News and Announcements

Remarks of Secretary Salazar at the Opening Reception of the Parks in Focus Exhibit at the Department of the Interior Museum on April 20, 2009 (As Prepared for Delivery)

Almost exactly three floors above us, there is an office once occupied by a biologist and writer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Her name was Rachel Carson. In an essay published in 1956, she wrote the following words about the importance of getting children into the great outdoors.

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder," she wrote "...he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in."

Today, it is my great pleasure to celebrate National Parks Week by opening the Parks in Focus exhibit here at the Department of the Interior Museum. These beautiful photographs demonstrate what happens when you combine a child, a camera and our national parks – you have a recipe for a lifelong love of the outdoors and a commitment to conserve them for future generations.

I salute the Morris K. Udall Foundation for creating the Parks in Focus program and working with local Boys and Girls clubs and individual national parks to give youngsters who might never have the chance to get out into the great outdoors the opportunity to explore a national park. You can tell by the photographs that that these children had their eyes opened. They did not miss a thing.

It is hard to imagine a program that more embodies the life and spirit of Mo Udall.

I am especially moved by these photographs because one of President Obama's and my highest priorities at the Department of the Interior is to increase the involvement of America's youth in outdoor recreation and conservation. You can teach a child a great deal in a classroom, but there are certain lessons about life that can only be taught in nature's classroom.

Today's exhibition also celebrates an important anniversary this year for the Parks in Focus program. The Department of the Interior has partnered with the Udall Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club for 10 years. In that time, the program has expanded to include trips to parks in New Jersey, Michigan, Maine, and Washington state.

I am pleased to have with us Maria Del Carmen Lopez- Velasquez from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson. Maria has been involved with Parks in Focus since its inception. She is now the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. She represents the many people who have worked to make this program successful.

We are also excited that we are expanding opportunities for the children of the Boys & Girls Club. In early 2009, the Parks in Focus received a significant boost for its Grand Canyon program. The National Park Foundation awarded an "American's Best Idea" grant to the Udall Foundation to run a special Parks in Focus trip to the Grand Canyon this summer.

The extra trip will give 10 Tucson kids a meaningful outdoor experience, including photography lessons with Grand Canyon photographer Gary Laad and the opportunity to hike, camp, and explore the canyon.

I am certain that "the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in" will indeed be written on their hearts.

It is now my pleasure to welcome to the Department of the Interior Museum Congressman Raul Grijalva from Arizona.

Congressman Grijalva is not only an enthusiast for the Parks in Focus Program and the Udall Foundation, but also a true friend of our National Parks. He has championed efforts to advance the National Landscape Conservation System, protect wilderness areas and endangered species, advance the National Parks Service Centennial Fund, protect the Grand Canyon from the threat of expanded uranium mining, and promote ecological restoration on federal lands.

Furthermore, he has served for his entire tenure in Congress on the House Committee on Natural Resources where he is Chairman of the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

Congressman Grijalva, we are honored to have you with us today.

Parks in Focus

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - April 14, 2009

JOHN LESHY, THE HARRY D. SUNDERLAND DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR OF REAL PROPERTY LAW AT UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA HASTINGS COLLEGE OF LAW TO SPEAK TO THE MORRIS K. UDALL FOUNDATION BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND GUESTS ON THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009

John Leshy, the Harry D. Sunderland Distinguished Professor of Real Property Law at the University of California Hastings College of Law, will address the Morris K. Udall Foundation Board of Trustees and guests at a dinner at the Manning House in Tucson, Arizona, on Thursday, April 16, 2009.

Nationally known for his expertise in federal lands, natural resources, water, and American Indian Law, during his career, Leshy has worked in academia, with various government agencies, and for nationally respected nonprofit organizations. He has acquired valuable experience and an insider's perspective on numerous important and contentious issues across the country. His talk at the Udall dinner will focus on politics and land conservation in a global climate change era.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Leshy litigated civil rights cases for the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and then moved to the Bay Area to work for the Natural Resources Defense Council. After another stint in Washington. D.C., as the Interior Department's associate solicitor for energy and resources, he began his law teaching career at Arizona State University.

