Notices. Notice of draft convening report and request for comment

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BILLING CODE 4410-31-M DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employee Benefits Security Administration Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans Working Group on Financial Literacy, Working Group on Participant Benefit Statements, and Working Group on Fiduciary Responsibilities Updates and Revenue Sharing; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to the authority contained in Section 512 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. 1142, a public meeting will be held on November 6, 2007 of the Working Groups assigned by the Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans to study the issues of

(1)financial literacy,

(2)participant benefit statements, and

(3)fiduciary responsibilities updates and revenue sharing. The sessions will take place in C5515 Room 3, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. The purpose of the open meeting is for the Working Groups to conclude their report/recommendations to submit to the full Advisory Council. The meetings will start at 1 p.m. with the Working Group on Financial Literacy, followed by the Working Group on Participant Benefit Statements, followed by the Working Group on Fiduciary Responsibilities Updates and Revenue Sharing. The order is subject to change. Organizations or members of the public wishing to submit a written statement pertaining to the topic may do so by submitting 25 copies on or before October 30, 2007 to Larry Good, Executive Secretary, ERISA Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor, Suite N-5623, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Statements also may be submitted electronically to *good.larry@dol.gov* . Statements received on or before October 30, 2007 will be included in the record of the meeting. Individuals or representatives of organizations wishing to address the Working Group should forward their requests to the Executive Secretary or telephone

(202)693-8668. Oral presentations will be limited to 10 minutes, time permitting, but an extended statement may be submitted for the record. Individuals with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact Larry Good by October 30 at the address indicated. Signed at Washington, DC this 16th day of October, 2007. Bradford P. Campbell, Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration. [FR Doc. E7-20721 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-29-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employee Benefits Security Administration Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans, 140th Full Council Meeting; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to the authority contained in Section 512 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. 1142, the 140th open meeting of the full Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans will be held on November 7, 2007. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. to approximately 4:30 p.m., with a break for lunch. The morning session will take place in C5515 Room 3, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. The afternoon session will take place in Room S-2508 at the same address, beginning at 2 p.m. The purpose of the open meeting is for the chairpersons of the three Advisory Council Working Groups to submit their findings and recommendations on their individual study topics for the full Advisory Council's review and acceptance, following which the Advisory Council will present the Working Group findings and recommendations to the Secretary of Labor. Organizations or members of the public wishing to submit a written statement pertaining to any topic under consideration by the Advisory Council may do so by submitting 25 copies to Larry Good, Executive Secretary, ERISA Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-5623, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Statements received on or before October 31, 2007 will be included in the record of the meeting. Individuals or representatives of organizations wishing to address the Advisory Council should forward their request to the Executive Secretary at the above address or via telephone at

(202)693-8668. Oral presentations will be limited to 10 minutes, but an extended statement may be submitted for the record. Individuals with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact Larry Good by October 31 at the address indicated in this notice. Signed at Washington, DC this 16th day of October, 2007. Bradford P. Campbell, Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration. [FR Doc. E7-20722 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-29-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-62,129] Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, Anchorage, AK; Notice of Termination of Investigation Pursuant to section 221 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, an investigation was initiated on September 11, 2007 in response to a worker petition filed by a company official on behalf of workers of Alyeska Pipeline Services, Anchorage, Alaska. The petitioner has requested that the petition be withdrawn. Consequently, the investigation has been terminated. Signed at Washington, DC this 12th day of October 2007. Richard Church, Certifying Officer, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. [FR Doc. E7-20728 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration Investigations Regarding Certifications of Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance Petitions have been filed with the Secretary of Labor under section 221

