and helping them to expand job creation, workforce training and economic development.

The Office of Natural Resources Revenue, under the Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget, collects and disburses revenue from energy production that occurs onshore on Federal and American Indian lands and offshore on the Outer Continental Shelf

Half a millennium ago, when European explorers amazed their compatriots with stories of a New World, what they actually described was a land that had long been home to America's native peoples. In the Northeast part of this country and along the Northwest coast, generations of tribes fished and hunted; others farmed the rich soils of the Southeast and Great Plains, while nomadic tribes roamed and foraged across the Great Basin. In the arid Southwest, native peoples irrigated the desert, cultivating what land they could. Each tribe formed a thriving community with its own customs, traditions, and system of social order.

The contributions that Native Americans have made to our Nation's history and culture are as numerous and varied as the tribes themselves. Over the years, they have added to their ancient wealth of art and folklore a rich legacy of service and achievement. Today we gratefully recall Native Americans who helped the early European settlers to survive in a strange new land; we salute the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II and all those Native Americans who have distinguished themselves in service to our country; and we remember those men and women of Indian descent—such as the great athlete, Jim Thorpe and our 31st Vice President, Charles Curtis—who have instilled pride in others by reaching the heights of their respective Helds. We also celebrate, with special admiration and gratitude, another enduring legacy of Native Americans: their close attachment to the land and their exemplary stewardship of its natural resources. In virtually every realm of our national life, the contributions of America's original inhabitants and their descendants continue.

During 1992, we will honor this country's native peoples as vital participants in the history of the United States. This year gives us the opportunity to recognize the special place that Native Americans hold in our society, to affirm the right of Indian tribes to exist as sovereign entities, and to seek greater mutual understanding and trust. Therefore, we gratefully salute all American Indians, expressing our support for tribal self-determination and assisting with efforts to celebrate and preserve each tribe's unique cultural heritage.

The Congress, by Public Law 102-188, has designated 1992 as the "Year of the American Indian" and has authorized and requested the President to issue a proclamation in observance of this year.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim 1992 as the Year of the American Indian. I encourage Federal, State, and local government officials, interested groups and organizations, and the people of the United States to observe this year with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this second day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-two, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and sixteenth.

GEORGE BUSH

Source: Proc. 6407, Year of the American Indian, 1992 – Mar. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 5229

MINNEAPOLIS— A federal indictment unsealed in part late yesterday charges 24 alleged members of the Native Mob gang with conspiracy to participate in racketeering activity and other crimes. The Native Mob is a regional criminal gang that originated in Minneapolis in the early 1990s. Members routinely engage in drug trafficking, assault, robbery, and murder. Membership is estimated at 200, with new members, including juveniles, regularly recruited from communities with large, young, male, Native American populations. Association with the gang is often signified by wearing red and black clothing or sporting gang-related tattoos.

The 47-count indictment was unsealed as to six defendants who made their initial federal court appearances late yesterday afternoon. They were apprehended earlier Tuesday, during a take-down conducted by between 100 and 150 local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement officials. Arrests were made on the White Earth, Mille Lacs, and Leech Lake Indian reservations as well as in the Twin Cities. Of the 18 remaining defendants, 12 are presently in jail or prison on other charges, while six continue to be sought by law enforcement. The six individuals arrested yesterday remain in custody pending their next hearings, scheduled for January 26th and 27th.

Earlier today, U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones said of the investigation, “This investigation exemplifies the law enforcement cooperation we are fortunate to experience here in Minnesota. Local, state, federal, and tribal investigators worked side by side to take down some of the most 2 violent criminals in our state and, in the process, disrupt an extremely dangerous gang that diminishes the quality of life for those who live and work in Native American communities. We owe a debt of gratitude to everyone involved in the investigation. Their efforts have made our streets and communities much safer.”

The indictment alleges that since at least the mid-1990s, the defendants named in this case and others have conspired to conduct criminal activity through an “enterprise,” namely, the Native Mob, in violation of the federal Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (“RICO”). The indictment alleges that the primary objective of this “enterprise” is to preserve, protect, promote, and enhance the Native Mob’s power, territory, and financial gains.

To that end, gang members purportedly distribute illegal drugs, from crack cocaine to ecstasy. They also reportedly provide monetary support to other members, including those incarcerated; share with one another police reports, victim statements, and other case discovery; hinder or obstruct officials from identifying or apprehending those wanted by the law; and intimidate witnesses to Native Mob crimes. Moreover, they purportedly maintain and circulate firearms for gang use and commit acts of violence, including murder, against individuals associated with rival gangs.

