Summary
of Mid Pacific's Region Native American Program
Highlights
in Fiscal Year 2004
In 2005, the Mid-Pacific Region's Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program provided $370,000 in funding assistance to five federally recognized tribes for a variety of water resource needs. The projects ranged from water quality assessments for drinking water, ecosystems and fisheries, to water contamination studies. The federally recognized tribes assisted in 2005 were the Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe, South Fork Band Council of the Te-Moak Western Shoshone Indians, Duckwater Shoshone Tribe, Klamath Tribes (Klamath, Modoc, and Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians), and the Elko, Battle Mountain South Fork and Wells Bands of Te-Moak Western Shoshone Indians, whom selected Reclamation (MP-700) as its consultant to develop a Water Resource Management Plan for the four Bands.
CALFED (now known as the California Bay-Delta Authority) Tribal activities in 2005 included MP Region Division of Resources Management Native American Affairs Office's (Office) participation with federally recognized California tribes in information meetings specifically for tribes on (1) Upper San Joaquin River Basin Storage Investigation including a public scoping meeting hosted by the Table Mountain Rancheria, (2) North-of-the-Delta Offstream Storage Investigation and (3) Shasta Lake Water Resources Investigation .
The North-of-the-Delta meeting exclusively benefited the Grindstone Rancheria, and the Cortina Rancheria, Colusa Rancheria, and Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, all of whom have an interest in the Investigation and have recently renewed grants with Reclamation to study potential benefits and impacts of North-of-the-Delta to Indian trust assets.
The Shasta Lake tribal meetings have included the Pit River Tribe and the Redding Rancheria. The Colusa, Cortina, Paskenta, Enterprise , Berry Creek and Mooretown Rancherias were invited. The California Bay-Delta Authority's Tribal Coordinator also attended these meetings, as well as Reclamation's cultural resource staff. MP-400 has also meet with the non-federally recognized Winnemem Wintu group at the Shasta Lake public scoping meeting. The group expressed serious concerns over the Shasta Dam raise proposed in the Investigation. The Upper San Joaquin tribal meeting, hosted by the Santa Rosa Rancheria, included the Tule River Tribe, Picayune Rancheria, Table Mountain Rancheria and the Santa Rosa Rancheria. Also invited were the Cold Springs Rancheria, North Fork Rancheria, and Big Sandy Rancheria. The California Bay-Delta Authority's Tribal Coordinator also attended the meeting, as well as Reclamation's cultural resource staff.
The Office's activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Title IV Self-Governance (P.L. 93-638) included Annual Funding Agreements (AFAs) with the Hoopa Valley Yurok, Karuk, and Duckwater Shoshone tribes for the purposes of collecting data to improve tribal fisheries, water quality and water resource development (respectively). Notably, the Hoopa Valley Tribe entered into its first Title IV AFA with the Region in FY2005.
The Office's activities under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, relating to Title I Self-Determination (P.L. 93-638) included a contract with the South Fork Band Council of the Te-Moak Western Shoshone Indians for an assessment of its existing irrigation system.
The Office advises the Region, on a request basis, regarding the required disposition of Indian trust records as ordered by the Court, in Cobell v. Norton . The Office also provides written concurrence and guidance as to the potential impact the Region's actions have on Indian trust assets, as required by Departmental Manual 512.2. MP-400 provides this written concurrence for every NEPA action (over a 100 actions in FY2005) presented to it by the Region's five Area Offices.
For additional information, contact the Division of Resources Management at 916-978-5200 (TDD 916-978-5608). The Mid-Pacific Region's Native American Technical Assistance Program continues to provide funding to help tribes solve water resources problems.
about the Native American Affairs Office