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National
Park Service Proposes Regulation for Gathering Plants
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Rule covers
members of federally-recognized American Indian tribes
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Washington,
DC April 2015 / Newsmaker Alert / The
National
Park Service has proposed to modify the regulation governing the gathering
of plants in national parks. The rule would allow members of federally
recognized Indian tribes with traditional associations to areas within
specific units of the National Park System to gather and remove plants
or plant parts for traditional purposes. The gathering and removal allowed
by the rule would be governed by agreements that may be entered into between
the National Park Service and the tribes, and would also be subject to
permits that identify the tribal members who may conduct these activities.
The rule would prohibit commercial uses of gathered materials.
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Published
Monday April 20 in the Federal Register, 36 CFR Part 2, Gathering of Certain
Plants or Plant Parts by Federally Recognized Indian Tribes for Traditional
Purposes, will be open for public comment for 90 days through Monday, July
20, 2015.
The
proposed rule respects tribal sovereignty and the government-to-government
relationship between the United States and the tribes, said National Park
Service Director Jonathan
B. Jarvis. It also supports the mission of the National Park Service
and the continuation of unique cultural traditions of American Indians.
Many
units of the National Park System contain resources important to the continuation
of American Indian cultures. Indian tribes have actively sought the ability
to gather and use plant resources for traditional purposes such as basketry
and traditional medicines while ensuring the sustainability of plant communities
in parks. At the same time, park managers and law enforcement officers
need clear guidance regarding their responsibilities for enforcing park
regulations with respect to the use of park resources by American Indians.
The proposal provides an approach to plant collecting by members of federally
recognized tribes that can be applied across the National Park Service.
In
drafting the proposed rule, National Park Service staff met with or contacted
more than 120 Indian tribes. Tribal consultation that followed indicates
that the approach taken in the proposed rule would address the need for
gathering while respecting tribal sovereignty.
Comments
on the proposed rule should reference the National Park Service and Regulation
Identifier Number (RIN) 1024-AD84, and can be submitted online through
the Federal Rulemaking Portal: www.regulations.gov,
which provides instructions for submitting comments; or by mail to: National
Park Service, Joe Watkins, Office of Tribal Relations and American Cultures,
1201 Eye Street NW, Washington, DC 20005. The National Park Service will
accept public comments on the proposed rule through Monday, July 20, 2015.
Comments
and suggestions on the information collection requirements in the proposed
rule should be sent to the Desk Officer for the Department of the Interior
at OMB-OIRA by fax at 202-395-5806 or by e-mail to OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.
Please provide a copy of your comments by e-mail to Madonna_Baucum@nps.gov
or by mail to: Information Collection Clearance Officer, National Park
Service, 1849 C Street, NW, Washington, DC 20240. Please reference 1024-AD84
in the subject line of your comments. You may review the Information Collection
Request online at www.reginfo.gov.
Follow the instructions to review Department of the Interior collections
under review by OMB. Comments on the information collection requirements
must be received by Wednesday, May 20, 2015.
About
the National Park Service
More
than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America's 407 national
parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local
history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at
www.nps.gov,
on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice,
Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice,
and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.
Media
Contacts:
Jeffrey
Olson (NPS), 202-208-6843
Joe
Watkins (NPS), 202-354-2126 |