Those charged in this indictment, along with their last known residence, include—

Dale Wesley Ballinger, Jr., age 20, Isle, arrested this morning

Damien Lee Beaulieu, age 20, Onamia, arrested this morning

Aaron James Gilbert, Jr., age 24, Minneapolis, arrested this morning

Cory Gene Oquist, age 22, Bemidji, arrested this morning

Dale John Pindegayosh, age 29, Cass Lake, arrested this morning

Justen Lee Poitra, age 26, Cass Lake, arrested this morning

In addition to the racketeering charge filed against all 24 defendants, other charges were levied against just some of the defendants. Those charges include conspiracy to use and carry firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, the use and carrying of firearms during and in relation to a crime of violence, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, felon in possession of ammunition, felon in possession of a firearm, armed career criminal in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a crime of violence, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, distributing a controlled substance, and tampering with a witness. (See the attached chart for a breakdown of charges by defendant. Note, until such time as defendants make their initial appearances in federal court, their names and the specific charges levied against them will not be disclosed.)

If convicted, the defendants face a potential maximum sentence of between 20 years and life in federal prison. Since the federal justice system does not have parole, prison terms would be served virtually in entirety. All sentences will ultimately be determined by a federal district court judge.

3 This case is the result of a long-term, cross-jurisdictional investigation conducted by local, state, federal, and tribal law enforcement officers dedicated to making our streets and communities safer. They include the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the FBI-funded Headwaters Safe Trails Task Force; the Mille Lacs Tribal Police Department; the Bemidji Police Department; the Minneapolis Police Department; the Minnesota Department of Corrections; the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs; and the Paul Bunyan Drug Task Force.

These agencies investigated this case with assistance from—in alphabetical order—the Becker County Sheriff’s Office, the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office, the Carlton County Attorney’s Office, the Cass County Attorney’s Office, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office of Wisconsin, the Duluth Police Department, the Fon du Lac Tribal Police Department, the Fridley Police Department, the Itasca County Sheriff’s Department, the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Office, the Leech Lake Tribal Police Department, the LCO Reservation Police Department, the Lower Sioux Tribal Police Department, the Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota State Patrol, the Mille Lacs County Attorney’s Office, the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office, the New Brighton Police Department, the North Central Drug Task Force, the Prior Lake Police Department, the Red Lake Tribal Police Department, the Redwood County Sheriff’s Office, Richfield Police Department, the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Paul Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Minneapolis Violent Offender Task Force, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and the White Earth Tribal Police Department.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Winter and Steven L. Schleicher.

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An indictment is a determination by a grand jury that there is probable cause to believe that offenses have been committed by a defendant. A defendant, of course, is presumed innocent until he or she pleads guilty or is proven guilty at trial.

CATOOSA, Okla. – The Justice and Interior Departments today completed the first in a series of national level training courses, “Criminal Jurisdiction in Indian Country” (CJIC) to strengthen the ability of tribal and local law enforcement to participate in the investigation and enforcement of federal crimes in Indian country, fulfilling a key training requirement under the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 (TLOA).

Thirty-five class participants representing seven tribes from the surrounding region and one county sheriff’s office took part in the three-day CJIC training, which began on Monday. Topics included training in federal Indian law criminal jurisdiction, how to best serve sexual assault and domestic violence victims, as well as the investigation and enforcement of drug and firearm offenses.

The course, taught by the Justice Department’s National Indian Country Training Coordinator with Assistant U.S. Attorneys, fulfills one of the requirements for participating officers to receive a Special Law Enforcement Commission (SLEC) from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

“The special law enforcement commission gives tribal police the ability to investigate and make arrests in federal cases,” said Leslie A. Hagen, National Indian Country Training Coordinator for the Justice Department’s Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys. “This authority, and the protections that go along with it, helps build the capacity of tribal law enforcement to keep their communities safe and strengthens federal and tribal partnerships for public safety.”

“TLOA paves the road for more tribal and federal collaboration to address federal crimes in Indian Country,” said Darren Cruzan, Deputy Director of the BIA’s Office of Justice Services. “Pivotal trainings like the SLEC demonstrate this administration’s commitment to strengthening the capabilities and partnerships of tribal and local law enforcement to fight crime across jurisdictional lines.”

