Federal Register

SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is requesting nominations of individuals to the Census Advisory Committee on the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations. The Census Bureau will consider nominations received in response to this notice, as well as from other sources. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice provides Committee and membership criteria.

SUMMARY: This announcement provides notice that the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Big Lagoon Rancheria (Tribe) have jointly filed an administrative appeal with the Department of Commerce asking that the Secretary override the California Coastal Commission's (Commission) objection to BIA's proposed acquisition of approximately 5 acres of land in Humboldt County, California, into trust status for the Tribe.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (U.S. Census Bureau) is giving notice of a joint meeting, followed by separate and concurrently held meetings of the Census Advisory Committees (CACs) on the African American Population, the American Indian and Alaska Native Populations, the Asian Population, the Hispanic Population, and the Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander Populations. The Committees will address issues related to the 2010 Decennial Census Program. Last-minute changes to the schedule are possible, which could prevent advance notification.

SUMMARY: In accordance with 15 U.S.C. 1512 and Executive Order 11625, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is soliciting competitive applications from organizations to operate a Native American Business Enterprise Center (NABEC) in the specified locations and geographical service areas (see SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION). The NABEC operates through the use of business consultants and provides a range of technical assistance services directly to Native American- and other minority-owned businesses. Responsibility for ensuring that applications in response to this competitive solicitation are complete and received by MBDA on time is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Applications submitted must be to operate a NABEC and to provide business consultation to eligible clients. Applications that do not meet these requirements will be rejected. This is not a grant program to help start an individual business.

SUMMARY: In preparation for the 2010 Census, the Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) has drafted an American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) policy statement and is requesting public comment on it. This proposed policy outlines the principles to be followed in all Census Bureau interactions with federally-recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments. The policy reaffirms the unique government- to-government relationship that exists between American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments and the Census Bureau and is consistent with the AIAN policy statement adopted by the Department of Commerce (DOC) on March 30, 1995. The Census Bureau believes that the adoption of the proposed AIAN policy would satisfy a long-standing request from AIAN populations and would encourage and facilitate greater cooperation from these populations during decennial censuses and help us to better communicate with and enumerate these difficult- to-count populations.

SUMMARY: On April 20, 2007, NMFS proposed the listing of the Cook Inlet beluga whale as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). As part of that proposal, NMFS announced a public comment period to end on June 19, 2007, and then extended the comment period to August 3, 2007. NMFS has received requests for public hearings on this issue. In response, NMFS is announcing that public hearings will be held at two locations in Alaska to provide additional opportunities and formats to receive public input.

SUMMARY: The Bureau of the Census (Census Bureau) is issuing this notice to extend the comment period on the draft American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) policy statement. The Census Bureau published the original notice and request for comments in the Federal Register on Wednesday, May 23, 2007 (72 FR 28952). Please see the earlier notice for more information about the draft AIAN policy. The Census Bureau is currently conducting consultation meetings with federally-recognized tribal governments in preparation for the 2010 Census and would like to extend the comment period to allow those tribal leaders and the general public the opportunity to review and provide their input on the draft policy. The Census Bureau will accept all public comments received from May 23 to the closing date identified in this notice.

SUMMARY: The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) is publishing this notice to allow for up to a 180-day funded extension, on a non- competitive basis, of the award periods for those Native American Business Enterprise Centers (NABECs) identified in this notice whose current award period is scheduled to end on December 31, 2007. MBDA is taking this action to allow for continued program delivery by the identified NABEC operators while MBDA completes the competitive solicitation and award processes for the next three (3) year NABEC award period.