TITLE: Support for S. 2440, “the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act,” and Needed Amendments to Address Indian Energy Development
WHEREAS, we, the members of the National Congress of American Indians of the United States, invoking the divine blessing of the Creator upon our efforts and purposes, in order to preserve for ourselves and our descendants the inherent sovereign rights of our Indian nations, rights secured under Indian treaties and agreements with the United States, and all other rights and benefits to which we are entitled under the laws and Constitution of the United States, to enlighten the public toward a better understanding of the Indian people, to preserve Indian cultural values, and otherwise promote the health, safety and welfare of the Indian people, do hereby establish and submit the following resolution; and
WHEREAS, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) was established in 1944 and is the oldest and largest national organization of American Indian and Alaska Native tribal governments; and
WHEREAS, several Tribes located in the Phoenix Region, the Rocky Mountain Region, the Great Plains Region and the Albuquerque Region and are energy producing tribes or among those tribes with potential for energy production that rely or might rely in the future on mineral revenue income for infrastructure, economic development, jobs and income from the development of their mineral resources; and
WHEREAS, on September 16, 2014, the U.S. Senate passed, S. 2440, “the BLM Permit Processing Improvement Act,” which would increase Application for Permit to Drill (APD) fees on Federal and Indian lands and use those fees to improve Bureau of Land Management (BLM) processing of APDs for Federal and Indian minerals; and
WHEREAS, S. 2440 is currently being held at the desk in the U.S. House of Representatives and is expected to pass the U.S. Congress this year; and
WHEREAS, S. 2440 was originally limited to improving BLM processing for Federal mineral and amendment of the bill to include Indian trust minerals is a step in the right direction; and
WHEREAS, S. 2440 should be further amended to make a number of needed improvements in the law to benefit Indian energy development and provide jobs and economic development on Indian reservations; and
WHEREAS, further amendments to S. 2440 should include an amendment to establish an Indian Energy Regulatory Office which was approved by NCAI Resolutions #TUL-13-012 and #ANC-14-011 and which would coordinate federal agency permitting on Indian lands while also ensuring that Indian lands are not treated as public lands.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the NCAI supports S. 2440 and requests that Congress further amended S. 2440 to make a number of needed improvements in the law to benefit Indian energy development and provide jobs and economic development on Indian reservations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Congress specifically include an amendment to establish an Indian Energy Regulatory Office which was approved by NCAI Resolutions #TUL-13-012 and #ANC-14-011 and which would coordinate federal agency permitting on Indian lands while also ensuring that Indian lands are not treated as public lands; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that this resolution shall be the policy of NCAI until it is withdrawn or modified by subsequent resolution.
CERTIFICATION
The foregoing resolution was adopted by the General Assembly at the 2014 Annual Session of the National Congress of American Indians, held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, October 26-31, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia, with a quorum present.