NEPA in Indian Country Workshop August 17 & 18 in Denver

[NaepcA1]

Workshop on the Strategic Application of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in Indian Country

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) can be an important part of federal agency consultation with Indian tribes. However, effective tribal participation in the NEPA process requires an awareness of the workings and procedural requirements of NEPA, technical expertise, knowledge of the broad range of tribal environmental, social, cultural, health and safety interests that may be affected by federal programs and activities and a strategy that links NEPA responses to other legal and statutory requirements such as the federal-Indian trust doctrine, treaty rights, AIRFA, NAGPRA, etc. This Workshop will provide practical instruction and assistance to inform tribal decision-makers on: the requirements and latest developments in NEPA compliance and litigation; the role of tribal, federal and state regulators in the NEPA process. Additionally, instead of viewing NEPA only as a shield to protect tribal interests from the encroachments of a proposed Federal activity, the workshop will also suggest strategies to use NEPA as a sword to advance tribal interests. The workshop instruction views NEPA not simply as a process, but as a way to help tribes achieve development that is culturally appropriate, economically sustainable, environmentally sound, and supportive of the tribes' political integrity and the tribes' social fabric.

On August 17-18, the International Institute for Indigenous Resource Management will conduct a workshop on the Strategic Application of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in Indian Country