1000.174—How and when does the bureau respond to a request to negotiate?
(a)
Within 15 days of receiving a Tribe's/Consortium's request to negotiate, the bureau will take the steps in this section. If more than one bureau is involved, a lead bureau must be designated to conduct negotiations.
(b)
If the program is contained on the section 405(c) list, the bureau will identify the lead negotiator(s) and awarding official(s) for executing the AFA.
(c)
If the program is potentially of a special geographic, cultural, or historic significance to a Tribe/Consortium, the bureau will schedule a pre-negotiation meeting with the Tribe/Consortium as soon as possible. The purpose of the meeting is to assist the bureau in determining if the program is available for negotiation.
(1)
If the program is available for negotiation, the bureau will identify the lead negotiator(s) and awarding official(s); or
(2)
If the program is unavailable for negotiation, the bureau will give to the Tribe/Consortium a written explanation of why the program is unavailable for negotiation.