News Releases from Headquarters

EPA Supports 2020 Tribal Lands and Environment Forum; Registration Closes August 3

WASHINGTON (July 28, 2020) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to announce the first virtual Tribal Lands and Environment Forum scheduled from Monday, August 17 through Thursday, August 20, 2020. We hope many tribal members across the country will take advantage of the free registration by the August 3 deadline.

“EPA continues to listen to and engage our tribal partners across the nation and support the training needs of tribal environmental professionals.” said EPA Assistant Administrator Peter Wright. “Participating in this important event is an annual highlight for me and I commend the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals for their work to make this first virtual production of this event robust with live interactive discussions and plenary sessions.”

Earlier this year, EPA’s Office of Land and Emergency Management awarded the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at Northern Arizona University a $2,450,000 five-year cooperative agreement to support, strengthen, and expand resources to Native American tribes and Alaska Native Villages. This agreement provides resources relating to solid and hazardous waste, resource conservation, brownfields, Superfund, underground storage tanks and emergency response programs. The agreement also provides support to the national Tribal Waste and Response Steering Committee, the Tribal Superfund Working Group, and supports the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum.

ITEP was established at Northern Arizona University in 1992 in cooperation with EPA. ITEP facilitates the collaboration of tribal governments, research and technical resources at Northern Arizona University with federal, state and local governments, and the private sector to support environmental protection in Indian country.

With more than 570 federally recognized tribes in the United States and 55 million acres of tribal lands spread throughout the country, the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum serves as a common training opportunity for tribal environmental professionals across the nation to meet the needs of their communities.

For more information about the 2020 Tribal Lands and Environment Forum and to register for the event, please visit: https://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Conferences/confr_tlef