The purpose of this Guidance is to provide Indian tribes with a solid understanding of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and to help restore their sovereign right to participate in and affect the decisions and actions of the federal government. Each year, thousands of federally approved, permitted, or financed land-use actions take place with potentially adverse effects on tribal resources. Urban growth, suburban sprawl, forestry, mining, agriculture, and industrial activities are only a few of the threats to tribal resources. Unchecked, such activities can seriously impair the cultural foundation, political integrity, economic security, health, and safety of tribal lands, resources, and families. Created by the Tulalip Tribe, it covers all Tribal Governments including Alaska tribal governments.

It is with great honor that our Tribal Caucus, the elected tribal leaders of the Region 10 RTOC committee serve the 271 tribes in our Region: Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington States. We have partnered with Water Policy Pathways to compile this handbook to assist tribes and villages in understanding the Clean Water Act. We hope that this handbook provides a means for your tribes and village governments to use the power of the Act to help protect the waters that sustain us. As we all know well, Water Is Life.