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CIEA Environmental Chronicle - Vol. 54, Issue 1, December 2023

Monthly news of environmental issues affecting Indigenous Peoples

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1. Opening Remarks- Winter is coming.

CIEA would like to wish our relatives across California an early Happy Winter Solstice.

The CIEA office is open by appointment. Staff is still available via email and through out telephones.

Again, we are so happy to be able to provide you with monthly announcements about training, capacity building, Tribal Self-Advocacy and funding opportunities, as well as water related news. Readers are more than welcome to send information about upcoming events, training, or news that you think would be beneficial for other Tribal members in other regions to know to Joel Sedano at [log in to unmask]

2. Workshop Opportunity- Navigating State Funding: December 14, 2023

Does your system have a capital improvement project and you are trying to figure out where to start in the state funding process? In this class you will learn about the resources available to identify funding opportunities, the requirements of a state funding application and how to request assistance so your system is prepared to execute a funding agreement.

Participants will learn:
· How to request technical assistance and the types of assistance available
· Resources for identifying state funding opportunities
· What to expect when completing a funding application

The recommended audience includes managers, board members and operators.

To register, please hit the read more button below.

READ MORE:
https://www.events.rcac.org/assnfe/ev.asp?ID=3828

3. Public Comment Opportunity- Water Commission’s Draft White Paper on Drought Strategies: Due December 15, 2023

The public comment period for the California Water Commission’s draft white paper “Potential State Strategies for Protecting Communities and Fish and Wildlife in the Event of Drought” is open through December 15, 2023.

Public comments can be submitted to [log in to unmask]

The draft white paper can be viewed by hitting the read more button below.

Commission staff will consider feedback from the Commission and the public to produce a final draft of the white paper that will be submitted for Commission approval at the January 2024 meeting.

READ MORE:
https://bit.ly/3MvVnMk

4. Funding Opportunity- Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities: Due December 19, 2023

$45 million in funding is available for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Through this funding, NOAA will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to more fully participate in restoration activities.

Of the $45 million in funding available, $20 million is specifically available to U.S. federally recognized tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, and organizations that represent tribes through formal legal agreements, through direct awards or subawards:

A direct award is an award where the tribe is the applicant, receives an award from NOAA, and administers the award.
A subaward to a tribe is an award where a non-tribal applicant receives a direct award from NOAA, but provides a specific amount of funding to a tribe to carry out a portion of the award.
The remaining $25 million will be available to all eligible applicants, to support opportunities for tribes and underserved communities to meaningfully engage in coastal habitat restoration activities.

Proposals must be received through Grants.gov by 11:59 PM Eastern time on December 19, 2023. For more information, please hit the read more button to be redirected to NOAA's website where the info is housed.

READ MORE:
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/grant/coastal-habitat-restoration-and-resilience-grants-tribes-and-underserved-communities

5. Funding Opportunity- National Fish Passage Program Base Funding- Deadline: December 31, 2023.

For more info, please hit the read button below.

The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP) is a voluntary program that provides direct technical and financial assistance to partners to remove instream barriers and restore aquatic organism passage and aquatic connectivity for the benefit of Federal trust resources. In doing so, NFPP aims to maintain or increase fish populations to improve ecosystem resiliency and provide quality fishing experiences for the American people. Activities that restore fish passage also support the modernization of the country’s infrastructure such as road culverts, bridges, and water diversions contributing to enhanced community resilience to the impacts from climate change and other public safety hazards. NFPP funds a variety of project types including, but not limited to, dam removals, culvert replacements, floodplain restoration, and the installation of fishways. This funding is available through annual appropriations to the NFPP and is separate from NFPP funding provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law). The NFPP is delivered through the Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program (FAC) across all States and territories. FAC staff coordinate with project partners, stakeholders, and other Service programs to identify and collaboratively implement projects within regional priority areas. Project work plans are developed strategically, in coordination with partners, and with substantial involvement from FAC staff. Projects must be based upon sound scientific principles, advance the Service mission, and promote biological diversity. Applicants seeking funding under this program should contact the regional NFPP Coordinator that corresponds to the location of the project for additional information on regional priorities and coordination with FAC staff prior to applying for funding. Contacts are listed at end of this announcement. We use our staff and cooperative partnerships to provide: (1) information on habitat needs of fish and other aquatic species; (2) methods for fish to bypass barriers; (3) technical engineering support to develop or review project designs and recommend the most cost-effective techniques; (4) assistance to partners in planning and prioritizing fish passage projects; and (5) assistance in fulfilling environmental compliance requirements. Activities proposed under this award may include project planning and feasibility studies, engineering and design, permitting, on-the-ground fish passage restoration, near-term implementation monitoring, project outreach, and capacity to manage these project-related activities.

READ MORE:
https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/345976

6. Funding Opportunity- Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species: Due December 31, 2023

The AquaticNuisance Species Task Force (ANSTF) was established by the Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance Prevention and Control Act (NANPCA) of 1990, 16 U.S.C. 4721-28, as amended. The ANSTF serves to develop and implement a program for waters of the United States to prevent introduction and dispersal of ANS (also known as aquatic invasive species or AIS), monitor, control, and study such species,and disseminate relatedinformation.

Co-chaired by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ANSTF consists of Federal agency representatives and ex-officio representatives that work in conjunction with six regional panels and issue-specific subcommittees to coordinate efforts related to AIS across the Nation.Although prevention is the most cost-effective approach to eliminating or reducing the threat of invasive species, Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) serves as a failsafe when prevention measures are ineffective or unavailable.