(a)of the Trade Act of 1974 (“the Act”) and are identified in the Appendix to this notice. Upon receipt of these petitions, the Director of the Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance, Employment and Training Administration, has instituted investigations pursuant to section 221(a) of the Act. The purpose of each of the investigations is to determine whether the workers are eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under Title II, Chapter 2, of the Act. The investigations will further relate, as appropriate, to the determination of the date on which total or partial separations began or threatened to begin and the subdivision of the firm involved. The petitioners or any other persons showing a substantial interest in the subject matter of the investigations may request a public hearing, provided such request is filed in writing with the Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance, at the address shown below, not later than November 1, 2007. Interested persons are invited to submit written comments regarding the subject matter of the investigations to the Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance, at the address shown below, not later than November 1, 2007. The petitions filed in this case are available for inspection at the Office of the Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, Room C-5311, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Signed at Washington, DC, this 16th day of October 2007. Ralph DiBattista, Director, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. Appendix [TAA petitions instituted between 10/9/07 and 10/12/07] TA-W Subject firm (Petitioners) Location Date of institution Date of petition 62265 KLA-Tencor

(Wkrs)San Jose, CA 10/09/07 10/05/07 62266 Classic Die, Inc.

(Wkrs)Grand Rapids, MI 10/09/07 10/08/07 62267 Lamplight Farms

(Comp)Menomonee Falls, WI 10/09/07 10/08/07 62268 Dixie Consumer Products LLC (State) Los Angeles, CA 10/09/07 09/11/07 62269 Norwalk Furniture Corporation of Tennessee

(Comp)Cookeville, TN 10/09/07 10/05/07 62270 San Francisco City Lights

(Wkrs)San Francisco, CA 10/09/07 10/05/07 62271 Ravenwood Specialty Services, Inc.

(USWA)Ravenswood, WV 10/09/07 10/05/07 62272 Flint Group (State) Plymouth, MI 10/09/07 10/01/07 62273 Delphi Corporation

(USWA)Dayton, OH 10/09/07 10/08/07 62274 Quebecor World

(Wkrs)Bensenville, IL 10/09/07 10/04/07 62275 Hubbell Power Systems, Inc.

(Comp)Clanton, AL 10/09/07 10/05/07 62276 F.L. Smithe Machine Company (IAMAW) Hollidaysburg, PA 10/10/07 09/25/07 62277 Volt Technical Resources, LLC

(Comp)Loveland, CO 10/10/07 10/09/07 62278 GE Money

(Wkrs)Atlanta, GA 10/10/07 10/28/07 62279 Titan Tool (State) Oakland, NJ 10/10/07 09/19/07 62280 UCO Spining LP

(Comp)Snyder, TX 10/10/07 10/09/07 62281 Auburn Investment Castings Inc.

(Wkrs)Auburn, AL 10/10/07 09/21/07 62282 National Starch and Chemical Company

(Comp)Island Falls, ME 10/10/07 10/05/07 62283 Cordis Corporation (State) Miami Lakes, FL 10/11/07 10/10/07 62284 Parker Hannifin Corporation

(Wkrs)Eastlake, OH 10/11/07 10/03/07 62285 Carolina Textile Company, Inc.

(Comp)Dobson, NC 10/11/07 10/01/07 62286 Transco Products Corporation

(Wkrs)Linden, NJ 10/11/07 09/23/07 62287 Franklin Plastic Products, Inc.

(Comp)Franklin, IN 10/11/07 10/09/07 62288 Fiberweb

(Comp)Gray Court, SC 10/11/07 10/10/07 62289 Metal Powder Products

(Wkrs)St. Marys, PA 10/11/07 10/04/07 62290 Wachovia

(Wkrs)Charlotte, NC 10/11/07 10/09/07 62291 CompuMedics (State) Charlotte, NC 10/11/07 10/10/07 62292 Storeroom Solutions, Inc. (State) Little Rock, AR 10/12/07 10/11/07 62293 Truck Speciality Center

(UAW)Springfield, OH 10/12/07 10/12/07 62294 Allstar Pro LLC

(Comp)Downingtown, PA 10/12/07 10/10/07 62295 Temple-Inland Forest Products (State) Hope, AR 10/12/07 10/11/07 62296 Delphi Corporation #1

