Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Notices 11459 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Dental and Craniofacial Research Special 

Emphasis Panel; Review of Loan Repayment 

Program (LRP) Clinical (L30) and Pediatric 

(L40) applications. 

Date: April 2, 2015. 

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, One 

Democracy Plaza, 6701 Democracy 

Boulevard, Bethesda, MD 20892, (Virtual 

Meeting). 

Contact Person: Victor Henriquez, Ph.D., 

Scientific Review Officer, DEA/SRB/NIDCR, 

6701 Democracy Blvd., Room 668, Bethesda, 

MD 20892–4878, 301–451–2405, henriquv@

nidcr.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.121, Oral Diseases and 

Disorders Research, National Institutes of 

Health, HHS) 

Dated: February 25, 2015. 

David Clary, 

Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2015–04322 Filed 3–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND 

HUMAN SERVICES 

National Institutes of Health 

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National 

Institute of Child Health & Human 

Development; Notice of Closed 

Meetings 

Pursuant to section 10(d) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act, as 

amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is 

hereby given of the following meetings. 

The meetings will be closed to the 

public in accordance with the 

provisions set forth in sections 

552b(c)(4) and 552b(c)(6), Title 5 U.S.C., 

as amended. The grant applications and 

the discussions could disclose 

confidential trade secrets or commercial 

property such as patentable material, 

and personal information concerning 

individuals associated with the grant 

applications, the disclosure of which 

would constitute a clearly unwarranted 

invasion of personal privacy. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Child Health and Human Development 

Special Emphasis Panel. 

Date: March 19–20, 2015. 

Time: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: Bethesda North Marriott Hotel & 

Conference Center, 5701 Marinelli Road, 

Bethesda, MD 20852. 

Contact Person: Dennis E. Leszczynski, 

Ph.D., Scientific Review Administrator, 

Scientific Review Branch, National Institute 

of Child Health and Human Development, 

NIH, 6100 Exeuctive Blvd., Rm. 5B01, 

Bethesda, MD 20892, (301) 435–6884, 

leszczyd@mail.nih.gov. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Child Health and Human Development 

Special Emphasis Panel; Primary Complex 

Motor Stereotypies. 

Date: March 27, 2015. 

Time: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 6100 

Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852. 

Contact Person: Joanna Kubler-Kielb, 

Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review 

Branch, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National 

Institute of Child Health and Human 

Development, 6100 Executive Boulevard, 

Room 5B01, Bethesda, MD 20892–7510, 301– 

435–6916, kielbj@mail.nih.gov. 

Name of Committee: National Institute of 

Child Health and Human Development 

Special Emphasis Panel; ‘‘Pediatric HIV/

AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS).’’ 

Date: April 1, 2015. 

Time: 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Agenda: To review and evaluate grant 

applications. 

Place: National Institutes of Health, 6100 

Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852 

(Telephone Conference Call). 

Contact Person: Rita Anand, Ph.D., 

Scientific Review Officer, Scientific Review 

Branch, National Institute of Child Health 

and Human Development, NIH, 6100 

Executive Blvd. Room 5B01, Bethesda, MD 

20892, 301–496–1487, anandr@mail.nih.gov. 

(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Nos. 93.864, Population Research; 

93.865, Research for Mothers and Children; 

93.929, Center for Medical Rehabilitation 

Research; 93.209, Contraception and 

Infertility Loan Repayment Program, National 

Institutes of Health, HHS) 

imposed by the review and funding 

cycle. 

Dated: February 25, 2015. 

Michelle Trout, 

Program Analyst, Office of Federal Advisory 

Committee Policy. 

[FR Doc. 2015–04327 Filed 3–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4140–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND 

SECURITY 

Ideation Prize Competition 

AGENCY: Science and Technology 

Directorate, DHS. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS) gives notice of the 

availability of the ‘‘Where am I, Where 

is my Team?’’ ideation prize 

competition and rules. The DHS Science 

and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T) 

First Responders Group (FRG) is seeking 

innovative methods for real-time, robust 

indoor tracking of the next generation 

first responder. The development of 

sensors and communications able to 

perform well across a variety of indoor 

environments is one of the biggest 

challenges in first responder tracking 

research and development. This prize 

competition seeks personalized, 

modular and scalable approaches to 

track the next generation of first 

responders indoors using current and 

emerging technologies, sensors, and 

techniques. Submissions should consist 

of a concept/design for a low cost, 

robust, real-time indoor tracking 

capability. The total cash prize payout 

for this competition is $25,000 (USD) 

consisting of a first place award of 

$20,000 (USD) and a second place 

award of $5,000 (USD). The awards will 

be paid to the best submission(s) as 

solely determined by the Seeker. 

