UPCOMING DEADLINES & CONSULTATIONS
DUE TODAY | WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES DEFINITION COMMENT: On March 12, 2025, the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of the Army announced a Federal Register notice publicizing a series of six listening sessions and a 30-day recommendations docket to solicit feedback on key aspects of the definition of “waters of the United States.” NATHPO staff attended the Tribal listening session on April 30, 2025, and we have prepared a comment letter for the EPA, a draft of which is attached to this newsletter. Comments are due TODAY, May 20, 2025, and the final version of NATHPO's comment will be available on our website once it is submitted. Please note the opportunity to comment does not appear on the Federal Register website as of yet, but the deadline was discussed during the Tribal listening session.
DUE JULY 15 | EMERGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND GRANT APPLICATIONS: Last week, the National Park Service (NPS) announced a grant opportunity through the Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund. $48,000,000 will be awarded under the ESHPF grant program for necessary expenses related to the consequences of natural disasters occurring in calendar years 2023 and/or 2024. Grants are awarded through a competitive process and do not require non-Federal match. There are separate funding announcements for capacity and survey grants to State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and physical preservation projects. Applications are due July 15. 2025. You can find more information about the grants, how to apply, and whom to contact if you have difficulty accessing the announcement HERE.
HAPPENING JUNE 17 | VETERANS AFFAIRS PROGRAMMATIC AGREEMENT CONSULTATION: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is consulting to develop a Nationwide Programmatic Agreement for the Major Leasing Program. The session for Federally recognized Indian Tribes, indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands, Native Hawaiian Organizations, and Alaska Native Corporations will take place on June 17, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET. You can find more information about the sessions and how to register HERE.
HAPPENING IN MAY AND JUNE | BIA WORKFORCE CONSULTATION SESSIONS: Over the next several weeks, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration (BTFA), and the Department of the Interior (DOI) Office of the Assistant Secretary-Indian Affairs will hold a series of Tribal consultation sessions to discuss ways in which they can best implement the President's Executive Order (EO) 14210 establishing the "Department of Government Efficiency" Workforce Optimization Initiative and “to streamline operations while minimizing any potential impact on the quality of services provided to Tribes.” Details and sign-up information can be found HERE.
NATHPO regularly submits comment letters to federal agencies advocating on behalf of Tribal communities and their THPOs. You can find several of our most recent letters HERE, and if you know of an upcoming deadline and want NATHPO to consider submitting comment, please contact Melissa Madrigal at melissa@nathpo.org. |
NATHPO HAPPENINGS
NATHPO On The Hill | Last week, NATHPO Executive Director Dr. Valerie Grussing was on Capitol Hill to take part in a Congressional briefing as part of Preservation Month. Valerie talked about the need for THPOs to receive their Fiscal Year 2025 funding, which Congress passed and the President signed into law two months ago. She also stressed the need for THPO funding to keep pace with the growing number of THPOs and for federal agencies to engage in meaningful nation-to-nation consultation with THPOs
UPDATE On CTIA'S FCC Petition Process | Late last month, CTIA The Wireless Association (CTIA) petitioned the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for a rulemaking that would effectively eliminate NEPA and NHPA Section 106 Review for the vast majority of cell towers. There would be serious implications to such a rulemaking, which is why NATHPO and so many other Tribal Nations and organizations fought a very similar effort back in 2018. The D.C. Circuit Court vacated this part of that ruling in 2019. NATHPO submitted comment last month and signed onto a separate comment letter by the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty, of which we are a member. Last week, NATHPO joined the National Congress of American Indians in filing a reply to several of the comments other entities had submitted. Thanks to everyone who has joined us in calling on the FCC to oppose this effort to sideline Tribes and THPOs who want to ensure these broadband projects occurs while still safeguarding their sacred places and cultural resources.
CALTHPO/SHPO Summit | This week, NATHPO Executive Director Dr. Valerie Grussing and Government Affairs Advisor Ted Monoson will travel to California to the annual CalTHPO/SHPO summit, where THPOs from across the state will gather with the State Historic Preservation Officer to discuss issues issues of concern to the preservation community. Valerie and Ted will TKTKTKTKT.
Advocating For ImprovedConsultation | On Monday, NATHPO and other members of the Coalition for Tribal Sovereignty sent a letter to Secretary Doug Burgum providing him with recommendations for improving the effectiveness of Tribal consultation at the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). The recommendations included 1) reducing the scope and increasing the number of consultations to ensure a more thorough and robust discussion; 2) providing full information and transparency on the federal government’s current plans with respect to the Tribal consultation topics of interest; and 3) ensuring that key federal decision-makers are in attendance at all Tribal consultation sessions. |
CALLING ALL CONFERENCE PRESENTERS
Are you attending NATHPO's 25th Annual Conference and interested in presenting? If so, NATHPO invites you to share your knowledge and experiences in Tribal historic and cultural preservation by presenting to our annual conference. As always, sessions and presentations on all relevant topics are welcome. This year’s theme is “Upholding Tribal Sovereignty: Protecting Native Places in a Shifting Landscape.” We encourage you to think about how your proposed topic is related to the conference theme. You can find more details about submitting a presentation proposal on our website and in the attached form. Proposals are due no later than June 6, 2025. |
INTERESTED IN SPONSORRING AT THE NATHPO CONFERENCE?
Please help up make this year's annual NATHPO Conference & Sacred Places Summit the most exceptional one to date. By becoming a sponsor, you directly contribute to the success of the conference, enabling the provision of nourishing meals, educational sessions, impactful site visits, and community building. Your support goes beyond financial contributions; it plays a pivotal role in uniting the nationwide family of THPOs, fostering connections, and rejuvenating individuals dedicated to the critical work of preserving Tribal heritage. Most sponsorship levels also include registration for at least one conference attendee. You can find more details, access our sponsorship deck, and register to become a Sponsor HERE. |
