Datebook -- This Week

Around Indian Country
April 9-11, the Federal Bar Association holds the 33rd Annual Indian Law Conference at the Albuquerque Marriott, Albuquerque, NM.

In Congress
Tuesday, 2:30 p.m., the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee holds an oversight hearing to examine the digital television transition, focusing on consumers, broadcasters, and converter boxes at 2:30 p.m.


Wednesday, 10 a.m., the House Natural Resources Committee, holds legislative hearings on the following bills: H.R. 5608, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments Act; H.R. 3522, to ratify a conveyance of a portion of the Jicarilla Apache Reservation to Rio Arriba County, State of New Mexico; H.R. 3490, Tuolumne Me-Wuk Land Transfer Act of 2007; S. 2457, a bill to provide for extensions of leases of certain land by Mashantucket Pequot (Western) Tribe and H.R.___ , a bill to amend certain laws relating to Native Americans to make certain adjustments, and for other purposes.

Thursday, 10 a.m., the House Natural Resources Committee holds legislative hearings on H.R. 5541, Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act or FLAME Act and H.R. 5648, Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008.

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

The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting comments on proposed criteria and guidelines for determining American Indian Areas (AIAs) and Alaska Native Areas (ANAs). These statistical areas will be used to collect, tabulate, and present data from the 2010 Census. Comments are due before June 16 for the ANAs and June 30 for AIAs.