In 1992, he returned to Washington, D.C., as special counsel to the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. Leshy then joined the Clinton administration as Interior Solicitor, becoming the second-longest serving solicitor in the department's 160-year history. He joined the faculty at the University of California Hastings College of Law in 2000.

In 2008, Leshy led President Barack Obama's Interior Department transition team.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency based in Tucson, Arizona, and overseen by a board of trustees appointed by the President of the United States. The Udall Foundation was established in 1992 by Congress to honor the late Morris K. Udall's 30 years of service in the House of Representatives. Congressman Udall championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance and national environmental policy.

The Udall Foundation operates scholarship, fellowship, and internship programs for studies related to the environment and Native American issues, as well as the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which provides mediation and related services to assist in resolving environmental disputes all over the United States. The Foundation also operates the Parks in Focus program that works with Boys & Girls Clubs across the country to connects under-served youth with nature through the lens of a camera.

For additional information about the Morris K. Udall Foundation and its programs, please visit www.udall.gov.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - APRIL 6, 2009

THE MORRIS K. UDALL FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES THE 2009 UDALL SCHOLARS

Terrence L. Bracy, chair of the Board of Trustees of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, has announced that 80 students from 66 colleges and universities have been selected as 2009 Udall Scholars. A 14-member independent review committee selected this year's group of scholars on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, health care or tribal public policy; leadership potential; and academic achievement. The review committee also awarded 50 Honorable Mentions.

This strong class of Udall Scholars was selected from among 515 candidates nominated by 233 colleges and universities. Seventy scholars intend to pursue careers related to the environment. Six Native American/Alaska Native scholars intend to pursue careers in tribal public policy; four Native American/Alaska Native scholars will study healthcare. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for one year. Honorable Mentions will receive a $350 award.

This prestigious scholarship has generated more than 1,000 Udall Scholars since the first awards in 1996.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency that was created by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Udall's legacy of public service. Congressman Udall served in the House of Representatives for three decades, a career distinguished by civility, integrity and consensus. His love for the environment resulted in numerous pieces of legislation, chief among them the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubled the size of the national park system and tripled our national wilderness. Congressman Udall also championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance. The Foundation's education programs are supported by a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury and contributions from the private sector. The Udall Foundation also includes the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which assists in resolving conflicts related to the environment, public lands, and natural resources.

The 2009 Udall Scholars will assemble August 5-9, 2009, in Tucson, Arizona, to receive their awards and meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care, and governance.

For a listing of the 2009 Udall Scholars and Honorable Mentions and more information on the Foundation and related programs, visit www.udall.gov or contact Mia Ibarra at (520) 901-8564 or ibarra@udall.gov.

Selected statistics on the 2009 competition

  • 482 nominees were pursuing careers related to the environment
  • 16 nominees were Native American/Alaska Native and pursuing careers related to health care
  • 17 nominees were Native American/Alaska Native and pursuing careers related to tribal public policy
  • 15% of nominees identified themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority
  • 24 nominees were attending a two-year college

Selected statistics on the 2009 Udall Scholars

  • 84% are juniors
  • 68% are women
  • 21% self-identify as Native American/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or African-American
  • 3 scholars attend a two-year college
  • 12 institutions have Udall Scholars for the first time this year

For additional information, please contact Libby Washburn at (520) 901-8500 or washburn@udall.gov.

Grand Canyon National Park Launches New Youth Program with New Partners

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park and the Morris K. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation), an independent federal agency based in Tucson, Arizona, recently formalized their partnership when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding in January 2009. The two organizations have collaborated since 1999 through a program known as Parks in Focus, which exposes middle school children to the natural environment through photography while on educational trips to national parks and other public lands. With their new partnership the two organizations hope to increase collaboration and expand the educational program opportunities at Grand Canyon National Park to reach more youth from Arizona.

Under their new partnership, Grand Canyon National Park and the Morris K. Udall Foundation applied for and were awarded a grant through the 2009 America's Best Idea Program. The grant will allow them to jump-start the planned expansion of the Parks in Focus program. The America's Best Idea Program was made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund.