This prize competition consists of the 

following unique features: 

• Terminology 

Æ Seeker: DHS S&T First Responders 

Group 

Æ Solvers: Ideation Prize competition 

submitters 

• The Solvers are not required to 

transfer exclusive intellectual property 

rights to the Seeker. Rather, by 

submitting a proposal, the Solvers 

grants to the Seeker a royalty-free, 

perpetual, and non-exclusive license to 

use any information included in this 

proposal. 

DATES: 

Submission Period Beginning Date: 

March 3, 2015. 

Submission Period Ending Date: All 

submissions must be received 

electronically as indicated in this 

announcement by 11:59 p.m. Eastern 

Standard Time on Thursday, April 2, 

2015. Late submissions will not be 

considered. All dates are subject to 

change. For more details please visit the 

www.challenge.gov Web site. 

ADDRESSES: Questions about this prize 

competition may be emailed to 

innohelp@innocentive.com. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Prize Competition Manager: Mr. 

Stephen Hancock; Phone: 202–254– 

6909; Email: stephen.hancock@

hq.dhs.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

America Creating Opportunities to 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

11460 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Notices 

Meaningfully Promote Excellence in 

Technology, Education, and Science 

Reauthorization Act of 2010 (The 

America COMPETES Act), Public Law 

111–358, enacted January 4, 2011, 

authorizes Federal agencies to issue 

competitions to stimulate innovations 

that could advance their missions. 

Interested persons can find full details 

about the competition rules and register 

to participate online at 

www.challenge.gov. Contest rules are 

subject to change. 

Subject of the Prize Competition: 

Indoor Tracking of the Next Generation 

First Responder. 

Eligibility Rules: To be eligible to win 

a prize under this competition, an 

individual or entity— 

(1) Shall have registered to participate 

in the competition under the rules 

promulgated by the Department of 

Homeland Security, Science and 

Technology Directorate and in 

accordance with the description 

provided, below, under ‘‘Registration 

Information;’’ 

(2) Shall have complied with all of the 

requirements under this section; 

(3) Pursuant to the America 

COMPETES Act of 2010, awards for this 

Prize competition may only be given to 

an individual that is a citizen or legal 

permanent resident of the United States, 

or an entity that is incorporated in and 

whose primary place of business is in 

the United States, subject to verification 

by the Seeker before Prizes are awarded. 

An individual or private entity must be 

the registered entrant to be eligible to 

win a prize. Further restrictions apply— 

see the Ideation Challenge-Specific 

Agreement found at the competition 

registration Web site and this Federal 

Register Notice for full details. 

(4) Contestants must own or have 

access at their own expense to a 

computer, an Internet connection, and 

any other electronic devices, 

documentation, software, or other items 

that Contestants may deem necessary to 

create and enter a Submission; 

(5) The following individuals 

(including any individuals participating 

as part of an entity) are not eligible 

regardless of whether they meet the 

criteria set forth above: 

(i) any individual under the age of 18; 

(ii) any individual who employs an 

evaluator on the Judging Panel 

(hereafter, referenced simply as a 

‘‘Judge’’) or otherwise has a material 

business relationship or affiliation with 

any Judge; 

(iii) any individual who is a member 

of any Judge’s immediate family or 

household; 

(iv) any individual who has been 

convicted of a felony; 

(v) the Seeker, Participating 

Organizations, and any advertising 

agency, contractor or other individual or 

organization involved with the design, 

production, promotion, execution, or 

distribution of the Contest; all 

employees, representatives and agents 

thereof; and all members of the 

immediate family or household of any 

such individual, employee, 

representative, or agent; 

