OPA

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following extensive consultations with American Indian leaders, the Department of the Interior today made a number of announcements related to the significant efforts underway for the purchase of fractional interests in American Indian trust lands from willing sellers. In particular, the Department announced that it has launched efforts to establish cooperative agreements with several tribal nations to facilitate the purchase of individual interests in highly fractionated trust lands for the purpose of consolidating ownership of these acres for the beneficial use of tribal nations.

The Department has also established purchase ceilings to ensure that all qualifying tribes will have the opportunity to participate in the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program). Additional incentives for individual owners to offer their fractionated shares for the benefit of tribal communities also were announced, including minimum payments and Indian scholarship funds.
As part of President Obama’s commitment to help strengthen Indian communities, the Buy-Back Program was created to implement the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided a $1.9 billion fund to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers, at fair market value, within a 10-year period.

“With a solid foundation built on government-to-government consultation, the Department is now prepared to begin working with tribal nations so we can proceed with initial offers by the end of this year,” said David J. Hayes, Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Hayes, who chairs the oversight board created to ensure the highest-level of accountability within the Interior Department, emphasized that the goal of the Buy-Back Program is to unlock the benefit of fractionated lands for tribal communities. “We need to be smart about managing the available resources of tribal communities and the federal government, while developing flexible processes for each cooperative agreement,” he said.

As outlined in the Implementation Plan released in December 2012, Department officials have had extensive consultation with tribes across Indian Country over the past several months to determine how to move forward with a process that provides an efficient and fair way for individual owners of fractionated interests to participate in the Buy-Back Program, maximizes the opportunity for tribal government involvement, and offers the greatest flexibility for each tribal nation to determine what is best for their community. Today’s announcements are based on these consultations, which will continue to inform next steps. Department personnel have also been hard at work refining valuation methods, updating title systems, and staffing up appraisal teams to accommodate the significant interest in the program.

PILOT EFFORTS UNDERWAY

Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust or restricted status for American Indians. More than 10 million acres are held for individual American Indians and nearly 46 million acres are held for Indian tribes. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 92,000 (on 150 reservations) contain fractional ownership interests available for purchase by the Buy-Back Program. Approximately 90% of the fractionated lands available to purchase are in 40 of the 150 locations.

Following its consultations, the Department has identified key criteria that will determine how and when tribal nations will be engaged over the next several years. The Buy-Back Program will move forward based on a number of factors, including the severity of fractionation, degree of ownership overlap between tracts, geographic location to maximize efficiency and resources, appraisal complexity, and readiness or availability of resources. In particular, the Buy-Back Program will ensure that all types of tribal communities are participating in all phases of the program – including tribes that do not have large numbers of fractionated lands. Ensuring this type of tribal diversity in the Buy-Back Program was an important and frequently raised issue by tribal nations through consultation sessions, and it will be a key consideration in setting priorities.

Using these criteria, the Department will launch pilot efforts with as many as 10 reservations this year, with the opportunity to make adjustments for lessons learned for future implementation. Land research, valuation work, and outreach efforts are underway at several locations, including the Pine Ridge, Crow, Makah, and Sisseton-Wahpeton reservations.

COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT DEVELOPMENT

As tribal communities are identified for implementation, the Department will enter into cooperative agreements that are flexible and responsive to the specific needs of the nation involved. Tribes have the opportunity to actively participate in the process, which will improve the program’s effectiveness and efficiency while minimizing administrative costs. Agreements will allow for resources to be provided to each tribal government to facilitate outreach and education, solicit interest from owners, and further identify tribal priorities.

“This is a program that will not be implemented overnight, but we will be thorough and tailor opportunities for the benefit of each nation,” said Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “We must have the flexibility to learn from each buy-back effort and provide transparency for each successive tribe.”

ESTABLISHMENT OF PURCHASE CEILINGS AND BASE PAYMENTS

Two key decisions flowing directly from the Department’s nation-to-nation consultations relate to purchase ceilings and base payments. To ensure that the Buy-Back Program will be implemented at as many locations as possible (including less fractionated locations), purchase ceilings will be used to protect against premature exhaustion of funds. Also, the Buy-Back Program will provide landowners with a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land, based on estimates for the time and effort required for individual land owners to proceed through the acquisition process and to facilitate sales.