An SLEC allows those officers to enforce federal criminal statutes and federal hunting and fishing regulations in Indian Country. With the passage of the TLOA, primary responsibility for delivery of CJIC training shifted to the Department of Justice. Over the last several years, U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country have begun to host regionally-based CJIC training in addition to the sessions hosted by BIA at its training academy. While the SLEC is still issued by BIA, Section 213 of TLOA states that tribal liaison duties shall include providing technical assistance and training regarding evidence gathering techniques and strategies to address victim and witness protection and conducting training sessions and seminars to certify special law enforcement commissions to tribal justice officials and other individuals and entities responsible for responding to Indian country crimes.

The BIA and Justice Department officials have been working together over the past year to create a new U.S. Attorney Office-led CJIC training curriculum. The National Indian Country Training Coordinator together with tribal liaisons and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kerry Jacobson of the District of Wyoming, John Tuchi of the District of Arizona, Glynette Carson-McNabb of the District of New Mexico, and Sarah Collins, of the District of South Dakota, developed the CJIC curriculum and are also assisting with the training sessions.

Participants in this week’s training include: The Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, Quapaw Tribal Marshal Service, Comanche Nation Police Department, Wyandotte Nation Police Department, Eastern Shawnee Police Department, the Osage Nation Police Department, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, and the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to this week’s training hosted by the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma, future training is scheduled for April 4-6 at the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians in California. For more information on the national CJIC training program, contact Mark Decoteau, Deputy Chief of Training at the Indian Police Academy, Mark.Decoteau@bia.gov

This week’s training was also completed with the support and/or participation of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Eastern, Western and Northern Districts of Oklahoma.

“We’re proud to host this first national training mandated by the Tribal Law and Order Act,” said Thomas Scott Woodward, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma. “It is another excellent example of how the Departments of Justice and Interior are working more closely than ever with each other and with tribal governments to close jurisdictional gaps and strengthen the law enforcement partnerships that make communities safer.”

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WASHINGTON – The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) will hold tribal consultation meetings for tribal leaders to review and provide input on the proposed rules on leasing in Indian Country. The proposed rules will establish subparts to 25 CFR Part 162 (Leasing and Permits) addressing residential leasing, business leasing and wind and solar resource leasing on Indian trust lands. Tribal leaders were notified of the upcoming consultation in a letter dated November 28, 2011.

The BIA’s schedule for the consultation meetings (all times are local):

Date: Tuesday January 10, 2012

Times: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: The Arctic Club Seattle–Doubletree, 700 3rd Avenue, Seattle, Wash., 98104,

(206) 340-0340

Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012

Times: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location: Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs, Calif. 92262,

(800) 333-7535

Date: Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Times: 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Location: Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, 444 N. Mt. Rushmore Rd., Rapid City, S.D. 57701,

(605) 394-4115

Comments can be submitted during the meetings, by email at consultation@bia.gov, or by U.S. Postal Service, overnight carrier or hand-delivery to: Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of the Interior, 1849 C St., N.W., MS-4141-MIB, Washington, D.C. 20240.

To view the November 28, 2011, letter to tribal leaders and the proposed rules, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/Consultation/index.htm.

To view the November 28, 2011 leasing regulations press release on DOI.gov go to:

http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Significant-Leasing-Reform-will-Spur-Commercial-Residential-and-Renewable-Energy-Development-on-Indian-Lands.cfm

-DOI-

WASHINGTON – Assistant Secretary Larry Echo Hawk expressed his deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Richard M. Milanovich, the Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, praising him as a great American Indian leader who represented his people with heart and soul.

“The news of Chairman Milanovich’s passing has deeply touched all of us here at Interior and throughout Indian Country who knew him as a leader, friend or colleague,” said Echo Hawk. “He was one of the most down to earth and personable leaders that I have ever known. We honor him with our sincerest gratitude for all that he has contributed in service to his people, other tribal nations and to Indian Country at large.”

“He understood the tremendous value of education and completed undergraduate studies while maintaining a steadfast leadership presence in his tribe,” Echo Hawk said. “As a true leader, Chairman Milanovich possessed a humble outward demeanor and was a noble champion for his tribe and Indian Country. On behalf of all Indian Affairs employees, I want to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences.”

Chairman Milanovich served his people for 28 years, helping to make the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians one of the most well respected and forward thinking tribes in Indian Country. He was considered a wise teacher, an inspirational mentor, and most of all, a great friend to many. Chairman Milanovich strongly believed that the youth of Indian Country should understand the legal, political and economic struggles that laid the groundwork for today’s Indian Country. He believed that through studying our past as Native peoples, we can forge a progressive future for all American Indian and Alaska Native people and the generations to come.

