On January 14, 2021, NCAI’s Tribal Food Sovereignty Advancement Initiative (TFSAI) released its tribal food sovereignty and food production resource directory. Developed in close collaboration with NCAI’s organizational partners, this resource directory provides a comprehensive collation of relevant funding resources, technical assistance, and other sources of support available to individual Native food producers and tribal nations and organizations as they work to establish, grow, and sustain their food production, sovereignty, and security efforts.

To watch a webinar overview of the directory, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ti2unWRN29I&feature=youtu.be.

To read the just-released Tribal Food Sovereignty and Food Production Resource Directory, please click here: https://www.ncai.org/fooddirectory.pdf.
NCAI contact: Sadie Red Eagle, Research Associate, Tribal Governance and Special Projects, [log in to unmask]

Dear Tribal Representative:
Happy New Year! I wish this letter finds you and your tribal nation well, especially during these trying times.

The drought of 2012-2016 presented unprecedented challenges to water supply and demands throughout California. As a result, our staff made hard decisions to curtail water deliveries to water right holders. Droughts are expected to be more frequent in light of climate change and we strive to be better prepared. As part of this preparation, we held listening sessions where interested parties shared their reflections on the water rights activities of the last drought and recommendations for future droughts. Our conversations to date resulted in the attached draft report.

The State Water Board recognizes the value of tribal voices in this discussion, but when we started this effort there were simultaneous emergencies that made engagement difficult and we were unable to get tribal input prior to creating this draft report. We are dedicated to continuing our outreach to tribal governments and will revise the draft report to include comments and recommendations from tribes as they become available. We invite you to the conversation in any of the following ways:

1. Meet with the Deputy Director of the Division of Water Rights for a 90-minute listening session on water rights drought activities.

2. Review the attached report and provide additional recommendations or insights on the water rights activities of the last drought by March 1, 2021.

3. Other format that you prefer, such as attending one of your meetings for a robust discussion.

We also invite you to the State Water Board meeting where we will be presenting the report to the Board. No decisions will be made on this item, but it is an opportunity to learn more about this process and provide questions. This date is tentatively set for February 16, 2021.

Should you have any comments or questions regarding the contents of this letter, or would like to stay informed, please contact Jessica Bean. Her contact information is below.

I look forward to receiving a response by March 1, 2021 and for continued collaboration on water rights activities.

Sincerely,
Erik Ekdahl, Deputy Director
Division of Water Rights
State Water Resources Control Board

Point of Contact:
Jessica Bean, Assistant Director
Office of Public Participation
State Water Resources Control Board Email: [log in to unmask]

Cc:
Adriana Renteria, Tribal Liaison

Michael Ben Ortiz, Office of Public Participation
Jenalyn Guzman, Office of Public Participation
Conny Mitterhofer, Division of Water Rights Attachments:

The WARDER Project Draft Report can be found by hitting the read more button below.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Signup period, which had previously been announced as ending on Feb. 12, 2021. USDA will continue to accept offers as it takes this opportunity for the incoming Administration to evaluate ways to increase enrollment. Under the previous Administration, incentives and rental payment rates were reduced resulting in an enrollment shortfall of over 4 million acres. The program, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provides annual rental payments for 10 to 15 years for land devoted to conservation purposes, as well as other types of payments.

Before the General CRP signup period ends, producers will have the opportunity to adjust or resubmit their offers to take advantage of planned improvements to the program.

“The Conservation Reserve Program provides a tremendous opportunity to address climate change both by retiring marginal cropland and by restoring grasslands, wetlands, and forests,” said Robert Bonnie, Deputy Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary. “CRP has a 35-year track record of success beyond just climate benefits, by providing income to producers, improving water quality, reducing erosion, and supporting wildlife habitat and the hunting and fishing opportunities that go along with it. By extending this signup period, we’ll have time to evaluate and implement changes to get this neglected program back on track.”

As one of the largest private-lands conservation programs in the United States, CRP provides both economic and conservation benefits by taking land out of agricultural production. Program successes include:

· Sequestering in soils and plants over 12 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or about the same amount that the entire state of Delaware emits annually.

· Preventing more than 2 billion tons of soil from being blown away by wind erosion over the life of currently enrolled acres.

· Reducing phosphorous reaching streams by almost 85 million pounds, nitrogen by nearly 450 million pounds, and sediment by over 160 million tons in 2020 alone.

· Creating more than 2.3 million acres of restored wetlands while protecting more than 177,000 stream miles with riparian forest and grass buffers, enough to go around the world seven times.

· Establishing over a half million acres of dedicated pollinator habitat and nearly 15 million more acres of diverse plantings that provide forage for pollinators.

· Increasing populations of ducks and other game birds, prairie chickens, and such grassland songbirds as Baird’s Sparrow. CRP in the Northern Great Plains supports an estimated 8.6% of the grassland bird population.