(vi) any Federal entity or Federal 

employee acting within the scope of his 

or her employment, or as may otherwise 

be prohibited by Federal law 

(employees should consult their agency 

ethics officials); 

(vii) any individual or entity that used 

Federal facilities or relied upon 

significant consultation with Federal 

employees to develop a Submission, 

unless the facilities and employees were 

made available to all Contestants 

participating in the Contest on an equal 

basis; and 

(viii) any individual or entity that 

used Federal funds to develop a 

Submission, unless such use is 

consistent with the grant award, or other 

applicable Federal funds awarding 

document. If a grantee using Federal 

funds enters and wins this Contest, the 

prize monies will need to be treated as 

program income for purposes of the 

original grant in accordance with 

applicable Office of Management and 

Budget Circulars. Federal contractors 

may not use Federal funds from a 

contract to develop a Submission for 

this competition. 

(ix) Employees and contractors of the 

Department of Homeland Security, 

Science and Technology Directorate are 

ineligible to compete in this 

competition. Likewise, members of their 

immediate family (spouses, children, 

siblings, parents), and persons living in 

the same household as such persons, 

whether or not related, are not eligible 

to participate in any portion of this 

competition, shall not work on their 

submission during assigned duty hours. 

Note: Federal ethical conduct rules may 

restrict or prohibit federal employees 

from engaging in certain outside 

activities, so any federal employee not 

excluded under the prior paragraph 

seeking to participate in this 

competition outside the scope of 

employment should consult his/her 

agency’s ethics official prior to 

developing a submission; and 

(x) Individuals, contractors and 

educational institutions currently 

participating in or pending participation 

in a DHS program of the same subject 

of the competition or connected to or 

aligned with the competition subject are 

ineligible to compete in this 

competition. 

(6) For purposes hereof: 

(i) the members of an individual’s 

immediate family include such 

individual’s spouse, children and stepchildren, parents and step-parents, and 

siblings and step-siblings; and 

(ii) the members of an individual’s 

household include any other person 

who shares the same residence as such 

individual for at least three (3) months 

out of the year. 

(7) Per 15 U.S.C. 3719(h), an 

individual or entity shall not be deemed 

ineligible under these eligibility rules 

because the individual or entity used 

Federal facilities or consulted with 

Federal employees during a competition 

if the facilities and employees are made 

available to all individuals and entities 

participating in the competition on an 

equitable basis; and 

(8) Use of Marks: Except as expressly 

set forth in the Participant Agreement or 

the contest rules, participants shall not 

use the names, trademarks, service 

marks, logos, insignias, trade dress, or 

any other designation of source or origin 

subject to legal protection, copyrighted 

material or similar intellectual property 

(‘‘Marks’’) of the organizers or other 

prize competition partners, sponsors, or 

collaborators in any way without such 

party’s prior written permission in each 

instance, which such party may grant or 

withhold in its sole and absolute 

discretion. 

(9) An individual or entity that is 

currently on the Excluded Parties List 

will not be selected as a Finalist or prize 

winner. 

Registration Information: To be 

eligible to win a prize under this 

competition, the Solver shall have 

registered to participate in the contest 

under the process identified on the 

central Federal Web site where 

government competitions are advertised 

(Challenge.gov). Access the 

www.challenge.gov Web site and sort 

by: Department of Homeland Security 

and then select the ‘‘Where Am I, Where 

is My Team?’’ contest. Solvers will be 

directed to an external Web site created 

specifically for the competition to 

obtain contest information, register for 

the contest including signing the 

Ideation Challenge-Specific Agreement 

and submit their entry. After the 

competition deadline, the Seeker will 

complete the review process and make 

a decision with regards to the Winning 

Solution(s). All Solvers that submitted a 

proposal will be notified on the status 

of their submissions; however, no 

detailed evaluation of individual 

submissions will be provided. 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Notices 11461 

Submission Requirements: This 

competition requires a written proposed 

solution which describes a novel 

method for tracking capabilities of the 

next generation first responders while 

they are inside of a structure without 

having to set up prepositioned towers or 

other devices. 

