EPA released the revised EPA Policy on Consultation with Indian Tribes, which establishes national guidelines for consultation across the agency, and the companion Guidance for Discussing Tribal Treaty or Similar Rights.
In 1984, EPA became one of the first federal agencies to develop a policy for interacting with Tribal governments, laying out how to consider Tribal interests in carrying out its programs to protect human health and the environment. In 2011, EPA was among the first federal agencies to issue a Tribal consultation policy and has since conducted more than 900 Tribal consultations. In 2016, EPA developed the Guidance for Discussing Tribal Treaty Rights, the first of its kind for any federal agency. The current revisions were initiated by President Biden’s January 26, 2021 Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships and informed by the November 30, 2022 Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation.
To learn more about consultation with EPA, please visit:
- The national Consultation with Tribes web page
- The national press release
- EPA Region 10’s Consultation and Coordination with Tribes web page, which includes a list of current consultation opportunities relevant to Tribes in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
- The Tribal Consultation Opportunities Tracking System (TCOTS), which lists all EPA consultation opportunities for tribal governments and Alaska Native Corporations
Recent Comments