The America's Best Idea Program is closely tied to film maker Ken Burns' new film The National Parks: America's Best Idea. The film will premier on public television this fall and is a co-production of PBS/WETA and Florentine Films. The focus of the grants awarded through this program is to extend the reach of the important lessons offered in the film to reach new/ethnic minority/traditionally underserved groups and to inspire their future stewardship of our national parks.

The partnership is a great example of two organizations with complementary missions working together to strengthen their programs and outreach efforts. Ellen Wheeler, Executive Director of the Udall Foundation, said of the partnership, "We are excited about the possibilities presented in this new formal relationship with Parks in Focus and the Grand Canyon National Park. It will greatly enhance our ability to make a lasting impression on youth in Arizona and around the country with regard to this important natural resource." The Udall Foundation was created by Congress to honor Morris K. Udall's 30 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives (1961 to 1991). Udall was a leader in many policy areas, including natural resources and the environment, governmental reforms, and Native American issues. The Udall Foundation carries on his legacy through a number of programs, among them, education programs designed to foster a passion and commitment for the nation's natural resources in the next generation. Parks in Focus is one such program; it speaks directly to the first objective of the Foundation's enabling legislation: "To increase the awareness of the importance of, and promote the benefit and enjoyment of, the nation's natural resources."

The National Park Service provides interpretive services to increase each visitor's enjoyment and understanding of the Park, to allow visitors to care about the Park on their own terms. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resources conservation and outdoor recreation throughout the United States. Grand Canyon National Park's Environmental Education Program works extensively with elementary age kids through this curriculum based school program and Junior Ranger Programs. Through their partnership, the National Park Service and Udall Foundation will build upon the success of past cooperative efforts through jointly run programs such as the Parks in Focus program.

Since 1999, Parks in Focus has been connecting underserved youth to nature through the art of photography. With the help of trained Udall Scholarship alumni leaders the Foundation organizes week-long trips to introduce members of local Boys & Girls Clubs, many of whom have never before left their communities, to some of the most beautiful natural landscapes in the country. The Foundation provides digital cameras to the young participants to use and keep and teaches the basics of photography, ecology, and conservation while exploring national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands. The program began in Tucson with the Tucson Boys and Girls Clubs and often uses the Grand Canyon National Park as the setting for Parks in Focus trips. The Foundation has since expanded and now supports programs with Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey, Michigan, and Maine with plans to include more states, more parks, and more participants. Since the program's inception, approximately 200 youth have completed the Parks in Focus program.

As a part of the collaboration, in June, two groups of ten to twelve seventh graders from the Boys and Girls Club of Tucson will go on a five-day Parks in Focus trip through northern Arizona. Their trip will take them to Wupatki National Monument, Sunset Crater National Monument, Marshall Lake in the Coconino National Forest, Slide Rock State Park, Red Rock State Park, an urban park in Flagstaff, Arizona and Grand Canyon National Park. For many of the young participants it will be their first trip outside of Tucson. The participants will be accompanied by a representative from the boys and girls clubs and trip leader Bobby Filbin, who is an alumnus of the Udall Foundation's scholarship program and an experienced Parks in Focus leader.

Thanks to new funding through the America's Best Idea grant, ten youth from the original trips will return to Grand Canyon for one week in August to camp in the backcountry to learn about the natural and cultural resources of the park through the lens of a camera. They will learn the skill of photography from renowned photographer Gary Ladd and the intricacies of nature from park rangers.

Photos taken and selected by the young participants will be included in an exhibit created by the National Park Service and the Udall Foundation and displayed at Park Headquarters within Grand Canyon National Park and at the Grand Canyon Railway Train Station in Williams, Arizona, which is owned and operated by Xanterra Parks and Resorts.

With the assistance of KUAT Arizona Public Media (KUAT), the kids will also put together a short video using their photographs to document their summer experience. The video will be shown at a premiere event this September in Tucson for the Ken Burn's documentary film hosted by KUAT.

The National Park Service will also work with the Grand Canyon Association, a non profit organization that supports education, research and visitor services at Grand Canyon National Park, to incorporate the Ken Burn's film into their traveling trunks and video loan programs that will extend the appreciation of public lands to school students across the country.