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MIAMI, FLORIDA — The first government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts today at the Miccosukee Resort in Miami, Fla. The two-day consultation is the first of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Washington, South Dakota, Oklahoma, California and Alaska.

Tribal leaders have said that organizational changes are needed in the administration of Indian Affairs programs and services to better meet the needs of the federally recognized tribes throughout Indian Country. The Department of the Interior’s Indian Affairs officials have heeded these concerns and undertaken an extensive review of the organization of the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

The culmination of this review is a draft Administrative Organizational Assessment Report compiled by an independent, third-party contractor. The draft report identifies several ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of services to Indian Country. The goal is to support a consolidated organization while improving Interior responsiveness to all Tribal needs. The BIA and BIE are seeking tribal input on ways to streamline their respective organizations to meet budgetary constraints and to increase efficiency.

For more information, please visit: http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/ASIA/Consultation/index.htm.

CREDENTIALS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

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WASHINGTON – As part of President Obama’s commitment to empowering Indian nations, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan today announced that their Departments will begin tribal consultations on a draft agreement to help expand educational opportunities and improve academic achievement for American Indian and Alaska Native students.

The draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) would frame a partnership to implement the White House Initiative on American Indian and Alaska Native Education which seeks to close the achievement gap between Indian students and non-Indian students; decrease the alarmingly high dropout rates of all American Indian and Alaska Native students; and help preserve and revitalize Native languages, histories and cultures. The initiative commits federal agencies to work closely with tribal governments and use the full range of their education expertise, resources and facilities to achieve the initiative’s goals.

“Education is key to the fabric of healthy communities,” said Secretary Salazar, who co-chairs the President’s initiative. “But we need to do better when it comes to meeting the academic and cultural needs of our American Indian and Alaska Native students across the nation. These tribal consultations will be critical in developing the most effective framework to raise the bar for Indian Country education.”

Education Secretary Duncan said, "The strength of tribes and our nation's future prosperity are inextricably tied, and together we can dramatically improve the lives of our Native students. These consultations will be invaluable and will continue our efforts to listen to, and learn from, the tribal leaders who know these communities best."

The President’s initiative, established by Executive Order on December 2, 2011, addresses the Federal Government’s trust responsibility to protect the unique rights and promote the well-being of the Nation's tribes, while respecting their sovereignty. One of the specific outcomes called for in the Initiative is the establishment of an MOU to provide a means for the Departments of the Interior and Education to work together with tribal leaders, as well as continue a framework for transferring statutory education grant funds from Education to Interior.

The Department of Education has substantial expertise and resources to help improve Indian education, specific experience with federally funded programs and a responsibility to work with Interior’s Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) school system to ensure excellence in education. The Bureau of Indian Education, which directly operates or provides grants to tribes to operate an extensive primary, secondary, and college level school system, has an interest in enhancing access to federal funding programs and expertise.

The education initiative addresses critical issues and unique challenges affecting the quality of instruction, student achievement, high dropout rates and tribal languages on the verge of extinction. The expected educational outcomes would help preserve and revitalize native languages, ensuring students the opportunity to learn their languages, cultures and histories, while receiving complete and competitive educations that prepare them for higher education and fulfilling careers.

Among the strategies proposed to achieve these outcomes are capacity building for tribal educational agencies, enhanced teacher training and recruitment, pilot demonstration projects, effective reforms, improved accountability, partnerships with public, private and philanthropic groups, and national networks to share best practices. The initiative would improve educational opportunities for all American Indian and Alaska Native students, including those attending schools operated and funded by BIE, those attending public schools in cities and in rural areas, and those attending postsecondary institutions, including tribal colleges and universities.

The upcoming tribal consultations build upon four recent roundtable discussions with federal officials, tribal leaders and Indian educators on best practices to improve Indian education.

To view the draft MOU, click here. The President’s Executive Order is available here. For more information on the Department’s tribal consultation policies please visit: http://www.doi.gov/tribes/Tribal-Consultation-Policy.cfm and www.edtribalconsultations.org.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced that the Bureau of Reclamation today has awarded a $10.75 million construction contract for the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, setting the stage for construction to begin on the major water infrastructure project this summer. When completed, the project will provide a long-term, sustainable water supply to meet the critical needs of more than 43 Navajo chapters; the city of Gallup, New Mexico; and the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

Once construction is underway, it is possible that the first water delivery to Navajo communities – where more than 40 percent of Navajo Nation households rely on hauling water to meet their daily need - could occur in two to three years.