In addition to base payments, the Department discussed the allocation of funds toward Indian educational scholarships as a further incentive for participation. Up to $60 million from sales will be designated for the Cobell Scholarship Fund for American Indians and Alaska Natives. The fund will be controlled by a board of trustees nominated by tribal governments and administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, CO with 20% allotted to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, NM.

TRANSPARENCY AND AVAILABILITY OF RESOURCES

The Department is committed to ongoing consultation with tribal nations and full transparency as it continues to implement the many steps associated with the Buy-Back Program, which had been referred to as the Cobell Trust Land Consolidation program. In addition to future consultations, personnel will hold a workshop prior to remarks by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell at the upcoming National Congress of American Indian’s Mid-Year Conference later this month. The workshop will further discuss the development of cooperative agreements, the ongoing, independent review by the Appraisal Foundation of the Department’s appraisal process, and the pilot efforts and ramp-up plans for the acquisition of land at initial locations.

Later this summer, the Buy-Back Program will launch a comprehensive website with resources for tribal governments and individuals, including easy-to-use templates for the creation of cooperative agreements that are currently being developed with input from tribes and tribal organizations. Until then, more information on the Buy-Back Program is available here.

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WASHINGTON, DC – In another step to fulfill President Obama’s commitment to strengthen Indian communities, the U.S. Department of the Interior today announced that the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations (Buy-Back Program) has sent purchase offers to nearly 16,000 individual landowners with fractionated interests in parcels on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Totaling more than $100 million, these offers will provide landowners the opportunity to voluntarily sell their fractionated interests, which would be consolidated and held in trust for the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Reservation.

“The success of the Buy-Back Program is vitally important to the future of Indian Country,” said Kevin K. Washburn, Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs. “Consolidating and returning these lands to tribes in trust will have enormous potential to unlock tribal community resources. While we know that it will be a challenge to reach all landowners, we are committed to exhausting all efforts to make sure that individuals are aware of this historic opportunity to strengthen tribal sovereignty by supporting the consolidation of tribal lands.”

The goal of the Buy-Back Program is to strengthen self-determination and self-governance for federally-recognized tribes. The Program implements the land consolidation component of the Cobell Settlement, which provided $1.9 billion to purchase fractionated interests in trust or restricted land from willing sellers at fair market value. Individuals who choose to sell their interests will receive payments directly in their IIM accounts. Consolidated interests are immediately restored to tribal trust ownership for uses benefiting the reservation community and tribal members.

Land fractionation is a serious problem across Indian Country. As individually-owned lands are passed down through several generations, they gain more and more owners. Many of these tracts now have hundreds and even thousands of individual owners. For many of these owners with fractionated interests, the land has very little practical value. Because it is difficult to gain landowner consensus on the use of these lands, the parcels often lie idle and cannot be used for any beneficial purpose.

The Pine Ridge Reservation is one of the most highly-fractionated land ownership locations in Indian Country. The vast majority of landowners with purchasable interests have received offers– and have been located in 46 states across the country.

Interior has worked cooperatively with the Oglala Sioux Tribe over the past several months to conduct outreach to educate landowners about this unique opportunity, answer questions and help individuals make a timely decision about their land. Many owners have already been paid in response to offers delivered in December 2013.

Early purchases from willing sellers at Pine Ridge have resulted in the consolidation of thousands of acres of land for the tribe and in payments to landowners exceeding $10 million. While the amounts offered to individuals have varied, some owners have received more than $100,000 for their interests. On average, payments to individuals have been made within seven days after Interior received a complete, accepted offer package.

Purchase offers are valid for 45 calendar days. Owners must accept and return current purchase offers for fractionated lands on Pine Ridge by May 2, 2014.

