RESOURCES

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

TAMS Center Data Validation Video

The TAMS Center is honored to present the first video in a series on data management and validation, in which we learn how the Morongo Band of Mission Indians conducts their air data validation and exceeded expectations during a rigorous EPA Technical Systems Audit. This video will become part of our 2020 online Data Validation course, and is useful for anyone interested in what makes environmental data legally defensible: evidence.

EPA Grants Management Training

This online training course is designed to introduce EPA grant applicants and recipients to key aspects of the entire grant life cycle, from preparation of an application through grant closeout.  Throughout this training, the term “grant” is used as a general term to refer to both grants and cooperative agreements. The course is divided into separate modules that can be completed individually.  Each module includes knowledge checks to verify your understanding of key concepts.  If you need to leave a module, the last slide to be completed will be saved, and you will be able to return to that location later.  Upon completion, you will be prompted to generate a downloadable certificate of completion. The 6 training modules include:

1. Introduction to EPA Grants
2. Demonstrating Financial Management System and Internal Control Capability
3. Applying for a Grant
4. Accepting a Grant
5. Managing a Grant
6. Closing a Grant

To view and/or receive ITEP’s American Indian Air Quality Training Program newsletter, Native Voices, click here!

Climate Change/Energy      

Join NCAI’s Climate Action email listserv here!

Sign up for the Alliance for Green Heat’s newsletter!

To view and/or receive ITEP’s Climate Change newsletter, click here!

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Indoor Air Quality

National Radon Action Month

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has designated January as National Radon Action Month. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General urge everyone to protect their health by testing the indoor air in their homes and schools for radon. Radon is a natural, radioactive gas that claims about 21,000 lives each year. It is the leading cause of death from lung cancer among nonsmokers in the United States. Exposure to radon is a preventable health risk. EPA recommends fixing homes with 4 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) or more of radon in the air. You cannot see or smell radon. Simple, inexpensive do-it-yourself radon test kits are available, or you can hire a certified professional to perform the testing.

Other ways in which you can help protect your family and community—

1. Attend a National Radon Action Month event in your area. Look for radon events in your community.
2. Educate others about radon.

o   Tell family and friends about the health risk of radon. Encourage them to test their homes.

o   View EPA’s free radon publications and share the information with others.

3. Take action in your community using the resources in EPA’s radon event planning kit.

o   Plan an activity in your community to help raise awareness of radon.

o   Write an op-ed or letter to the editor.

o   Attract media attention by working with a local official to issue a radon proclamation.

o   Download National Radon Action Month media resources and graphics to use for your print materials or website.

4. Look for a radon-resistant home if you are planning to relocate. If you are buying a new home, look for builders that use radon-resistant construction techniques found in EPA’s Indoor airPLUS guidelines. Read more about radon-resistant new construction in Building Radon Out: A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Build Radon-Resistant Homes.

As part of the National Radon Action Plan, EPA is working with state and local partners to educate the public about the risk from radon. Learn more about radon and how to reduce your exposure to radon at www.epa.gov/radon.

Be sure to sign up for EPA’s Healthy Indoor Air newsletter.

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Now Hiring!

NEW! Funded Graduate Program for Indigenous students in environmental fields

Are you interested in the integration of indigenous and scientific knowledges in environmental research? Do you want a STEM career in service to land and culture? The Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York‘s (SUNY) College of Environmental Science & Forestry is recruiting students for graduate study in diverse environmental sciences from ecology, sustainability, conservation biology to restoration and environmental engineering. As a member of the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership, the program provides funding for full tuition and stipends for Native American students pursuing MS and PhD degrees. Applications are open – so please join us in this exciting initiative. Additional information can be found on our website 

or contact Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer at rkimmer@esf.edu.

NEW! Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Position is hiring an Aquatic Biologist – Wetlands (Natural Resources Dept.)

Deadline to apply: 5pm, January 27, 2020

This full time position is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Tribe’s wetlands and wild rice program and assists with the day-to-day operation with the water quality and fisheries programs as assigned. Obtain an application form and a copy of the position description on the Tribe’s website or by contacting Human Resources at: LRBOI HR Department, 2608 Government Center Dr., Manistee, MI 49660; phone: (231) 331-1233; Email: jobs@lrboi-nsn.gov.

NEW! ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is hiring a Research Assistant

The ITEP VW Technical Assistance Program is looking to hire a Research Assistant to help with various research projects related to the VW Tribal Trust and associated diesel emissions reduction or clean energy programs and technologies, along with general support of the program as needed. The position is part-time, with an expected workload of approximately 15-20 hours per week and funding available for the next two to (possibly) three years. We would prefer to fill the position with someone who can work on site in the ITEP offices at NAU. The job announcement is on NAU’s job page under the “Staff Openings” page, position #604774. Call or email Mark Daniels (mark.daniels@nau.edu or 928-523-8897) with questions about the position.

Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Fellowship at School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University

Application review will begin on January 15^th, 2020, and continue until the candidate is selected.

The Human Dimensions of Forestry program at the School of Forestry, Mountain Campus, Northern Arizona University (NAU), Flagstaff, AZ is inviting applications for one fully funded four-year Graduate Fellowship to work on an interdisciplinary research focused on role of forest landscapes in the resilience of Navajo (Dine) Nation. The Fellowship is expected to start August 2020. For more information, contact Dr. Alark Saxena at alark.saxena@nau.edu.

City of Flagstaff is hiring an Indigenous Youth STEM Academy (IYSA) Coordinator

Closing date: January 15, 2020

IYSA was created in 2017 with the goal of providing indigenous youth with the opportunity to learn about STEM related fields in conjunction with traditional culture, community, and environmental stewardship. Through the program, students participate in STEM related learning sessions led by Indigenous professionals. IYSA sessions are split into two halves, an in-class session and a field trip to an open space property. The IYSA Coordinator is a part-time staff position spanning from January 2020 until June 2020. The coordinator will commit 40 hours per IYSA session, at a rate of $15.00/ hour, equating to $600.00 per session. They will be responsible for coordinating three IYSA sessions throughout the school year at Leupp Elementary School. City of Flagstaff transportation will be provided. More information can be found here.

ITEP’s Tribes and Climate Change Program is hiring a Program Coordinator, Sr.

Closing date: January 20, 2020

More information here!

Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals is offering 2020 Student Summer Internships.

Apply now for a paid 8-week summer internship. Spend your summer working with tribal organizations to address tribal environmental issues. The internships have a technical, educational or policy focus. We are offering eight positions in air quality. The internship program provides each student intern with a $4,000 stipend, and limited housing and travel allowances. Host sites are selected from tribal environmental organizations, government offices, the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others. Please register at nau.edu/itepinterns for more information and details about how to apply. You can view host site descriptions and submit your preferences for the host sites you find interesting after January 24, 2020. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2020. Questions? Contact EEOP-INTERN@nau.edu

Ambient Air Quality/EPA/NTAA/Tribes

USDA Forest Service Wildfire Risk Reduction – $2.1 million

Applications Due: January 19, 2019

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments

The U.S. Forest Service supports Moving Toward Shared Stewardship Across Landscapes as part of a conceptual framework for making strategic investments across landscapes to co-manage wildfire risk and achieve positive outcomes at the most appropriate scale. Within this framework, Eastern Region Cohesive Fire Strategy Competitive Request for Applications is designed to support and carry out the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy (NCS) across the Midwestern and Northeastern States as well as meet the intent of the current year budget direction. These national goals are:

1. Restore and Maintain Landscapes: Landscapes across all jurisdictions are resilient to fire-related disturbances in accordance with management objectives.
2. Create Fire Adapted Communities: Human populations and infrastructure can withstand a wildfire without loss of life and property.
3. Improve Wildfire Response:All jurisdictions participate in making and implementing safe, effective, efficient risk-based wildfire management decisions.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

The Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperate Agreement Program Request for Applications is open until February 7, 2020

Ten awards will be made (one award per region) in amounts of up to $120,000 per award for a two-year project period. Cooperative agreements will be awarded to local community-based organizations, tribes, and tribal organizations seeking to address environmental and public health concerns in local underserved communities through collaboration with other stakeholders, such as local businesses and industry, local government, medical service providers, and academia. Learn more here.

EPA 2019 Targeted Airshed Grant Program – $50.3 million

Applications Due: February 14, 2020

Eligible Entities: local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies, or other air pollution control agencies as defined by Section 302(b) of the Clean Air Act

The Targeted Airshed Grant Program will assist local, state, and/or tribal air pollution control agencies to develop plans and conduct projects to reduce air pollution in non attainment areas that EPA determines are the top five most polluted areas relative to ozone (O3), annual average fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or 24-hour PM2.5 National Ambient Air Quality Standards. The overall goal of the Targeted Airshed Grant Program is to reduce air pollution in the nation’s areas with the highest levels of ozone and PM2.5 ambient air concentrations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

NOAA Environmental Literacy Grants: Supporting the education of K-12 students and the public for community resilience – $3 million

Applications Due: March 26, 2020 for Priority 1 full applications

Eligible Entities: K-12 public and independent schools and school systems, state and local government agencies, Indian tribal governments

The goal of this funding opportunity is to build environmental literacy of K-12 students and the public so they are knowledgeable of the ways in which their community can become more resilient to extreme weather and/or other environmental hazards, and become involved in achieving that resilience.