Background information to assist in 

the completion of submission: The 

ability to use Global Positioning System 

(GPS) technology is extremely limited 

for indoor tracking capabilities due to 

its weak signal strength and inability to 

penetrate buildings. There are limited 

alternatives to GPS, such as wave 

measurements, magnetic fields, sonar/

acoustics, mobile devices, etc. Each 

alternative has benefits and limitations 

and offers varying levels of tracking 

capabilities. This competition seeks 

innovative solutions that can help track 

next generation first responders while 

they are inside of a structure without 

having to set up prepositioned towers or 

other devices. The building structure 

may be concrete, steel, glass or any 

combination of modern building 

materials and of varying heights. 

Ideally, a solution will be wearable; selfreporting to provide real-time x, y, z 

positioning; and mission-agnostic 

thereby allowing for use by any first 

responder discipline (e.g., law 

enforcement, firefighting, emergency 

medical services, and emergency 

management). 

Submissions to this prize competition 

shall include: 

(1) A comprehensive description 

including drawings and diagrams, as 

appropriate, of the proposed solution in 

10 pages or less, 8.5 x 11 inch page, 12- 

point font or greater and one inch 

margins including: 

(i) A one-paragraph executive 

summary that clearly states the 

technical question to be solved; 

(ii) Background information 

supporting the significance of the 

technical question(s) and the proposed 

approach, pitfalls, and validation 

scheme that addresses efforts to support 

reproducibility; if possible, citing 

selected peer-reviewed articles that 

strengthen the proposed solution; 

(iii) Descriptions of methods and 

technologies key to implementation; 

(iv) A ‘‘state-of-the-art’’ statement that 

describes approaches currently in use (if 

any) and clearly explains how the 

methods and measures proposed 

advance existing capabilities; and 

(v) A feasibility assessment and a 

statement describing your ability to 

execute the proposed solution, 

including the estimated timeframe, 

supporting precedents and any special 

resource you may have or will need. 

Liability and Indemnification 

Information: By participating in this 

competition, each Solver agrees to 

assume any and all risks and waive 

claims against the Federal Government 

and its related entities, except in the 

case of willful misconduct, for any 

injury, death, damage, or loss of 

property, revenue, or profits, whether 

direct, indirect, or consequential, arising 

from participation in this competition, 

whether the injury, death, damage, or 

loss arises through negligence or 

otherwise. Likewise, each Solver agrees 

to indemnify the Federal Government 

against third party claims for damages 

arising from or related to competition 

activities. In order to receive a Prize, a 

Solver will be required to complete, sign 

and return to the Seeker affidavit(s) of 

eligibility and liability release, or a 

similar verification document. 

Payment of the Prize: Prizes awarded 

under this competition will be paid by 

the Seeker and must be received by the 

Solver(s) via electronic funds transfer. 

All Federal, state and local taxes are the 

sole responsibility of the winner(s). DHS 

will comply with the Internal Review 

Service withholding and reporting 

requirements, where applicable. 

Judging: Solutions for this 

competition will be evaluated by a 

judging panel using the criteria and 

rating scales described below. Judges 

will review highly rated solutions for 

technical alignment to the Next 

Generation First Responder Apex 

program, relevance to the DHS mission, 

and potential integration with existing 

projects. 

The three use cases, listed under (1) 

below, apply to this competition and, at 

a minimum; at least two of these must 

be addressed. The judging panel will 

use the following criteria and rating 

scales for evaluating proposed solutions 

with high scores reflecting the most 

highly rated solutions: (Maximum 100 

points; plus up to 50 bonus points) 

(1) Building structure (0–30 points)— 

(i) Case 1—Should be able to track 

multiple first responders inside of a 2- 

story residential structure above and 

below grade; 

(ii) Case 2—Should be able to track 

multiple first responders inside of a 

warehouse structure with a minimal 

footprint of 20,000 square feet; 

(iii) Case 3—Should be able to track 

multiple first responders inside of a 

multi-storied commercial building 

above grade and below grade. 

(2) Location Accuracy (0–50 points)— 

Location capability should provide 3- 

dimentional positioning where X is less 

than or equal to 3 meters with a position 

error of less than equal to +/¥0.50 

meters; where Y is less than or equal to 

3 meters with a position error of less 

than equal to +/¥0.50 meters; and 

where Z is less than or equal to 2 meters 

with a position error of less than equal 

to +/¥0.25 meters. 

