Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee

 

Serving Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

Learn more about Region 10 RTOC in this short video.

Tribes & Villages

AK Natives & American Indians in Region 10 (2010 Census)

Seeking to Appoint 2 Alternates for NTOC

Western WA/Western OR Russ Hepfer, Vice Chairman of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe is seeking to appoint an alternate to serve with him on the EPA National Tribal Operations Committee, and welcomes you contact him, or the Region 10 Tribal Consortium Executive Director, Randi Madison with any questions or to express your interest. Email Russell

Eastern WA/Eastern OR/Idaho Lee Juan Tyler, Chairman of the Shoshone Bannock Tribes is also seeking to appoint an alternate to serve with him on the EPA National Tribal Operations Committee, and welcomes you to contact him, or the Region 10 Tribal Consortium Executive Director, Randi Madison with any questions or to express your interest. Email Lee Juan

Join us May 1-3, 2024 for the Region 10 Summit!

Target Audience: Tribal Leaders and IGAP Staff, but open to all!

“Strength in Knowledge, Power in Action: Capacity Building for Tribal Environmental Leadership” Summit, hosted by EPA Region 10 RTOC.

This year’s summit promises to be a truly immersive and engaging experience, unlike any before. By joining us, you’ll not only gain invaluable insights and practical strategies for addressing the environmental challenges facing tribal nations but also forge lasting connections with fellow leaders who share your commitment to protecting our natural resources and preserving our cultural heritage.

Happening Now

Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management March 26-29

Going to ATCEM? The Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management will be held in person March 26-29 in Anchorage. Hosted by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, the conference includes multiple tracks, from community development to solid and hazardous waste. See below for descriptions of just a few of the many sessions you might consider attending!

If you would like to attend but the conference isn’t in your current work plan and budget, please contact your EPA Tribal Coordinator.

2024 UCUT / T&H Transboundary Mining Conference

The Central Council of Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida) is thrilled to invite you to attend the third annual UCUT Transboundary Mining Conference in Dzantik’i Heeni (Juneau, Alaska).

  • August 26 & 27 for Tribal and First Nation representatives
  • August 28 – 30 for all registrants

Please find the formal invitation here. Registration is open and travel information is included. The agenda is evolving, and we look forward to updating the Eventbrite page with more details in the weeks to come.

Tribal Underground Storage Tank Boot Camp Workshop – June 4-6

Gas stations can be a significant hub for Tribal communities. They are often critical infrastructure when disasters hit, and they can be found in many tracts of land Tribes are trying to remediate. The Oneida Nation is offering a Tribal Underground Storage Tank (UST) Boot Camp, which will help participants assess, inspect, and evaluate the many aspects of USTs. The workshop will be held in person in Arlington, TX. Limited travel assistance is available.

SOAR Conference (Solid Waste) – April 15-18

Hosted by the Solid Waste Association of North America, the Sustainability, Operations, Action, and Resources (SOAR) Conference will cover solid waste topics such as collection and transfer of waste, planning and management, landfill operations and landfill gas management, and safety. The conference is intended for solid waste decision-makers, supervisors and managers, technicians, and operational staff. It will be held in person in Phoenix, AZ.

EPA Standards to Protect Communities from Chemical Accidents

EPA recently announced publication of the “Safer Communities by Chemical Accident Prevention Rule,” which is designed to protect at-risk communities from chemical accidents, especially those located near facilities in industry sectors with high accident rates. The rule includes EPA’s most protective safety provisions for chemical facilities in history. The final rule includes revisions to improve chemical process safety to assist in planning, preparing for, and responding to accidents, and to increase public awareness of chemical hazards at regulated sources. EPA’s accompanying public data tool also allows people to access information about industrial facilities in nearby communities.

NEW! EPA’s Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs

EPA’s new Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will work to improve environmental stewardship and economic opportunity for America’s farmers and ranchers, as well as strengthen the vitality of small towns and rural communities. Activities will including developing science-based solutions that protect the environment while ensuring a vibrant and productive agricultural system; reducing nutrients and water pollutants from Animal Feeding Operations; and  collaborating with small, underserved towns and rural communities that are seeking federal investments in infrastructure upgrades and other community improvement opportunities.

Bullitt Prize – Applications due June 1, 2024

The Bullitt Foundation’s mission is to safeguard the natural environment by promoting responsible human activities and sustainable communities in the Pacific Northwest. The $100,000 Bullitt Prize is given annually to an individual or collaborative group based in Washington State or the Pacific Northwest region whose work influences Washington. Recipients must be 35 years old or younger, and they must have shown leadership in academia, their profession, or grassroots efforts that conTribute to the environmental movement. The objective is to enhance and diversify the leadership within the environmental movement by supporting emerging leaders who are dedicated to conservation and environmental justice initiatives in the Pacific Northwest. The award includes a total of $100,000, disTributed over two years. Applications opened on March 1.