"We hope the partnership between Grand Canyon National Park and the Udall Foundation will lead these young people to a lifelong appreciation of the outdoors and our public lands," stated Steve Martin, Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent.

For more information on this program, please call Jacob Fillion, Program Manager for Environmental Education, Grand Canyon National Park, at 928-638-7762 or Melissa Millage, Senior Program Manager for Parks in Focus, Morris K. Udall Foundation, at 520-901-8562.

For more information on Grand Canyon National Park, please call 928-638-7888 or log on to the park's website at http://www.nps.gov/grca.

Legislation Introduced to Enhance Udall Foundation and Honor Stewart L. Udall

Legislation was introduced yesterday in the U.S. House and Senate that would authorize additional resources for the programs of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, a federal agency based in Tucson, while honoring Stewart L. Udall, former Secretary of the Interior.

The proposed legislation would rename the agency the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, in recognition of Stewart Udall's many contributions to environmental and Native American policy. It was introduced by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz., in the House and by Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., in the Senate.

"The Foundation is thrilled to have this demonstration of support in the Congress," said Terry Bracy, chair of the Foundation's Board of Trustees. "The work of our staff is obviously deemed more and more essential to the country, and more than anything, this is a tribute to them.

"To have Stewart Udall's name on our door only adds luster to the proud legacy which guides us," Bracy added.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by Congress in 1992 to provide federally funded scholarships for college students intending to pursue careers related to the environment, as well as to Native American students pursuing tribal policy or health care careers. The Udall Foundation also operates a Native American Congressional Internship program each summer in Washington, D.C., placing top college, graduate and law students in Senate and House offices, the Executive Office of the President, and Cabinet agencies, where they learn firsthand how federal policies on tribal issues are developed.

In 1998, Congress amended the Udall Foundation's enabling legislation to add the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, the federal government's only program focused entirely on resolving federal environmental disputes. The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution has played a quiet leading role to find common ground on issues as diverse as Everglades Restoration to the joint tribal-federal management of the National Bison Range Complex. The Institute's staff, which also partners with a roster of mediators nationwide, has handled important conflict resolution efforts in collaboration with many federal departments including Interior, Defense, USDA Forest Service, and Transportation.

The Udall Foundation is also a cofounder and funder of the Native Nations Institute (NNI), a graduate education and policy center for Indian Country. NNI teaches a new way of governance on the reservations that embraces tribal identity as a core principle and smart business practices as a way to assist Indian nations rebuild their economies. In the last five years, more than 2,000 Native American leaders have benefited from its courses.

The Udall Foundation was created initially to honor the legacy of the late Morris Udall, who represented Southern Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for 30 years. Stewart Udall, who also represented Southern Arizona in Congress from 1954 to 1960, is Morris Udall's older brother. The two worked together on many environmental and Native American initiatives while Stewart Udall was Secretary of the Interior and Morris Udall a member of Congress.

Stewart Udall was Secretary of the Interior from 1961 to 1969, under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and his accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the nation's environmental and cultural heritage. His best-selling book on environmental attitudes in the U.S., The Quiet Crisis (1963), is considered a seminal work on the environmental movement.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., cosponsored the Senate bill. Cosponsors in the House were Representatives Nick Rahall, D-W.Va., chairman of the Committee on Natural Resources; Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.; Ed Pastor, D-Ariz.; Harry Mitchell, D-Ariz.; and Ann Kirkpatrick, D-Ariz.

More information on the Foundation and the U.S. Institute can be found at www.udall.gov and www.ecr.gov.

On February 2, 2009, Bill Buckmaster of Arizona Illustrated hosted a segment on the Morris K. Udall Foundation. Buckmaster interviewed Terrence L. Bracy, Chair of the Board of Trustees, and Ellen Wheeler, Executive Director, about the Foundation's role with the new Obama Administration and pending legislation to expand the role of the Foundation in the future.

http://tv.azpm.org/kuat/segments/2009/2/2/kuat-udall-foundation/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For Further Information Contact: Libby Washburn (520) 901-8506 or Colin Ben (520) 901-8568

MORRIS K. UDALL FOUNDATION AWARDS 2009 NATIVE AMERICAN CONGRESSIONAL INTERNSHIPS IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

Terrence L. Bracy, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Morris K. Udall Foundation, has announced that 13 students from 10 tribes and 9 universities have been selected as 2009 Native American Congressional Interns. They were selected by an independent review committee of nationally recognized Native American educators and tribal policy leaders on the basis of demonstrated commitment to careers in tribal public policy and academic achievement. The Foundation received a record number of applicants this year and this group of interns represents one of the strongest classes the Udall Foundation has seen since starting the program in 1996.