“This construction contract award marks a major milestone for this high-priority infrastructure project as we work to implement the historic water rights settlement that will deliver clean drinking water to hundreds of thousands of people and offer certainty to water users across the west,” said Salazar. “In the short term, this project is expected to create hundreds of high-paying construction jobs; in the long-term, the permanent water supply will vastly improve the quality of life and offer greater economic security for the Navajo Nation.”

The project, one of 14 high-priority infrastructure projects identified by the Obama Administration to be expedited through the permitting and environmental review process,will include approximately 280 miles of pipeline, several pumping plants, and two water treatment plants.

Today’s contract, awarded to McMillen, LLC of Boise, Idaho, is for Reach 12A of the project which will consist of placing approximately four miles of 42-inch diameter water supply pipeline and appurtenant facilities located about eight miles north of Gallup in McKinley County. Construction of future reaches will performed by four entities: Reclamation will construct a portion of the future reaches under its own authorities, and other portions will be constructed by the city of Gallup, Navajo Nation, and Indian Health Service under their own authorities in accordance with financial assistance agreements with Reclamation.

It is estimated that 400-450 jobs will be created on the multiple contracts to be awarded within the first year; increasing to an estimated 600-650 jobs at the peak of construction.

“Our steady progress over the past year has positioned us to break ground on this important project as early as this summer,” said Reclamation Commissioner Michael L. Connor. “Given the strong need for clean water supplies, we will continue to work with our partners to ensure that the project moves forward in an efficient and transparent way.”

Project participants include the Navajo Nation, Jicarilla Apache Nation and the city of Gallup, in conjunction with the state of New Mexico, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. Reclamation has continued to work closely with the project participants to complete the many requisite pre-construction activities since Secretary Salazar signed the Navajo Nation San Juan River Basin Water Rights Settlement agreement in December 2010.

Repayment contracts have been executed with the city of Gallup and the Jicarilla Apache Nation providing the terms and conditions by which those entities will repay their allocable portions of the project construction costs. Additionally, a cost-share agreement with the state of New Mexico was executed for the state’s share of the project’s construction costs.

Public Law 111-11, which authorized the project, requires construction of all features to be completed by Dec. 31, 2024. In order to meet the legislated deadline, construction of project reaches will occur simultaneously with priority on construction of initial facilities to convey water to areas within the Navajo Nation that have immediate needs. Those demands will be met in the short-term by delivery from existing groundwater wells.

The completed project will provide 37,376 acre-feet of water annually from the San Juan River Basin to more than 43 Navajo chapters, including Fort Defiance service area in Arizona, the city of Gallup and the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. These areas rely on rapidly depleting groundwater of poor quality that is inadequate to meet current and future demands. The project will provide an adequate supply of water to support a future population of approximately 250,000 people by the year 2040.

Reclamation continues to cooperatively work with project participants and federal action agencies to identify areas where permitting and approval processes can be streamlined to facilitate project construction. The current status of the project is publicly available through the Federal Infrastructure Projects Dashboard web site designed to enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency of the federal permitting and review process for all 14 high-priority infrastructure projects.

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SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The second government-to-government tribal consultation regarding the Indian Affairs Administrative Organizational Assessment Draft Report and Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education streamlining plans starts Thursday, April 19, 2012 at the Radisson Fort McDowell Resort Hotel in Fountain Hills, Ariz. The two-day consultation is the second of seven that will take place around the country in Arizona, Florida, Washington, South Dakota, Oklahoma, California and Alaska. The first was held in Miami on April 12 and 13, 2012.

Tribal leaders have said that organizational changes are needed in the administration of Indian Affairs programs and services to better meet the needs of the federally recognized tribes throughout Indian Country. The Department of the Interior’s Indian Affairs officials have heeded these concerns and undertaken an extensive review of the organization of the Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE).

The culmination of this review is a draft Administrative Organizational Assessment Report compiled by an independent, third-party contractor. The draft report identifies several ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of services to Indian Country. The goal is to support a consolidated organization while improving Interior responsiveness to all Tribal needs. The BIA and BIE are seeking tribal input on ways to streamline their respective organizations to meet budgetary constraints and to increase efficiency.

More information and materials can be found at: http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/ASIA/Consultation/index.htm

CREDENTIALS: All media must present government-issued photo I.D. (such as a driver’s license) and valid media credentials.

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