Smoke Management in the Northwest: EPA Conference – June 11-13

This annual meeting, hosted by EPA Region 10 and a team of partners, provides an opportunity for air quality, land management, public health, academia, community, and other professionals to collaborate on wildfire smoke and related issues. The agenda will include information and discussion on the latest policies, tools, resources, and smoke management approaches, with a focus on identifying opportunities for collaboration and coordination. The conference will be held in person in Seattle and virtually.

How We Cook: Reducing Indoor Pollution

Gas stoves can be a significant source of indoor pollution. Learn what you can do to improve air quality in your home:

Alaska Sea Grant Community Engaged Fellowship – Apply by April 1

Alaska Sea Grant is accepting applications from students interested in becoming fellows, and from municipal, state, federal and Tribal agencies as well as business interest groups and nonprofits interested in mentoring in 2024. Projects should be based in coastal communities and may have research, outreach, education or communication themes. The Community Engaged Fellowships program aims to broaden participation in coastal and marine sciences and related fields in order to make them inclusive and representative of the many cultures, ethnicities and identities of students in Alaska.

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society National Conference – May 13-16

The Native American Fish and Wildlife Society supports the exchange of information and management techniques related to self-determined tribal fish and wildlife management. The next national conference will be held in May in Welch, MN.

  • Call for Abstracts: Natural resource professionals and college students are invited to submit abstracts focused on research or projects related to natural resource management, fish/wildlife biology, forestry, ecology, Indigenous Traditional Knowledge / Traditional Ecological Knowledge, conservation biology, human-dimensions, environmental law, conservation law, watershed science, etc. by March 1.
  • Travel Funding: Apply for travel funding by March 1. 
  • Register: Early Bird Registration ends April 12.

EPA’s Equity Action Plan

On February 14, EPA released the 2023 update to its Equity Action Plan, part of the Agency’s efforts to implement President Biden’s Executive Order, “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” Following engagement with community stakeholders, EPA identified eight priority strategies, four continuing and four new:

  • Improve access for communities to federal assistance
  • Reduce cumulative impacts and health disparities
  • Strengthen our civil rights compliance program
  • Protect children from exposures to environmental harms
  • Address inequitable access to resources for rural communities
  • Ensure public access to EPA programs and address environmental harms for people with disabilities
  • Strengthening community-based participatory science to achieve environmental equity
  • Improve data and analytic capacity to better identify and remove barriers.

For up-to-date information about environmental justice funding opportunities, events, and webinars, subscribe to EPA’s Environmental Justice listserv by sending a blank email to join-epa-ej@lists.epa.gov.

We Have the Power to Impact Our Future, and We’re Doing Something About It

Advising on Environmental Policy

The RTOC contracts with an Environmental Lawyer who assists our committee in analyzing and understanding environmental policies, law, federal comments and consultations. The RTOC Policy Advisor takes direction from the RTOC Chairman and committee to draft comments on behalf of our committee, and to make those comments available on our website for all tribes. 

Protecting Our Way of Life

Nobody knows better about how to protect our way of life than those who are actively living within tribal communities. Since our region is spread out over 4 states and thousands of miles, we utilize technology to help us become aware of the needs of those we serve. Each representative holds a virtual town hall meeting to get input from constituent tribes about the environmental matters closest to them. We encourage all tribal leaders and environmental staff to attend these community building meetings, where they can learn from others and be heard.

Elevating Tribes as Original Guardians

Our committee recognizes Indigenous people as the original guardians of mother earth. Drawing upon thousands of years of Indigenous Knowledge, we work now within both traditional and western systems to continue our guardianship. The RTOC counts on the 271 Tribes in our region to keep us up to date with current environmental issues affecting tribal communities. We have advanced tribal concerns directly to Region 10 EPA Administration. Likewise, the NTOC (National Tribal Operations Committee) relies on all the regional RTOCs to elevate certain issues to the American Indian Environmental Office in Washington, DC, and to the National EPA Administrators.

Engaging with Tribal Leaders

Our representatives each garner topics and issues of importance from the tribes in their representative outreach areas to guide our official comments and direct our committee. Each year we host a Tribal Environmental Leaders Summit (TELS) where Tribal Council members and Environmental staff gather to discuss issues of environmental concern to tribes. 

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