(3) Real-time reporting (0–10 

points)—The solution should be able to 

provide real-time reporting of +/¥15 

seconds to the on-scene commander and 

must be able to transmit, omnidirectional, position location no less 

than 1500 feet from within the structure. 

(4) The modular form should be manportable and weigh less than 5 pounds 

(0—10 points). 

(5) Bonus Points (Maximum 50 bonus 

points)— 

(i) Feasibility (Bonus worth up to 30 

points)—Solvers should provide 

sufficient details to support the 

feasibility that the proposed solution 

can be demonstrated with further 

research and development in less than 

two years, including published or 

unpublished data, scientific basis, 

technological capability, and resources. 

(ii) Adaptability (Bonus worth up to 

20 points)—Must describe broad utility 

and scalability. The approach should 

lend itself to more than one first 

responder discipline, such as law 

enforcement, firefighting, and 

emergency medical services. 

Additional Information: Intellectual 

Property— 

(1) A Solver retains all ownership in 

intellectual property rights, if any, in 

the ideas, concepts, inventions, data, 

and other materials submitted in the 

prize competition. By entering the prize 

competition, each Solver agrees to grant 

to the United States Government, a 

Limited Purpose Research and 

Development License that is royalty free 

and non-exclusive for a period of four 

years from the date of submission. The 

Limited Purpose Research and 

Development License authorizes the 

United States Government to conduct 

research and development, or authorize 

others to do so on behalf of the United 

States Government. The Limited 

Purpose License does not include rights 

to commercialize the intellectual 

property in the Proposed Solution. 

(2) Each Solver warrants that he or 

she is the sole author and owner of any 

copyrightable works that the 

Submission comprises, that the works 

are wholly original with the Solver (or 

is an improved version of an existing 

work that the Solver has sufficient rights 

to use and improve), and that the 

Submission does not infringe any 

copyright or any other rights of any 

third party of which Solver is aware. 

Privacy: Personal information 

provided by entrants (Solvers) on the 

nomination form through the prize 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

11462 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 41 / Tuesday, March 3, 2015 / Notices 

competition Web site will be used to 

contact selected finalists. Information is 

not collected for commercial marketing. 

Winners are permitted to cite that they 

won this competition. The names, cities, 

and states of selected winner or entity 

will be made available in promotional 

materials and at recognition events. 

Authority: 15 U.S.C. 3719. 

Dated: March 3, 2015. 

Reginald Brothers, 

Under Secretary, DHS Science and 

Technology Directorate. 

[FR Doc. 2015–04127 Filed 3–2–15; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 9110–9F–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Office of the Secretary 

Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal 

Nations under Cobell Settlement 

AGENCY: Office of the Deputy Secretary, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: The Land Buy-Back Program 

(Program) for Tribal Nations will host a 

listening session on March 19, 2015, in 

Laveen, Arizona. The Program hopes to 

receive feedback from tribes and 

individuals on critical issues related to 

the Program as well as the 2014 Status 

Report: http://www.doi.gov/news/

upload/Buy-BackProgramStatusReport11-20-14-v4.pdf. 

DATES: The listening session will take 

place on March 19, 2015, at the Vee 

Quiva Hotel, 15091 South Komatke 

Lane, Laveen, Arizona 85339. Written 

comments are also encouraged and must 

be received by April 20, 2015, and may 

be emailed to buybackprogram@

iso.doi.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT AND

RSVP: Please RSVP and direct questions 

to Ms. Treci Johnson at treci_johnson@

ios.doi.gov or (202) 208–6916. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

I. Background 

The Land Buy-Back Program for 

Tribal Nations is the Department of the 

Interior’s (Department) collaborative 

effort with Indian Country to realize the 

historic opportunity afforded by the 

Cobell Settlement’s $1.9 billion Trust 

Land Consolidation Fund 

(Consolidation Fund). The purpose of 

the Consolidation Fund is to 

compensate individuals who willingly 

choose to transfer fractional land 

interests to tribal nations for fair market 

value. The Program continues to 

actively engage tribes and individuals 

across Indian Country, as it has in 

consultations since 2011. 