Projects should build the collective environmental literacy necessary for communities to become more resilient to the extreme weather and other environmental hazards they face in the short- and long-term. Building sufficient environmental literacy in a community means that these communities are composed of individuals who are supported by formal and informal education that develop their knowledge, skills, and confidence to: (1) reason about the ways that human and natural systems interact globally and where they live, including the acknowledgement of disproportionately distributed vulnerabilities; (2) participate in scientific and/or civic processes; and (3) consider scientific uncertainty, cultural knowledge, and diverse community values in decision making. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

Climate Change/Energy

USDA REAP Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Program – $1.8 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, local governments, and Native American tribal governments and organizations

The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and helps meet the Nation’s critical energy needs. The recipient of the Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Development Assistance Grant funds will establish a program to assist agricultural producers and rural small businesses with evaluating the energy efficiency and the potential to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their operations. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DHS FEMA FY19 Pre-Disaster Mitigation – $250 million

Applications Due: January 31, 2020

Eligible Entities: state governments, Native American tribal governments

The Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) program makes available Federal funds to State, Local and Tribal Governments to implement and sustain cost-effective measures designed to reduce the risk to individuals and property from natural hazards, while also reducing reliance on Federal funding from future disasters.

FEMA will provide allocations of $575,000 as required by the Stafford Act to states and territories; and a tribal set aside of $20 million for allocations up to $575,000 for Native American Indian tribal governments to support overall mitigation planning and projects. The remaining PDM funds will be awarded on a competitive basis with a focus on multi-state/tribal mitigation initiatives. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOE Energy Infrastructure Deployment on Tribal Lands – $15 million

Applications Due: February 6, 2020

Eligible Entities: Native American tribal governments and organizations

DOE’s Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes to:

1. Install energy generating system(s) and/or energy efficiency measure(s) for Tribal Building(s); or,
2. Deploy community-scale energy generating system(s) or energy storage on Tribal lands; or,
3. Install integrated energy system(s) for autonomous operation to power a single or multiple essential tribal facilities during emergency situations or for tribal community resilience; or
4. Deploy energy infrastructure and integrated energy system(s) to electrify Tribal Buildings.

For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

DOI BIA Tribal Resilience Program – $1 million

Applications Due: March 2, 2020

Eligible Entities: federally recognized tribal governments

The Tribal Resilience Program will provide funding for tribal activities that support tribal adaptation and resilience planning, ocean and coastal management planning, and relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place planning and design activities for coastal and riverine communities. This program aims to support Tribal Nations that need adaptation planning support and decision-making information to prepare for extreme events and harmful environmental trends that impact tribal treaty and trust resources, economies, infrastructure, and human health and welfare. An informational webinar will be held by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals describing the opportunity on January 9th, 2020. Register for the webinar here. For more information, visit the funding opportunity description.

CATEGORIES OF AVAILABLE FUNDING- There are seven total award categories:

Adaptation Planning (Categories 1-3)

Category 1. Trainings and Workshops (maximum: $150,000)

Category 2. Adaptation Planning (maximum: $150,000)

Category 3. Travel Support for Adaptation Planning (maximum: $15,000)

Ocean and Coastal Management Planning (Categories 4-5)

Category 4. Ocean and Coastal Management Planning (maximum: $150,000)

Category 5. Travel Support – Ocean & Coastal (maximum: $15,000)

Capacity Building (Category 6)

Category 6. Capacity Building for Scoping Efforts to Support future Category 2 Proposal Development (maximum: $65,000)

Relocation, Managed Retreat, or Protect-in-Place Planning (Category 7)

Category 7. Planning for Relocation, Managed Retreat, or Protect-in-Place Activities for Coastal and Riverine Communities (maximum: $150,000)

Toxics/Mobile Sources

Preliminary Notice for Grant Funding Opportunity for Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure along High-Traffic Transportation Corridors in Washington

Beginning in December, the Washington Department of Ecology will open a grant opportunity providing about $4 million on a competitive basis to install or upgrade existing publicly available direct current fast chargers (DCFC) along high-traffic transportation corridors.

This grant funding opportunity will open December 3, 2019, and close February 4, 2020. More information can be found here.

Indoor Air Quality

The Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) has a webpage dedicated to Funding Opportunities! Additionally, THHN has developed a Funding Guide for American Indian and Alaska Native Communities.

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Most Recent Listing: EPA Rules from the Federal Register can be found here.