(Comp)Oak Creek, WI 10/12/07 10/03/07 62297 Delphi Corporation #2

(Comp)Oak Creek, WI 10/12/07 10/10/07 62298 Delphi Corporation #3

(UAW)Vandalia, OH 10/12/07 10/11/07 62299 GDX Automotive Inc. (State) Batesville, AR 10/12/07 10/11/07 62300 General Electric Mattoon Lamp Plant

(Comp)Mattoon, IL 10/12/07 09/25/07 [FR Doc. E7-20724 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-61,877] Family Entertainment dba Sherwood Forest Family Golf, Conyers, GA; Notice of Negative Determination Regarding Application for Reconsideration By application postmarked September 6, 2007, a petitioner requested administrative reconsideration of the Department's negative determination regarding eligibility for workers and former workers of the subject firm to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). The denial notice applicable to workers of Family Entertainment, dba Sherwood Forest Family Golf, Conyers, Georgia was signed on August 22, 2007 and published in the **Federal Register** on September 11, 2007 (72 FR 51845). Pursuant to 29 CFR 90.18(c) reconsideration may be granted under the following circumstances:

(1)If it appears on the basis of facts not previously considered that the determination complained of was erroneous;

(2)If it appears that the determination complained of was based on a mistake in the determination of facts not previously considered; or

