Tribal and Alaska Native Biomass Demonstration Projects; Eligibility Criteria

(Federal Register/Land Management Bureau) The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is establishing eligibility and selection criteria for Tribal Biomass Demonstration Project and Alaska Native Biomass Demonstration Project proposals submitted for BLM-managed lands, as authorized by the Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act Amendments of 2017.

Section 202 of Public Law 115-325 amends the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115(a) et seq.) for the purpose of establishing tribal and Alaska Native biomass demonstration projects for federally recognized Indian tribes and Alaska Native corporations to promote biomass energy production by providing reliable supplies of woody biomass from Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands.

For Tribal Biomass Demonstration Projects, the Act requires, for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into stewardship contracts or similar agreements (excluding direct service contracts) with Indian tribes to carry out at least four new demonstration projects to promote biomass energy production (including biofuel, heat, and electricity generation) on Indian forest land and in nearby communities by providing reliable supplies of woody biomass from Federal land.

For Alaska Native Biomass Demonstration Projects, the Act requires, for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into an agreement or contract with an Indian tribe or a tribal organization to carry out at least one new demonstration project to promote biomass energy production (including biofuel, heat, and electricity generation) by providing reliable supplies of woody biomass from Federal land.

Indian tribe means: Any Indian tribe, band, nation or other organized group or community, including any Alaska Native village or regional or village corporation as defined in or established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act, which is recognized as eligible for the special programs and services provided by the United States to Indians because of their status as Indians. (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)).

Eligibility

To establish eligibility for a Tribal Biomass Demonstration Project, an Indian tribe (as defined at (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)) must submit an application with the following information:

(1) A description of the Indian forest land under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe;

(2) A description and location of the biomass utilization facility including its annual biomass consumption and details related to the application evaluation criteria;

To establish eligibility for an Alaska Native Biomass Demonstration Project, an Indian tribe (as defined at (25 U.S.C. 5304(e)) needs to submit an application with the following information:

(1) A description and location of the biomass utilization facility, including its annual biomass consumption and details related to the application evaluation criteria;

The statute allows the Secretary of the Interior to establish additional criteria as needed. Such additional criteria will be posted on the website established for this purpose (see ADDRESSES).

The eligibility applications comprise a collection of information that requires a control number from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521). An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. For this reason, the BLM will request an OMB control number for these applications.

Application Evaluation Criteria

In accordance with the Act, the BLM will evaluate applications by assessing whether the proposed project would:

(3) Result in or improve the connection of electric power transmission facilities serving the Indian tribe with other electric transmission facilities;

(4) Improve the forest health or watersheds of Federal land or Indian forest or rangeland; or