Growing awareness of environmental issues on Indian lands has resulted in increased funding to address these issues. ANA’s Environmental Regulatory Enhancement grants provide tribes with resources to develop legal, technical and organizational capacities for protecting their natural environments.
Environmental Regulatory Enhancement projects focus on environmental programs in a manner consistent with tribal culture for Native American communities. They build tribal capacity, allowing involvement in all aspects of each project, including:
- Environmental issue identification
- Planning
- Development
- Implementation
The links between tribal sovereignty, organizational capacity and protection of the environment are central components of the Environmental Regulatory Enhancement program. Applicants are required to describe a land base or other resources (a river or body of water, for example) over which they exercise jurisdiction as part of their application.