For information about outreach events at Pine Ridge where landowners can gather information in order to make informed decisions about their land, contact the Oglala Sioux Tribe’s Buy-Back Program at 605-867-2610.

Landowners can contact their local Fiduciary Trust Officer or call the Trust Beneficiary Call Center at 888-678-6836 with questions about their purchase offers.

Sellers receive fair market value for their land, in addition to a base payment of $75 per offer, regardless of the value of the land. All sales will also trigger contributions to the Cobell Education Scholarship Fund. Up to $60 million will go to this fund to provide scholarships to Native American students. These funds are in addition to purchase amounts paid to individual sellers, so contributions will not reduce the amount paid to landowners for their interests. The Scholarship Fund will be governed by a board of trustees and administered by the American Indian College Fund in Denver, Colo., with 20% going to the American Indian Graduate Center in Albuquerque, N.M.

Interior holds about 56 million acres in trust or restricted status for American Indians. The Department holds this land in more than 200,000 tracts, of which about 93,500 – on nearly 150 reservations – contain fractional ownership interests available for purchase by the Buy-Back Program. There are more than 245,000 landowners, holding more than 3 million fractionated interests in parcels, eligible to participate in the Program.

Individual participation is voluntary. A decision to sell land for restoration to tribes does not jeopardize a landowner’s ability to receive individual settlement payments from the Cobell Settlement, which are being handled by the Garden City Group.

Carl J. Cornelius, 57, an Oneida Indian from Green Bay, Wisc. and a Bureau of Indian Affairs employee for 36 years has been named Deputy Director of Management Services of the Bureau by Commissioner of Indian Affairs Louis R. Bruce. He replaces Harold Bassett, who transferred to the Office of Management and Budget.

In announcing the appointment the Commissioner said: “I am particularly pleased to make this appointment because Cornelius has carried out each of his assignments in the Bureau in exemplary fashion. He is responsive to Indian needs and inspires the confidence of Indians. I am sure he will continue to dedicate himself to Bureau service”.

Cornelius is a graduate .of Haskell Institute, now Haskell Indian Junior College, in Lawrence, Kans., operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He began his Bureau career in a clerical capacity at the Fort Berthold Agency, N. Dak. in 1935; moved to Turtle Mountain Agency, N. Dak., in 1941; and Consolidated Chippewa Agency, Minn., in 1943.

He was promoted to Field Representative at the Consolidated Chippewa Agency and in 1952 was made Placement Officer in the new Employment Assistance Program of the Bureau.

Cornelius became a Program Officer in the Sacramento Area Office in 1952, and moved to Washington, D. C. in 1962 to accept an assignment with the Branch of Tribal Operations. He moved from there to Reservation Programs, and then to the post of, Program Analyst in the Division of Program Coordination and Program Analysis and Development.

He was awarded a Superior Performance Award by the Bureau in 1961. Cornelius served in the U. S. Army in World War II. He is married and the father of two children.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Interior Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Neal A. McCaleb today announced the appointment of Wayne R. Smith, 52, as the Deputy Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. Mr. Smith is of American Indian heritage, Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux – his mother was born and lived on the Tribe’s reservation in Fort Thompson, S.D., until her graduation from high school. “I welcome Wayne to my team,” McCaleb said. “His extensive Indian gaming, administrative, legal and policy experience will be invaluable as we work to shape Indian Affairs in the 21st century. He will be my Chief of Staff and responsible for the operation of the office, as well as be in charge of gaming, acknowledgment and land-into-trust.” “I look forward to this new challenge,” said Smith. “I want to thank the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for their support and confidence as I tackle this exciting opportunity. I am especially pleased and honored to be charged with all gaming-related matters.” Prior to his appointment, Smith served as Chief Counsel to the California Assembly Republican Caucus. From 1991 to 1999, Smith was the Chief of Staff for the California Attorney General, where he supervised the day-to-day operations of the California Department of Justice with over 5,000 employees, including over 1,000 lawyers and 600 police officers, and a $600 million dollar budget. As the Deputy Assistant Secretary, Smith is a political appointee and the second in command of the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. The Assistant Secretary oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, a 176-year-old federal agency with approximately 10,000 employees nationwide that provides services to, carries out its federal trust responsibilities for, and promotes the self-determination of the 558 federally recognized tribal governments and approximately 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. Under his purview are a 185-school system, one of only two federally administered school systems in the country; 29 tribally controlled colleges; law enforcement and detention programs and facilities; social service, firefighting, tribal economic development and Indian child welfare programs; trust resource management programs, including management of tribal and individual Indian trust assets; and the federal acknowledgement process.