The Department of the Interior (DOI or the Department) in coordination with federal agencies, states, tribes, territories, and other partners published “Safeguarding America’s Lands and Waters from Invasive Species – A National Framework for Early Detection and Rapid Response” in 2016. This report called for a focus on coordination and partnerships, science and technology, and strategic on-the-ground actions to detect invasive species that pose the greatest risk and swiftly respond to eradicate them before they establish, spread, and cause adverse impacts.

As part of strategically implementing funding made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, DOI identified advancing a National EDRR Framework as a priority and took steps to invest in supporting some of the institutional components of such a framework. To that end, DOI is working with partners to identify, enhance, and collaborate on EDRR activities, build new tools, and support coordinated processes to proactively find and eradicate new invasive species before they establish, spread, and cause harm. Specifics include identifying high risk invasive species and invasion hotspots across the nation to inform early detection efforts, developing molecular tools to aid detection capabilities, expanding capacity for on-the-ground rapid response actions, including the establishment of a pilot Rapid Response Fund for aquatic invasive species, and creating an online clearinghouse where managers can share current information to guide implementation.

The Rapid Response Fund addresses the need for readily available financial resources to assess and support response actions for quick containment or eradication of newly detected species. The Fund is a critical component of a National EDRR Framework and a priority need identified within the ANSTF’s Strategic Plan for 2020-2025 (Objective 3.3 https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ANSTF-Strategic-Plan-2020-2025.pdf). Accordingly the ANSTF’s Rapid Response Fund Working Group developed “The Model Process: Rapid Response Fund for Aquatic Invasive Species” (https://www.fws.gov/media/model-process-rapid-response-fund-aquatic-invasive-species) in 2023 to outline a structure and process for a Rapid Response Fund for AIS. This Notice of Funding Opportunity follows this process as detailed in the sections below. General information about the Fund and a list of Frequently Asked Questions can be found through the read more button below.

READ MORE:
https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-07/rapid-response-fund-aquatic-invasive-species

7. Public Comment Opportunity- EPA Seeks Comment on Draft Policy for Public Participation in Agency Decision-Making Processes- Deadline January 16, 2023

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the release of the draft policy, Achieving Health and Environmental Protection Through EPA’s Meaningful Involvement Policy, that outlines updates on how the Agency will engage with the public and provide meaningful public involvement in all of its programs and regions. This policy is grounded in the acknowledgment that EPA's actions further strengthen health and environmental protections when they are informed by individuals with lived experience.

This draft policy updates EPA’s 2003 Public Involvement Policy, and incorporates lessons learned over the past twenty years as it has worked to promote an agency-wide approach to providing meaningful involvement opportunities. EPA will apply the draft policy to all national program and regional actions that may benefit from public input. The draft policy describes 3 steps for meaningful involvement:

Identifying the decision(s) in an EPAaction that may be influenced by public input,
Using the public participation spectrum, and
Using the public participation model.

The draft policy will be available for a 60-day public comment period, ending on January 16, 2024.

Tribes may request consultation regarding this policy by January 5, 2024, by visiting EPA’s Tribal Consultation Tracking Opportunities System (TCOTS) website.

Comments can be submitted via:
Emailing: [log in to unmask];
Submit the contact us form: https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/forms/epas-meaningful-involvement-policy-public-comment-submission
The draft policy docket: EPA-HQ-OEJECR-2023-0326at regulations.gov.

For more information, please hit the read more button below. If you have questions, please contact [log in to unmask]

READ MORE:
https://www.epa.gov/environmentaljustice/epas-meaningful-involvement-policy

8. Funding Opportunity- NAPECA Grant Program to Empower Indigenous Peoples and Enhance Climate Adaptation by Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge: Deadline- January 18, 2024

The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) is calling for applications for the new cycle of the North American Partnership for Environmental Community Action (NAPECA) grant program. This year’s call for proposals is aimed at organizations supporting environmental initiatives that will involve and empower Indigenous Peoples and communities and enhance climate adaptation by respectfully applying and protecting Indigenous knowledge systems.

The CEC recognizes the importance of working with Indigenous Peoples and communities—the original guardians and caretakers of territories in Canada, Mexico and the United States and whose environmental knowledge and practices, and unique perspectives are increasingly recognized, both at local and international levels, in many places today.

The 2024–2026 NAPECA grant cycle will support projects and partnerships that are led by or promote the active participation of Indigenous governments, organizations, communities and individuals, in full recognition of Indigenous rights and the importance of Indigenous Knowledge in environmental decision-making, including climate adaptation.

Information on the application process and the selection criteria are available in the call for proposals. The deadline for submitting proposals is 18 January 2024 (5:00 p.m. EST) and projects will begin in June 2024.

The CEC encourages applicants to submit proposals up to C$185,000. Eligible applicants are tribal nations, Indigenous Peoples and communities, entities which are incorporated as non-profit organizations, and academia in Canada, Mexico or the United States. There is no requirement that the proposed project necessarily be implemented in Indigenous communities. Rather, the requirement is that the project be implemented in collaboration and partnership with one or more Indigenous partners.

Eligible projects could address topics such as:

the sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems through Indigenous knowledge systems and practices
reducing habitat loss to conserve biodiversity and land
strengthening climate action to achieve a low-carbon emission economy (considering scientific, technical and Indigenous Knowledge)
improving air quality
improving community support networks for times of crisis
implementing nature-based solutions
Priority will be given to long-term environmental solutions that can demonstrate, through qualitative and/or quantitative indicators, a direct impact on communities, their well-being and health, their territories and capacities to address and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

To apply for the NAPECA grant program, get more information, or learn about previous grant recipients, please hit the read more button below.

For any questions, please contact [log in to unmask]