(3)If in the opinion of the Certifying Officer, a misinterpretation of facts or of the law justified reconsideration of the decision. The TAA petition filed on behalf of workers at Family Entertainment, dba Sherwood Forest Family Golf, Conyers, Georgia engaged in activities related to the operation of an amusement park was denied because the petitioning workers did not produce an article within the meaning of section 222 of the Act. The petitioner contends that the Department erred in its interpretation of work performed at the subject facility as “activities related to operating an amusement park” and further conveys that workers of the subject firm were not employees of the amusement park, but were rather workers of the Marketing Division. A company official was contacted for clarification in regard to the nature of the work performed at the subject facility. The official stated that Family Entertainment, dba Sherwood Forest Family Golf, Conyers, Georgia operates an amusement park, where the following entertainment services are provided: putt-putt golf, a raceway of go-karts, bumper boats, bumper carts, batting cages and an arcade. The official clarified that Sherwood Forest does not use divisions and that employees of the subject firm “work counters at golf desk or concessions, operate rides by taking tickets, administering instructions, assisting patrons into moving rides and monitoring throughout the length of the ride.” The official further stated that two petitioning workers were hired as sales agents to try a new promotional program in August 2006. These employees sold Everything Goes passes and performed promotional activities for the amusement park by “handing out flyers to whomever they choose to solicit.” The official stated that even though these two workers were “on foot advertising/promotional type employees” and were not required to be stationary at the place of business, and were paid commission along with a salary, they were employees of Sherwood Forest Family Golf and performed services supporting business and activities of the amusement park. The petitioner further alleges that the petitioning workers “produced and mass produced items such as flyers, pamphlets, guides, rule books, manuals, instruction sets” etc. The petitioner stated that “he was in charge of production strategies/marketing of many promotional items”. The company official clarified that the petitioning workers “in no way produced, created, designed nor mass produced” any of the above mentioned articles for the subject firm. The official stated that Family Entertainment has a management team which completes all these tasks and that the petitioning workers were only in charge of the way they sold Everything Goes passes and distributed flyers. To support his allegations, the petitioner enclosed a copy of the Georgia Department of Labor Unemployment Claims Examiner's Determination which states that the reason behind the petitioner's separation from the subject firm was a lack of work, and a stub reflecting information concerning the final unemployment check. For the purposes of this investigation, these documents do not contain any evidence that the workers of the subject firm created an article and that there was a shift in production of an article by the subject firm abroad. The petitioner also enclosed various flyers, brochures, coupons, pass cards and promotional advertisements and stated that workers of the subject firm created and produced these articles. The company official verified that these pass cards, coupons and advertisements were designed by the subject firm's previous manager and were prepared and sent to a professional local printing company. The official further confirmed that the rest of the promotional material was typed as a word document and printed on a computer printer by the administrative staff of either Family Entertainment or another domestic company, Atlanta Cutlery. The administrative employees of the subject firm continue to perform these functions to support and promote business activities of the amusement park. The petitioner further alleges that the subject firm shifted production of the articles to India and “the fact that these articles are no longer produced here is the reason that we are no longer employed”. To support these allegations, the petitioner enclosed copies of handwritten “Weekly Sales Report” and “Business Contact Form” stating that the workers performed telemarketing calls and that these tasks are now performed in India. The company official stated that Family Entertainment dba Sherwood Forest did not shift any job functions to India and is not importing any articles from the foreign source. The official further stated that “the only relation Family Entertainment has with India is the fact that it is owned by a U.S. Citizen from India” and that the previous manager of the subject firm who is no longer affiliated with the company, resides in India with his family at the present time. The company official confirmed that the subject firm is in the business of entertainment services and whatever printed material might be designed or produced by the administrative staff of the subject firm as incidental to these services continues to be designed and produced by the subject firm or other domestic companies. The company official further stated that the petitioning workers were separated from the subject firm after the management evaluated the promotional program and made a decision to discontinue the program due to low profitability. In the request for reconsideration, the petitioner doubts the accuracy of the information provided by Family Entertainment. The Department has no evidence that would suggest that the officials of the Family Entertainment had any reason to mislead the investigation or that they had any interest in the outcome of this determination that might have been adverse to the former employees of the subject firm. Conclusion After review of the application and investigative findings, I conclude that there has been no error or misinterpretation of the law or of the facts which would justify reconsideration of the Department of Labor's prior decision. Accordingly, the application is denied. Signed at Washington, DC, this 16th day of October 2007. Elliott S. Kushner, Certifying Officer, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. [FR Doc. E7-20726 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-62,190] Steelcase Incorporated Grand Rapids, Michigan; Notice of Termination of Investigation Pursuant to section 221 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, an investigation was initiated on September 24, 2007 in response to a petition filed by a company official on behalf of workers at Steelcase Incorporated, Grand Rapids, Michigan. The petitioner has requested that the petition be withdrawn. Consequently, the investigation has been terminated. Signed in Washington, DC, this 12th day of October 2007. Linda G. Poole, Certifying Officer, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. [FR Doc. E7-20723 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-62,053] Sunrise Medical, Incorporated Devilbiss Healthcare Including On-Site Leased Workers of Kelly Services Somerset, PA; Amended Certification Regarding Eligibility To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance In accordance with section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2273), and section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974 (26 U.S.C. 2813), as amended, the Department of Labor issued a Certification of Eligibility to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance on October 10, 2007, applicable to workers of Sunrise Medical, Incorporated, Devilbiss Healthcare, Somerset, Pennsylvania. The notice will be published soon in the **Federal Register** . At the request of the State agency, the Department reviewed the certification for workers of the subject firm. The workers are engaged in the production of respiratory care products, such as compressor nebulizers, oxygen concentrators and aspirators. The review of the investigation record shows that the Department inadvertently excluded from the certification on-site leased workers from Kelly Services. Accordingly, the Department is amending this certification to include on-site leased workers from Kelly Services. The amended notice applicable to TA-W-62,053 is hereby issued as follows: All workers of Sunrise Medical, Incorporated, Devilbiss Healthcare, including on-site leased workers of Kelly Services, Somerset, Pennsylvania, who became totally or partially separated from employment on or after August 27, 2006, through October 10, 2009, are eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are also eligible to apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance under Section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974. Signed at Washington, DC, this 17th day of October 2007. Linda G. Poole, Certifying Officer, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. [FR Doc. E7-20727 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-61,530] Track Corporation Including On-Site Leased Workers of Forge Industrial Spring Lake, Michigan; Notice of Revised Determination on Reconsideration On June 18, 2007, the Department of Labor (Department) issued a Negative Determination Regarding Eligibility to Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance applicable to the Trade Adjustment Assistance