· Increasing habitat that supports economic opportunities, such as job creation, related to hunting and fishing activities.

This signup for CRP gives producers an opportunity to enroll land for the first time or re-enroll land under existing contracts that will be expiring Sept. 30, 2021. All interested producers, including those on Indian reservations and with trust lands, are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for more information.

All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including those that restrict in-person visits or require appointments. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel, and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors are also required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Our program delivery staff will continue to work with our producers by phone, email, and using online tools.
More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus.

The National Transit Institute (NTI) has opened registration for virtual offerings of the Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators course. The course will provide transit bus operators with prevention strategies to reduce the likelihood of assault incidents. Prevention strategies focus on communication and response skills, the value of reporting incidents, and the importance of seeking assistance to reduce the risk of assault incidents.

Course Dates
Thursday, February 18, 2021, 1:00-4:30 pm ET
Thursday, February 25, 2021, 1:00-4:30 pm ET
Thursday, March 4, 2021, 1:00-4:30 pm ET
*Additional courses may be offered based on demand.

Register for the Assault Awareness and Prevention for Transit Operators virtual course through the Rutgers Continuing Studies Course Catalog & Registration System by creating a new account or logging into your existing account. Course registration questions? Contact NTI at [log in to unmask] or (848) 932-1700 or. For FTA safety training offerings, contact [log in to unmask]

1. Completing the Electronic Annual Report
Tuesday, February 16th
2:00pm | Register Here: https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=2362

2. Drought Contingency Planning & Water Loss (Part 1 & 2)
Tuesday, February 23rd
Part 1 | 10:00am | Register Here: https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=2368

Part 2 | 2:00pm | Register Here: https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=2369

3. Asset Management & Capital Improvement Planning (Part 1 & 2)
Wednesday, February 24th
Part 1 | 10:00am | Register Here: https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=2370

Part 2 | 2:00pm | Register Here: https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=2371

Presentation 1—Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) (Presented by Anne Lausier and Iliriana Mushkolaj, EPA's OW). EPA’s new Lead and Copper Rule Revision (LCRR) strengthens every aspect of the Lead and Copper Rule to better protect children and communities from the risks of lead exposure. The rule aims to better protect children at schools and childcare facilities, get the lead out of our nation’s drinking water, and empower communities through information. This presentation will provide the technical details of the LCRR.

Presentation 2—Chemistry of Lead Corrosion and Release (Presented by Simoni Triantafyllidou, EPA's ORD). Corrosion and solubility control the release of lead from legacy lead pipes and other leaded plumbing material into drinking water. Key water quality parameters, such as pH, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, disinfectants, and corrosion inhibitors, interact with leaded materials in complex ways. This presentation will provide the basic principles of lead corrosion/solubility and updates to practical understanding based on technical support efforts.

Presentation 3—Copper Corrosion: Copper Release to Pitting Attack (Presented by Darren Lytle, EPA's ORD). The release of copper from distribution materials is an important issue for drinking water systems from a health and regulatory perspective. Furthermore, the problem of excessive localized or pitting corrosion is typically not associated with elevated copper levels or regulatory considerations but can be a major financial burden and inconvenience to homeowners. This presentation will discuss factors that influence both copper corrosion concerns and present strategies to minimize each.

To register for the webinar, please hit the read more button below.

To register, please hit the read more button.

The U.S. EPA announcement on applying for free technical assistance for Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) Program grant opportunities. Application deadline is Wednesday, March 31, 2021, with up to $100,000.00 . This is one way of assessing and/or cleaning up hazardous waste sites on Tribal lands.

A Targeted Brownfields Assessment (TBA) is a technical service provided by EPA to conduct an all-appropriate inquiry Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) and/or Phase II ESA which documents environmental conditions at a property under consideration for redevelopment. The TBA can also be used to evaluate vari­ous cleanup alternatives, costs and reuse planning. EPA’s environmental consultants will conduct the TBA. The TBA program is offered by EPA at no cost to eligible public and non-profit entities interested in redeveloping abandoned or underutilized property that may be contaminated by hazardous substances, petroleum, drug laboratories, or mining wastes.

The program is voluntary and is designed to evaluate environmental conditions at Brownfields properties as a step towards cleanup and redevelopment of these properties.

For more information, please hit the read more button below to be redirected to the U.S. EPA website where the info is housed.

In collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Sitka Tribe of Alaska, U.S. EPA is hosting a three-part webinar series on the impacts of marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) and their toxins. Registration is free.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

· Listen to and talk with Tribes from across the country about their experiences addressing the impacts of HABs and their toxins in fresh and marine waters.

· Learn about strategies to build tribal capacity for effectively collecting baseline data on HABs.

· Ask national experts about data collection, funding, outreach, and other HABs management needs.

For questions or more information, please send an email to [log in to unmask]

To register, please hit the read more button below.

To register, please hit the read more button.