FEDERAL AGENCY:

BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

AUTHORIZATION:

Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Public Law 93-638, as amended, 25 U.S.C. 450; American Indian Agriculture Resource Management Act, Public Law 103-177, 107 Stat. 2011, 25 U.S.C. 3701.

OBJECTIVES:

To protect and restore the agronomic and rangeland resources on trust lands and facilitate the development of renewable agricultural resources.

TYPES OF ASSISTANCE:

Direct Payments for Specified Use. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Provision of Specialized Services. Place Cursor Here for Definition

Advisory Services and Counseling. Place Cursor Here for Definition

USES AND USE RESTRICTIONS:

To facilitate improvements on Indian trust or restricted fee lands. Awards for Noxious Weed Eradication are for the use of chemical, mechanical, cultural, and biological control methods, predominantly on range land, and are awarded competitively.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:   Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and Native American Organizations authorized by Indian tribal governments.

Beneficiary Eligibility:   Federally Recognized Indian Tribal Governments and their members; Native American Organizations; and individual American Indian land owners.

Credentials/Documentation:   Initial application for financial assistance must be accompanied by a resolution of the governing body of the Indian tribe.

Pre-application Coordination:   Informal preapplication conference is recommended. Technical assistance in preparing the application is available upon request. This program is excluded from coverage under E.O. 12372.

Application Procedure:   Initial applications must contain the information specified in 25 CFR, Part 900, Subpart C, "Contract Proposal Contents." Completed applications should be submitted to the local BIA agency office listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Award Procedure:   In most cases, the award can be approved at the agency level. In some instances, the application will be forwarded to the Regional Director for approval. The dollar value of Agriculture awards depends upon the amount that has been prioritized by the individual tribe through tribal participation in the BIA's budget formulation process (TPA).

Deadlines:   None.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:   Applications will be processed within 90 days.

Appeals:   An unsuccessful applicant may request an informal conference with the deciding official, or may appeal the denial of the application to the Interior Board of Indian Appeals, or may bring suit in U.S. District Court. Full appeal procedures are found in 25 CFR, Part 900.

Renewals:   Agriculture awards may be renewed indefinitely upon satisfactory performance by the contractor/grantee. A notice of intent to renew should be submitted at least 90 days prior to the expiration of the current award. Noxious Weed Eradication assistance is awarded for projects on a year-by-year basis and is not intended to provide perennial support for tribal programs.

ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:   Noxious Weed Eradication requires a minimum 50 percent cost-share agreement for the control projects.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:   Awards are made on an annual basis and the funds remain available until expended by the contractor/grantee. Payments may be made in advance or by way of reimbursement. The timing of payments will be negotiated with the grantee.

POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:   Financial status reports, SF 269A, are required. The timing and nature of program accomplishment data will be negotiated with the contractor/grantee.

Audits:   For awards made under this program, grantees and subgrantees are responsible for obtaining audits in accordance with the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (31 U.S.C. 7501 et. seq.).

Records:   Financial records must be retained for 3 years from the date of submission of the single audit report. Procurement records must be retained for 3 years from the date of final payment. Property records must be retained for 3 years from the date of disposition, replacement, or transfer. Records pertaining to any litigation, audit exceptions, or claims must be retained until the dispute has been resolved.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION:

Account Identification:   14-2100-0-1-302.

Obligations:   (Total Amount of Awards) Agriculture: FY 01 $3,989,000; FY 02 est $3,063,900; and FY 03 est $3,383,250. Noxious Weed Eradication: FY 01 $756,000; FY 02 est $722,520; and FY 03 est $724,320.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  
Agriculture: $200 to $575,000; $50,000. Noxious Weed Eradication: $500 to $300,000; $6,200.

Annually, program funds, through the TPA process, assist nearly 30,000 farmers, ranchers, and landowners in the management and development of over 45 million acres of Indian land used for farming and grazing. Fifty tribes/tribal organizations receive competitive Noxious Weed Eradication awards, treating approximately 80,000 acres of trust lands.

REGULATIONS, GUIDELINES, AND LITERATURE:

25 CFR, Parts 166, 168, and 900.

INFORMATION CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:   Applications may be filed with the local Bureau of Indian Affairs agency office as listed in Appendix IV of the Catalog.

Headquarters Office:   David Edington, Office of Trust Responsibilities, Division of Water and Land Resources, Branch of Agriculture and Range, Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1849 C Street NW, MS 4513 MIB, Washington, District of Columbia 20240 Phone: (202) 513-0866.

Web Site Address:  
http://www.bia.gov

EXAMPLES OF FUNDED PROJECTS:

Farmland improvements such as designing land leveling, farm drainage, cropping patterns, crop varieties, stock water engineering; range inventories and inventories to identify vegetative cover, range condition, precipitation zones and current forage utilization; rangeland pest control, livestock control, and maintenance of readiness conditions for fire suppression; and leasing and permitting support, enforcement, performance evaluation, etc.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING PROPOSALS:

Agriculture: All applicants for assistance meeting the criteria in 25 CFR part 900 will be funded. Noxious Weed Eradication: Competitive proposals are ranked according to cost/benefit analysis; potential benefit; capability of the applicant to successfully conduct the project; and budget and its effective use.