The Department is currently 

implementing the Buy-Back Program at 

multiple locations across Indian 

Country. Thus far, the Program has 

made more than $780 million in offers 

to individual landowners and paid 

nearly $350 million directly to more 

than 20,000 individuals that decided to 

sell fractional interests. This has 

restored the equivalent of more than 

541,000 acres to tribes. Our working 

relationships with tribes (17 cooperative 

agreements or other arrangements to 

date) and continued outreach to 

landowners are important elements of 

continued progress. 

II. Listening Session 

The purpose of the upcoming 

listening session is to gather input from 

tribes in order for the Department to 

continue to refine its land consolidation 

processes and engage individual 

landowners who may have questions 

about the Program. The listening session 

will begin at 1 p.m. with opening 

remarks from Deputy Secretary Michael 

L. Connor and other senior 

Departmental officials and will continue 

until 4 p.m. Tribal leaders and 

individual landowners will have an 

opportunity to present comments. 

III. Seeking Tribal Input 

The Buy-Back Program is committed 

to continuous consultations throughout 

the life of the Program in compliance 

with the letter and spirit of Executive 

Order 13175 (Consultation and 

Coordination with Indian Tribal 

Governments) and Secretarial Order 

3314 (Department of the Interior Policy 

on Consultation with Indian Tribes). 

At the beginning of 2013, Department 

officials conducted extensive tribal 

consultations on the following: 

(1) Developing an efficient, fair 

process for landowners of fractionated 

interests to participate in the Buy-Back 

Program; 

(2) Identifying and maximizing 

opportunities for tribal involvement; 

and 

(3) Offering tribes flexibility to 

execute Program requirements in the 

manner best suited for the unique needs 

of each community. 

Tribal input has been critical to 

making necessary enhancements to the 

Buy-Back Program. We are committed to 

learning from every sale at every 

location and making adjustments where 

necessary that are transparent and fair. 

For example, among adjustments 

influenced by tribal input, the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs (https://

www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/

11/14/2014-27033/privacy-act-of-1974- 

as-amended-notice-to-amend-anexisting-system-of-records) and Office of 

the Special Trustee for American 

Indians (https://

www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/

01/08/2015-00038/privacy-act-of-1974- 

as-amended-notice-to-amend-anexisting-system-of-records) announced 

this past year that the agencies were 

updating their existing system of record 

notices (SORNs). 

The updated SORNs will make it 

easier to exchange information with 

tribal governments as they work to help 

implement land consolidation activities 

in cooperation with the program. These 

updates respond to comments during 

government-to-government 

consultations, presentations, and the 

Program’s 2014 Listening Session, in 

which tribal representatives have 

expressed a need for greater and simpler 

access to landowner information to 

effectively conduct outreach and land 

consolidation activities for the Program. 

While the Department welcomes 

feedback related to any aspect of the 

Program, the following areas are of 

particular interest: 

Ideas for Improvement. The active 

participation of individual Indians, 

tribal leaders, and other interested 

parties is critical to success of the 

Program. The Department seeks 

comments on any ideas that will 

facilitate continued improvement of the 

Program. 

1. Implementation at LessFractionated Locations. While the 

implementation strategy keeps the 

Program focused on the most highly 

fractionated locations for the next few 

years, the Program has involved ‘‘lessfractionated locations’’ as well. There 

are about 110 less fractionated locations 

that contain approximately 10 percent 

of the outstanding fractional interests. 

The Program continues to explore ways 

for additional less fractioned locations 

to participate in buy-back efforts. 

The Program seeks comment on the 

most efficient and cost effective way to 

work with less-fractionated locations, 

including comment on specific steps the 

Program can take to facilitate earlier 

purchases at less fractionated locations. 

2. Outreach. Participation in the BuyBack Program is voluntary. It is unclear 

how many of the approximately 245,000 

individual owners will choose to sell 

their interests for conveyance to the 

Tribe. Currently, approximately 42% of 

Program offers to landowners are 

accepted on average. 

The Program utilizes various outreach 

tools, including a comprehensive Web 

site to provide landowners, tribes, and 

the public with information about the 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES