Udall Foundation and U.S. EPA Partner to Host a Virtual Dialogue on Intergovernmental Relations in NEPA Processes
Posted:
8/29/2022
Please find current agendas and speaker biographies here:
The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation’s (Udall Foundation) John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution (National Center) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) Office of Environmental Justice will convene a virtual dialogue to explore collaboration between Federal agencies, Tribal Nations, and Indigenous Peoples, including tools and approaches that may enhance partnerships between Tribal Nations and the Federal Government in the context of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) implementation. The dialogue, scheduled for September 8, 2022, is titled, “Intergovernmental Relations in NEPA Processes: Tools, Resources, and Considerations for Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples Working with Federal Agencies.”
This is the third event in the National Center’s NEPA Next 50: Reflections on the National Environmental Policy Act series and complements the “Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples Engagement in NEPA: Challenges and Best Practices” webinar, which was held on June 29, 2022, and is part of the U.S. EPA Environmental Justice Webinar Series for Tribes and Indigenous Peoples.
Event Overview
NEPA was signed into law on January 1, 1970, establishing a national policy for environmental protection and becoming a cornerstone of environmental legislation in the United States. More than 50 years later, NEPA remains one of the most consequential environmental laws in the Nation’s history and a standard for assessing impacts and engaging Federal partners, Tribal Nations, Indigenous Peoples, other stakeholders, and the public in major Federal actions.
While NEPA remains fundamentally similar today compared to when it was signed into law, its application has evolved over time. Shifting national priorities, brought on by changing societal and environmental dynamics, have led to an evolution of NEPA approaches and strategies, including a greater focus at this time on equitable and just processes and improved collaboration. However, while NEPA seeks to facilitate effective collaboration and meaningful engagement of affected partners, Federal agencies have an opportunity to further strengthen relations with Tribal Nations and engender meaningful dialogue with Indigenous Peoples to ensure their concerns are integrated into the NEPA process and to empower opportunities for shared stewardship of critical resources and informed decision-making. A refined approach to NEPA could help overcome historic and procedural barriers to robust and meaningful collaboration with Tribal Nations, their citizens, and other Indigenous Peoples and to realize increasingly just project outcomes and decision-making processes that address critical Tribal and Indigenous Peoples’ needs and interests.
This event will include a panel presentation and a facilitated dialogue between NEPA practitioners and policy experts from Tribal Nations, Native American and Alaska Native nonprofit organizations, Federal agencies, and other relevant entities to identify opportunities to enhance collaboration and engender shared stewardship in the NEPA process. The discussions will explore a variety of collaboration tools and approaches along with intergovernmental processes, such as Government-to-Government Consultation, that support meaningful dialogue and strengthen partnerships between Tribal Nations and the Federal Government in the management of natural and cultural resources. Dialogue participants will have opportunities to actively contribute to discussions and interact with presenters.
Registration Information
Tribal environmental professionals, Tribal natural resources management professionals, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Federal NEPA practitioners, and agency representatives are invited to attend this complimentary dialogue session. Space at the forum is limited; interested participants are encouraged to register as soon as possible using the link below.
Intergovernmental Relations in NEPA Processes: Tools, Resources, and Considerations for Tribal Nations and Indigenous Peoples Working with Federal Agencies
September 8, 2022
9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Pacific (12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Eastern)
Virtual Dialogue Via Zoom
Click to Register
More Information
For more information, please contact Lauren Cordova at cordova@udall.gov or (202) 540-1042.
About the Udall Foundation
The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on this Nation’s environment, public lands, and natural resources, and his support of the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to also honor Stewart L. Udall for his half century of distinguished national leadership in environmental and Native American policy. The agency is known today as the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
The Udall Foundation is authorized by Congress to:
- Award Scholarships, Fellowships, and Internships for study in fields related to the environment and to Native Americans and Alaska Natives in fields related to health care and Tribal public policy.
- Connect youth to the Nation’s public lands and natural resources to foster greater understanding, appreciation, stewardship, and enjoyment of those lands and resources through photography, positive outdoor experiences, and environmental education through the Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® Program.
- Provide funding to the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy to conduct policy research and outreach on the environment and related themes.
- Provide funding to the Udall Center’s Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy for research, education, and outreach on Native American and Alaska Native health care issues and Tribal public policy issues.
- Provide funding through the Udall Center to The University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections to serve as the repository for the papers of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall and other such public papers as may be appropriate and assure such papers’ availability to the public.
- Provide impartial collaboration, consensus-building, training, and conflict resolution services on a wide range of environmental, natural and cultural resources, Tribal, and public lands issues, conflicts, and disputes involving the Federal Government through the John S. McCain III National Center for Environmental Conflict Resolution.
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