*Pages 1--3 from Microsoft Word - 40469* Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 INVITATION TO TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS TO CONSULT ON A DRAFT TRIBAL COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY PLAN AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS MANDATING INTEROPERABILITY IN PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS Scoping Document for American Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Villages June 18, 2004 The critical infrastructure of our Nation includes telecommunications and information systems. Telecommunications systems are vital to achieve homeland security and public safety objectives and to connect governments and communities. The Homeland Security mission of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is to evaluate and strengthen measures for protecting the Nation’s communications infrastructure; facilitate rapid restoration of that infrastructure in the event of disruption; and develop policies that promote access to effective communications services by public safety, public health, and other emergency personnel in emergency situations. To meet these objectives, the FCC announced its Homeland Security Action Plan (Action Plan) on July 10, 2003. One of the goals of the Action Plan is to work together with Tribes, Tribal organizations and leaders and other relevant federal government agencies develop a plan that tribes can use to assist in protecting communications infrastructure. As the FCC has certain trust responsibilities when dealing with federally- recognized Tribes, it is the responsibility of the FCC to consult with and assist Tribal governments on telecommunications matters. 1 In order to meet these important Homeland Security goals, the FCC has developed a Draft Tribal Communications Security Plan (Draft Plan) to assist Tribes as they plan to protect critical communications infrastructure on Tribal lands and inform Tribes of recent developments in federal Homeland Security policies that mandate nation- wide interoperability in public safety communications. Pursuant to the Action Plan, FCC staff began preparing the attached Draft Plan in the spring of 2004. This scoping document summarizes the Draft Plan and highlights potential subjects for Tribal consultation. The FCC invites and encourages Tribal consultation and participation in the finalization of this Draft Plan. I. Provisions of the Draft Tribal Communications Security Plan The first section outlines the FCC’s Homeland Security goals with respect to the Tribes, gives an overview of the organizational processes and policies which the FCC has drawn upon to create the Draft Plan and includes an executive summary of the Draft Plan. The second section is a step- by- step Draft Communications Vulnerabilities Assessment Worksheet (Worksheet), designed to assist Tribal Governments in planning for the physical protection of critical communications infrastructure in their communities. Drawing upon 1 See In the Matter of Statement of Policy on Establishing a Government- to- Government Relationship with Indian Tribes, 16 FCC Rcd. 4078 (2000). 1 forward to you and your Tribe’s involvement in this task as we work together to ensure that the nations of Indian Country enjoy the integration and benefits of a secure homeland. Tribal government representatives wishing to consult with the FCC on this Draft Plan may contact representatives of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, within the FCC’s Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau. Inquiries should be directed to Geoffrey Blackwell, Senior Attorney and Liaison to Tribal Governments, at 202- 418- 8192, geoffrey. blackwell@ fcc. gov; and Gayle Teicher, Senior Attorney, at 202- 418- 1515, gayle. teicher@ fcc. gov, and arrangements will be made for a consultation session on this matter. Please visit the FCC’s Tribal Initiatives website at www. fcc. gov/ indians for further information and updates. 3