WASHINGTON – Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Director W. Patrick Ragsdale today announced that the BIA Winnebago (Nebr.) Agency Fire and Fuels Management Group was honored March 7 at the Department of the Interior National Fire Center’s 2006 National Fire Plan Awards ceremony held in Phoenix, Ariz. National Fire Plan awards are given annually in recognition of outstanding accomplishments related to the implementation of the Department’s National Fire Plan (NFP). The Winnebago Agency Fire and Fuels Management Group received the 2006 Award for Excellence in Hazardous Fuels Reduction.

“I congratulate all the members of the Winnebago Agency Fire and Fuels Management Group on receiving this National Fire Plan award,” Ragsdale said. “Their leadership, teamwork, partnership-building skills, innovation and commitment to excellence ensured that their hazardous fuel reduction and native grasslands enhancement project for the Santee Sioux Nation would be a success.”

The Fire and Fuels Management Group was honored for its work on the ST-Bar Ranch Fuels Reduction/Range Rehabilitation Project, whose long-term goal is the restoration of the mid-grass prairie ecosystem on the Santee Sioux Indian Reservation in northeastern Nebraska. Starting in June 2001, the agency has worked closely with the Santee Sioux Nation to significantly reduce non-native floras which have flourished over the past 100 years on the tribe’s 115,000-acre reservation at the expense of native prairie grasslands and are a source of fuel conducive to conflagration fires.

The Winnebago Agency, which was responsible for overall management and direction of the project, worked with the Santee Sioux tribal community and other affected tribes and BIA and state agencies in Nebraska and South Dakota. The assembled team included representatives from the Santee Sioux Nation, Omaha Tribe and Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska and the Yankton Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Crow Creek Sioux Tribe of South Dakota, as well as the BIA agencies serving those tribes, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Nebraska State-chartered Natural Resources Conservation District.

Led by the Fire and Fuels Management staff, the ST-Bar Ranch project team set out to accomplish the goal of enhancing the productivity of the Santee Sioux reservation’s native rangeland for livestock and wildlife production through hazardous fuel reduction while restoring the balance to its mid-grass prairie ecosystem. The team was able to train and employ tribal members in the elimination of hazardous fuels and utilize local businesses to support fuel reduction crews thereby bringing economic benefits to the tribal communities involved.

The projected long-term outcomes for the project include increased wildland fire safety to the public and firefighters, reduced risk of unwanted fires to communities, infrastructure and resources, strengthened rural economic sustainability, increased public education about the importance of hazardous fuel reduction activities, improved resiliency and sustainability of wildland ecosystems, fewer lands severely degraded by wildland fires and reduced cost to the Federal government for wildfire suppression and rehabilitation.

Introduced in 2000, the Department of the Interior’s National Fire Plan is a 10-year comprehensive strategy to suppress wildland fires and rehabilitate fire-damaged areas. The STBar Ranch Fuels Reduction/Range Rehabilitation Project employed three of the four primary goals of the Plan: Reduce hazardous fuel, restore fire-adapted ecosystems and promote community assistance for accomplishing these goals. For more information about the National Fire Plan, visit www.fireplan.gov.

Note to Editors: The photo of the Winnebago Agency Fire and Fuels Management Group receiving its 2006 NFP Excellence in Hazardous Fuels Reduction award that accompanies this release may be viewed at www.doi.gov.

WASHINGTON – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today issued a proposed finding to acknowledge the Mashpee Wampanoag Indian Tribal Council, Incorporated, (Mashpee) as an Indian tribe. The 1,462-member tribe is located in Barnstable County, Cape Cod, Mass.

The Federal acknowledgment regulations (25 CFR Part 83) require that a petitioning group meet seven mandatory criteria for the Department to find that a tribe has continuous existence. The evidence reviewed for this proposed finding showed that the Mashpee petitioner met all of the criteria under 83.7(a) through (g).

Under criterion 83.7(a), external observers identified the petitioner and its ancestors as an American Indian entity of Mashpee Wampanoag Indians on a substantially continuous basis from 1900 to the present.

Under criterion 83.7(b), the evidence demonstrates that the current group and its ancestors maintained a community distinct from that of other populations near the town of Mashpee, Mass., since the 1600s. The petitioner also provided evidence to show that consistent social interactions and relationships have existed among the group since that time to the present.

Under criterion 83.7(c), the evidence shows that the current group and its ancestors maintained political authority or influence over its members as an autonomous entity since first sustained contact. The exercise of political authority has taken many forms including political control of the town of Mashpee by the group to 1974 and by having an incorporated council to the present.

Under criterion 83.7(d), the petitioner presented a copy of its governing document and its membership criteria.

Under criterion 83.7(e), the petitioner submitted a membership list that identified 1,462 members and documented that about 88 percent of its current members have ancestors who were a part of the historical Mashpee tribe enumerated in a State report by John Milton Earle in 1861. Based on precedents in previous findings, this is sufficient to meet the requirements of 83.7(e).

Under criterion 83.7(f), the petitioner demonstrated that its membership is composed principally of persons who are not members of any federally acknowledged North American Indian tribe.

Under criterion 83.7(g), the evidence demonstrates that neither the petitioner nor its members are the subject of congressional legislation that has expressly terminated or forbidden the Federal relationship.

The petitioner, interested parties and the general public have 180 days from the date of publication of the Notice of Proposed Finding in the Federal Register to provide comments to the Department. This proposed finding is based on the evidence available at this time and may be changed or modified by new evidence or analysis available for the Final Determination.

This evaluation has been considered under time-frames set by a court-approved negotiated settlement agreement, which did not otherwise affect the Department’s standard review of the evidence or the mandatory criteria.

Visit https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/ofa to view the proposed finding.

WASHINGTON – Interior Associate Deputy Secretary James E. Cason today announced that the Indian Affairs Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED) will be competitively awarding grants of up to $25,000 to federally recognized tribes interested in participating in DOI’s employment and training initiative known as the 477 Program. The IEED is seeking to encourage non-participating tribes to consider the using the 477 Program through grants that will help them develop plans for implementing the program in their communities.

“The 477 Program has proven to be a great tool for tribes seeking to decrease administrative costs, enhance budget flexibility and support their economic development and job creation efforts,” Cason said. “This grant opportunity will allow tribes not currently 477 participants to take another look at how the program can help them meet their economic development, employment and job training needs.”

Established in 1994 under Public Law 102-477, the Indian Employment, Training and Related Services Act, the 477 Program has enabled approximately 240 tribes to use federal funds more effectively to educate and train an estimated 44,000 children, youth and adults. There are fewer tribal participants from the lower 48 states due to the lack of resources to help them decide if the program would work in their communities.

Cason formally notified tribal leaders of the grant competition on March 14, 2006. The Department published a notice in the Federal Register on June 7 containing details about the grant application process. The deadline for submitting applications is July 7, 2006.

The act allows federally recognized tribes to combine funds from up to 12 federal employment, training and welfare reform programs administered by Interior and the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services into a single, tribally operated program with a single reporting system. In addition, tribes can devote up to 25 percent of their total funding for economic development projects that provide employment opportunities for their members.

The 477 Program is built around three basic elements: a single plan for delivering services in an integrated manner, a single budget which commingles all funds and a single reporting system replacing 12 different reports. Federal programs which can be included in a tribal 477 program are DOL Work Force Investment Act adult and youth programs; HHS Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), Native Employment Works and Child Care Development Fund (both mandatory and discretionary) programs; and DOI General Assistance, Tribal Work Experience, Higher Education, Adult Education, Johnson-O’Malley, Job Placement and Training programs. The program has been highly rated under the Office of Management and Budget’s Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) for meeting Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) standards for accountability and efficiency.