(TAA)and Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance

(ATAA)petition filed by a company official on behalf of workers and former workers of Track Corporation, Spring Lake, Michigan (subject firm). The Department's Notice of negative determination was published in the **Federal Register** on July 9, 2007 (72 FR 37266). The subject firm produces seat adjusters for the automotive industry and public seating for stadiums and theaters. Workers are separately identifiable by product line. The TAA/ATAA petition was filed on behalf of workers engaged in the production of seat adjusters. The negative determination was based on the Department's findings that the subject firm did not shift production of seat adjusters abroad and does not import seat adjusters. A survey revealed that the subject firm's major customer did not import seat adjusters during the relevant period. By letter dated July 16, 2007, a company official requested administrative reconsideration of the Department's negative determination. The request for reconsideration stated that the subject firm's major customer replaced subject firm purchases with imported seat adjusters. During the reconsideration investigation, the Department carefully reviewed the administrative file, contacted the company official for clarification, and contacted the subject firm's major customer for more information about its import purchases. Previously-submitted information revealed that subject firm sales, production, and employment levels declined during the relevant period. Information obtained during the reconsideration investigation revealed that the subject firm's major customer began using foreign-made seat adjusters in 2006 and replacing subject firm purchases with foreign-made seat adjusters during 2007. In accordance with section 246 the Trade Act of 1974 (26 U.S.C. 2813), as amended, the Department herein presents the results of its investigation regarding certification of eligibility to apply for ATAA. The Department has determined in this case that the group eligibility requirements of section 246 have been met. A significant number of workers at the firm are age 50 or over. Workers possess skills that are not easily transferable. Competitive conditions within the industry are adverse. Conclusion After careful review of the information obtained in the initial and reconsideration investigations, I determine that the subject workers are adversely-impacted by increased imports of articles like or directly competitive with those produced at the subject firm. In accordance with the provisions of the Act, I make the following certification: All workers of Track Corporation, including on-site workers of Forge Industrial, Spring Lake, Michigan, engaged in the production of seat adjusters, who became totally or partially separated from employment on or after May 16, 2006 through two years from the date of this certification, are eligible to apply for adjustment assistance under section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, and are eligible to apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance under section 246 of the Trade Act of 1974. Signed at Washington, DC this 23rd day of August 2007. Elliott S. Kushner, Certifying Officer, Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance. [FR Doc. E7-20725 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4510-FN-P MORRIS K. UDALL SCHOLARSHIP AND EXCELLENCE IN NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FOUNDATION Request for Comment on Draft Convening Report Regarding Negotiated Rulemaking and Bureau of Indian Affairs Funded School Facilities Repair, Renovation, & Construction AGENCY: United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, Morris K. Udall Foundation. ACTION: Notice of draft convening report and request for comment. SUMMARY: The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution invites comments on its draft convening report regarding Department of the Interior's

(DOI)Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)-funded school facilities construction as identified in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act). The draft report was prepared at the request of the DOI, BIA, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE). Such a convening report is described generally in the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-320, section 563(b). As a neutral, independent federal program, the U.S. Institute and its impartial contractor team, Consensus Building Institute

