Environmental Program

Environmental Program Manager: CaSandera Johnson

Introduction:

Bristol Bay Native Association’s Environmental Program has operated an EPA Indian General Assistance Program (IGAP) grant since 1995. The EPA describes IGAP funding as a means for tribes and tribal consortia to build, develop, and establish environmental programs and develop and implement solid and hazardous waste programs on tribal lands. Over the 27 years, IGAP funding has allowed BBNA to assist tribes in environmental planning efforts, establish watershed approaches to address environmental concerns, work individually with tribal environmental staff on program development and implementation, grant management requirements, host regional and sub-regional training workshops over the years and much more.

Environmental Program Publication

Some publications created under the direction of BBNA’s Environmental Program Include:

• Cover Your Assets (CYA) Manual click here to download. The manual assists tribes in developing administrative and management systems for operating an IGAP grant.
• Beyond IGAP – Southwest Environmental Planning Guide and Workbook (download here). The document is an easy-to-use tool to help tribal environmental program staff prepare successful IGAP proposals and build strong environmental programs in Bristol Bay.
• Summary: Dillingham & Aleknagik Home Heating, Steam Bath, Smoke House, & Wood Harvest Practices
• Final Report: Dillingham & Aleknagik Home Heating, Steam Bath, Smoke House, & Wood Harvest Practices

Environmental Program Additional Projects/Work

Over the years the Environmental Program has worked in partnering with other organizations and brining in other grants to address the tribes/regions environmental concerns. Here are some of the work that has come out of the program.

• Anadromous Streams: In the past, BBNA has obtained funding from State Of Alaska Coastal Impact Assistance Program and provided support to various partners like, Nature Conservancy to conduct projects documenting anadromous streams for the Anadromous Waters Catalog. Anadromous streams are streams that have fish that are born in fresh water, swim out to the ocean, and swim back to spawn (mostly salmon). These projects are important because there needs to be documentation of anadromous fish in streams to provide legal protection. Here’s the link to Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust that describes fish studies done: http://bristolbaylandtrust.org/water-protection/
• Instream Flow: BBNA has received in the past funding and has supported partners obtaining funding to complete instream flow protection projects. BBNA has partnered with The Nature Conservancy, Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust, United States Geological Survey, Southwest Alaska Salmon Habitat Partnership, Curyung Tribal Council and many more to document hydrological data necessary to protect instream flows in the Nushagak-Mulchatna watershed. For more information about instream flow reservations clink this link to Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust: http://bristolbaylandtrust.org/water-protection/
• Water Quality Monitoring: Back from 2007 BBNA has developed water quality monitoring efforts for tribal IGAP programs interested in collecting baseline water quality data. This program started as a result of the proposed Pebble Mine as tribes were concerned about potential contamination of our shared waters. Here’s a link to a presentation about the water quality monitoring in Bristol Bay. [click here for the BBNA Water Quality Presentation]
• Nushagak Mulchatna Watershed Council conducted soil survey with The United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA NRCS) with the support from BBNA. The soil survey mapped Koliganek, New Stuyahok, Ekwok, Portage Creek, Dillingham, Aleknagik, Clarks Point and Ekuk, as well as less detailed information for lands extending west through the Kaktovik Wildlife Refuge. [Click here 1 pager & Click here for fact sheet]
• Climate Change Reports: BBNA collaborated with Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation (BBAHC) to develop climate change assessment reports for several communities like Port Heiden, Pilot Point, Nondalton, and Levelock. To find these reports click this link: https://www.anthc.org/what-we-do/community-environment-and-health/center-for-climate-and-health/climate-health-3/
• Erosion Monitoring: In 2015, BBNA collaborated State of Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (SOA DGGS) Costal Hazards Program, University of Alaska Fairbanks Arctic Coastal Geoscience Lab (UAF ACGL), and Alaska Sea Grant with funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Alaska Sea Grant to setup a pilot project for community based erosion monitoring formally known as Stake for Stakeholders. Here are some articles and reports resulting from this project:
  • https://seagrant.uaf.edu/research/projects/summary.php?id=1041
  • https://dggs.alaska.gov/hazards/coastal/monitoring.html
  • https://adaptalaska.org/case-study/erosion-monitoring-in-bristol-bay/

From the Stake for Stakeholders pilot project, BBNA secured funding from BIA Tribal Climate Resilience funding to partner with UAF ACGL and SOA DGGS Coastal Hazard Mitigation Program to further provide coastal hazards data and products that would give tribal communities (Curyung Tribal Council, Levelock Village Council, Pilot Point Tribal Council, Ekuk Village Council, and Native Village of Port Heiden) the ability to make informed decisions on how to address erosions. The final report for this project click here.

Useful IGAP Websites

Helpful IGAP websites that have useful materials listed below:

• EPA Websites:
  • Region 10 EPA Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (IGAP): https://www.epa.gov/r10-tribal/region-10-indian-environmental-general-assistance-program-gap
  • EPA Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients: https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-grants-management-training-applicants-and-recipients
  • EPA Tribal Partnership Groups: https://www.epa.gov/tribal/tribal-partnership-groups
• Region 10 Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC): https://region10rtoc.net/
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium: https://www.anthc.org/what-we-do/community-environment-and-health/tribal-capacity-and-training/
• Northern Arizona University Institute for Tribal Environmental Processionals (ITEP): http://www7.nau.edu/itep/main/Home/
• Zender Environmental: https://zendergroup.org/

Climate Change

The EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG) program supports creating and executing plans to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It is structured in two phases: Planning Grants and Implementing Grants. Planning grants were distributed based on a non-competitive formula to help develop Priority and Comprehensive Climate Action Plans (PCAP and CCAP respectively).

The plans will identify tribal GHG emissions, improve understanding of tribal sources of GHG emissions, and develop ready measures to reduce GHG pollution. The development of the PCAP had to include a GHG inventory, qualified GHG reduction measures, a benefit analysis, and review of authority to implement.

The PCAP is crucial for accessing CPRG Implementation Grant funding and will serve as a springboard, enabling us to pursue the necessary funding through the EPA CPRG Implementation Phase and support for our envisioned projects.

To read Bristol Bay Region Tribal PCAP please click and read the following links:

PCAP

Appendix A-Community Dashboards

Appendix B- Community Survey and Results

Appendix C- Technical References

The PCAP measures listed are eligible for inclusion in an EPA’s competitive Implementation Grant application. There will be two competitions for $4.6 billion for CPRG implementation grants – a general competition and a competition only for tribes and territories.

For more information about this process please visit EPA CPRG website: Climate Pollution Reduction Grants | US EPA

Deadlines Implementation Grant applications are: April 1, 2024 – (General Competition) States, Cities, Municipalities, Boroughs May 1, 2024 – (Tribal Competition) Tribes, Tribal Consortia As for the CCAP, it will expand on PCAP information by including tribes significant GHG sources/sinks and sectors, establishing near-term and long-term GHG emission reductions, strategies and identify measures to address high priority sections.

Deadline to get the plan done for the CCAP is by September 30, 2025. More information will be coming soon on this process!!

Contact information

If you have a question about the Environmental Program or need assistance with your IGAP grant contact CaSandera Johnson at 907-842-5257 ext. 6248 or toll free at 1-800-478-5757 ext. 6248.