The Interior Department has estimated that in Fiscal Year 2006 over $100 million will have been integrated under tribal 477 programs.

To be eligible for a 477 participation planning grant, a tribe must be able to document that it has undergone successful single audits for the past two years. Awardees will be selected based on need, i.e., that the tribe lacks the resources necessary to prepare an implementation plan; the extent to which tribal staff responsible for implementing the program has been or will be involved in preparing the plan; and the extent to which job creation activities are planned and obstacles to employment are addressed.

The Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development was established to provide high-level support for the Department’s goal of serving communities by providing access to energy resources and by stimulating job creation and economic development. The Office assists economic development on Indian lands by identifying economic opportunities, assisting development of workforce capacity, providing low cost loans for business development and facilitating partnerships between tribes and the Federal or private sector. The Office also supports the President’s National Energy Policy by fostering development of domestic energy resources to reduce this country’s dependence on foreign energy sources.

For additional information, please contact Lynn Forcia, Chief, Division of Workforce Development, Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, U.S. Department of the Interior, at (202) 219-5270. To view the Federal Register notice, visit https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/ieed

WASHINGTON — With the goal of better preserving and enhancing the natural and cultural heritage of the nation’s public lands and waters, five U.S. government agencies today joined the National Geographic Society in a ceremony at Society headquarters unveiling a ground-breaking framework to formally adopt the principles of geotourism.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a first step to promote geotourism as a collaborative approach among governmental agencies and private partners. Pioneered by National Geographic since 2002, geotourism refers to tourism that helps sustain or enhance the geographical character of a place — its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and well-being of its residents.

Signatories to the MOU included senior leaders of National Geographic, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and their agencies, including Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Forest Service. It is anticipated there will be additional partners, both public and private. The officials agree in the MOU that geotourism is beneficial to national parks, national forests, national wildlife refuges and BLM lands, as well as Indian lands and private and local attractions.

“This agreement will enhance both the environment and the local economies, better preserving America’s diverse recreational and scenic assets — a source of immense national pride,” said Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the Interior, who signed the agreement. “Geotourism showcases what is authentic and unique and defines us. It is the right concept to protect our public lands for future generations.”

“Tourism in recent decades has exploded to become one of the most pervasive industries on Earth. By this collaborative, sensitive approach to tourism, the destructive pitfalls of mass tourism can be avoided in our country’s great outdoors,” said John Fahey, National Geographic president and CEO. “Today’s signing is a tremendous step forward for geotourism and sustainable tourism in the United States.”

“Working together under this MOU will build upon our collective strength. It builds upon many of our existing initiatives and will further our working more effectively across boundaries and jurisdictions,” said Mark Rey, undersecretary for natural resources and the environment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, who also signed the MOU. “The framework will focus on what is distinctive and unique about our great American public lands.”

In addition to Kempthorne, Fahey and Rey, officials at today’s event included Paul Hoffman, deputy assistant secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior; Mary Bomar, director, National Park Service; Jerold Gidner, director, Bureau of Indian Affairs; Henri Bisson, deputy director, Bureau of Land Management; Kenneth Stansell, deputy director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; and Sally Collins, associate chief, U.S. Forest Service.

This new collaboration builds upon existing National Geographic, Department of Interior agencies’ and U.S. Forest Service pilot projects that enhance opportunities for communities, tribes and regions to benefit from sustainable tourism. The first prototype project was a geotourism effort that straddles the border of Arizona and Sonora, Mexico, serving as a catalyst to help encourage citizens, communities and tribes to become actively involved in the stewardship and conservation of the public land and water. Subsequently, the state of Arizona has declared itself “geotourism dependent,” after assessing the enhanced quality of life and economic benefits derived.