(CBI)conducted two-hundred

(200)interviews of people with an interest in BIA-funded school facilities construction. The purpose of the interviews was to explore the opportunities for, and barriers to, using negotiated rulemaking to develop regulations implementing the requirements of the NCLB Act related to BIA-funded school facilities. The draft report covers school facility topics identified from the NCLB Act: • Methods to catalog school facilities; • Determining formulas for priority and funding for school replacement construction and new construction • Determining formulas for priority and funding for school renovation and repair; • Facilities standards for home living (dormitory) situations. In the draft report, CBI identified several key themes from its interviews: • There is a strong willingness to go forward with a negotiated rulemaking, as it is required by statute. • Interviewees were supportive of negotiating to improve the fairness, efficiency and transparency of the funding formulas for all aspects of school facilities funding • There is a need to integrate the formal negotiation with less formal methods of consulting with the tribes who will not have seats at the table. CBI suggests a national workshop for all tribes with school facilities as part of the preparation for the negotiation process. This workshop could help identify options for the negotiating committee to work with. • Representation of the tribes on the negotiating committee is required by the NCLB Act to be roughly proportional to the percent of students each tribe has in the system. For the majority of tribes (i.e. beyond the top eleven for student population), there will need to be a process for sharing seats or otherwise developing representation structures. The draft convening report may be accessed at *http://www.cbuilding.org.* and at *http://www.ecr.gov.* This notice invites interested individuals, organizations and governments to review and offer comments that focus on the findings and recommendations presented draft convening report. DATES: Please submit comments on or before December 22, 2007. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods: • *E-mail: bie@cbuilding.org* . • *Fax:* 1-617-492-1919. • *Mail:* Consensus Building Institute; Attn: BIE Convening Draft Report Comment, 238 Main Street, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02142. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Field, Consensus Building Institute, 238 Main Street, Suite 400, Cambridge, MA 02142,

(617)492-1414 x118, *pfield@cbuilding.org* ; Sarah Palmer, Senior Program Manager, U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, 130 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701, phone

(520)901-8556, fax

(520)901-8557, *palmer@ecr.gov* ; Michele F. Singer, Director, Office of Regulatory Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary, Indian Affairs, 1001 Indian School Road, NW., Albuquerque, NM 87104, phone

(505)563-5415, fax

(505)563-3811, *michele_f_singer@ios.doi.gov* . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB Act) requires the Department of the Interior to use procedures set out in the Negotiated Rulemaking Act of 1996, Pub. L. 104-320, Section 563 when developing regulations to implement the NCLB Act's provisions regarding schools operated or funded by the BIA. BIA has used negotiated rulemaking to address six

(6)of the seven

(7)regulations required under the NCLB Act. DOI and BIA want to assess the feasibility of using the negotiated rulemaking process to develop the final rule, dealing with school construction and repair. In the fall of 2006 DOI sought assistance with this effort from the U.S. Institute, an independent impartial government entity with expertise in convening, assessment and alternative dispute resolution processes. In accordance with its statutory authority, the 1998 Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Act (Pub. L. 105-156, codified at 20 U.S.C. 5601 et seq.), the U.S. Institute conducted a convening assessment. For more information on the U.S. Institute, please visit *http://www.ecr.gov* . The U.S. Institute contracted with an independent, impartial convening team, the Consensus Building Institute (CBI), to carry out interviews and prepare a draft convening report. The scope of the draft convening report includes views on school facility topics identified from the NCLB Act and the opportunities of and barriers to negotiated rulemaking. To understand the range of perspectives on or interests in these topics, the convening team conducted 200 confidential interviews with tribal officials or their designees, representatives of BIA-funded or grant-funded tribal schools, and others with an interest in Bureau-funded school facilities construction on the following: • Interviewees' views on the substantive issues listed above; • Suggestions for how diverse geographic, size, and tribal interests can best be represented on a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; • Any concerns or barriers to the establishment of and successful execution of a Negotiated Rulemaking Committee on these topics; and • Consultative activities and potential approaches to consultation that the Bureau might undertake regarding these issues. The draft convening report reflects CBI findings and preliminary recommendations to DOI, BIA, and BIE based on these interviews. The draft report will be made available to all interviewees for comment. Upon receipt of comments, CBI and the U.S. Institute will consider all comments and prepare a final report for the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. All comments received on the draft will be made available to DOI, BIA, and BIE. The final report will also be made available to the interviewees, all interested tribes, and the general public via a Web site link. Authority: 20 U.S.C. 5601 *et seq* . Dated: October 16, 2007. Christopher L. Helms, Executive Director, Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation. [FR Doc. 07-5187 Filed 10-19-07; 8:45 am]

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