The MOU establishes an official Geotourism Working Group among the signatories, committed to promoting sustainable tourism practices and local stewardship, often called destination stewardship. Partnerships with local organizations, tribes and communities will be developed.

In 2003 the National Geographic’s Center for Sustainable Destinations (CSD) established a new approach to tourism by combining its expertise with the design capabilities of National Geographic Maps and the knowledge of local people to facilitate wise stewardship of cultural and natural resources worldwide.

With direction from National Geographic, Geotourism Charters have been signed in Norway, Romania, Honduras, the Cook Islands and the states of Arizona (U.S.) and Sonora, Mexico.

CSD partnered with the Appalachian Regional Commission and the people of Appalachia to create the first Geotourism Map Guide, published in 2005. Geotourism Map Guides also have been published for Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, the Sonoran Desert region of Arizona and Mexico, Baja California and the Crown of the Continent. Currently, CSD is working with Peruvian authorities and the World Bank on a Geotourism MapGuide and Stewardship Council Project for the Vilcanota-Sacred Valley of the Inca; similar projects are underway for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, Northern California Coast and the nation of Guatemala. For more information on geotourism, visit www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/sustainable and www.doi.gov.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools can now apply for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School program (ED-GRS), which provides national recognition for schools using outstanding environmental programs and techniques, BIE Director Keith Moore announced today.

“The Green Ribbon Schools program will recognize the outstanding accomplishments of the BIE schools that are working hard to create environmentally friendly and healthy learning spaces,” said Moore, who noted that the application for eligibility is now available. “The BIE is dedicated to leading the movement to build a healthier and sustainable future for our children across Indian Country.”

Interested schools can access the online application on the BIE Green Ribbon School website at: http://www.bie.edu/greenribbonschools/index.htm. Applications are due by February 24, 2012. The BIE will review and select up to four nominees to the ED-GRS. Awardees will be announced in April 2012 and are expected to receive their awards in May 2012.

The BIE joined the recently launched national Green Ribbon School program and launched a nationwide search across Indian Country to find outstanding environmental schools that meet its standards. Many BIE schools are actively saving energy, reducing costs, promoting environmental literacy and providing healthy environments for students, faculty and staff. Those schools will now have the opportunity to be recognized nationally.

States and other education agencies have also been invited to participate in the Green Ribbon Schools program, which is patterned after the long running Blue Ribbon School Program. The U.S. Department of Education took many months to strategically design the Green Ribbon Schools program and have named this year as the “pilot year.” The new federal program encourages schools to:

• Implement energy conservation measures that pave the way for reduced environmental impact, cost savings, and job creation;
• Undertake environmental and behavioral changes in schools that ensure the health, wellness, and productivity of students, teachers, and staff, and;
• Promote environmental education that supports students’ strong civic skills, environmental stewardship, and workforce preparedness.

As part of this effort to promote a comprehensive approach to creating a healthier school environment in all BIE-funded schools, the bureau committed to the Let’s Move! in Indian Country (LMIC) initiative in 2010 and encouraged all BIE-funded schools to sign up to become Team Nutrition Schools. The LMIC website http://www.letsmove.gov/indiancountry includes information about resources, grants and programs available to assist schools in becoming healthier places of learning.

The Bureau of Indian Education in the U.S. Department of the Interior implements federal education laws, such as the No Child Left Behind Act, in and provides funding to 183 elementary and secondary day and boarding schools and peripheral dormitories located on 64 reservations in 23 states and serving approximately 48,000 students from the nation’s federally recognized tribes. Approximately two-thirds are tribally operated with the rest BIE-operated. The bureau also serves post secondary students through higher education scholarships and support funding to 26 tribal colleges and universities and two tribal technical colleges. It also directly operates two post secondary institutions: Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan., and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M.

WASHINGTON – Today, February 13, 2012, Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk will provide an overview of the Obama administration’s proposed fiscal year 2013 budget for the Indian Affairs in a 3 p.m. EST teleconference for news media representatives.

The telephone conference can be accessed by dialing 1-800-369-3172 and entering the code 11954. Following the presentation, there will be a question and answer session for news media reporters.