This highly regarded internship program is intended to provide Native Americans and Alaska Natives with an insider's view of the federal government. The internship is located in Washington, D.C., and is known for placing Native students in competitive positions in Senate and House offices, committees, Cabinet departments and the White House, where they are able to observe government decision-making processes first-hand.

The Foundation awards approximately 12 Internships every summer on the basis of merit to Native Americans and Alaska Natives who are college juniors or seniors, recent graduates from tribal or four-year colleges, or graduate or law students who have demonstrated an interest in fields related to tribal public policy, such as tribal governance, tribal law, Native American education, Native American health, Native American justice, natural resource protection, cultural preservation and revitalization, and Native American economic development.

This year, in accordance with a partnership with First Alaskans Institute, the number of Udall Interns increased to 13. The 13 new Udall Interns will complete an intensive, 10-week internship in the summer of 2009. Special enrichment activities will provide opportunities to meet with key decision-makers. Since its inception in 1996, 149 Native American/Alaska Native students from 84 tribes have participated in the program.

The 2009 Native American Congressional Internship class includes:

  • Timothy Argetsinger, an undergraduate student from Dartmouth College and a citizen of the Native Village of Kotzebue.
  • Jeremy Bennett, an undergraduate student from Oklahoma State University and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
  • Philip Brodeen, an undergraduate student from the University of Minnesota and a member of the Bois Forte Band (Nett Lake) of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.
  • Eugenia Charles-Newton, a graduate student from the University of Arizona and a member of the Navajo Nation.
  • Torivio Fodder, a law student from the University of Arizona and a member of the Pueblo of Taos.
  • Prestene Garnenez, a graduate student from the University of California-Los Angeles and a member of the Navajo Nation.
  • Mica Gilmore, a law student from the University of Arizona and a member of the Navajo Nation.
  • Anthony Jones, a law student from Washington University - St. Louis and a member of the Port Gamble Indian Community of the Port Gamble Reservation.
  • Honor Keeler, a law student from the University of New Mexico and a member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.
  • Jacob Keyes, a law student from the University of New Mexico and a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
  • Kristina Manymules, an undergraduate student from Arizona State University and a member of the Navajo Nation.
  • Sherri Mitchell, a law student from the University of Arizona and a member of the Penobscot Tribe of Maine.
  • Nolan Smith-Kaprosy, an undergraduate student from Yale University and a member of the Bay Mills Indian Community.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency that was created by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Udall's legacy of public service. Congressman Udall served in the House of Representatives for three decades, a career distinguished by civility, integrity and consensus. He championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance and national environmental policy. The Foundation's education programs are supported by a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury and contributions from the private sector. The Udall Foundation also includes the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which assists in resolving conflicts related to the environment, public lands, and natural resources.

For additional information on the Native American Congressional Internship Program, please visit our website at www.udall.gov or contact Colin Ben at (520) 901-8568 or ben@udall.gov.

Libby Rodke Washburn
Director of Communications & External Relations
Morris K. Udall Foundation
130 South Scott Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85701-1922
520.901.8506 (direct line)
520.670.5530 (fax)

MORRIS K. UDALL FOUNDATION AND FIRST ALASKANS INSTITUTE RENEW PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT YOUNG ALASKA NATIVE LEADERS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Libby Washburn at 520.901.8506 or Washburn@udall.gov for additional information

The Morris K. Udall Foundation has entered into another partnership with First Alaskans Institute to increase Alaska Native participation in the Udall Foundation's Native American Congressional Internship Program.

Under the partnership, First Alaskans Institute will help recruit and contribute funding for an Alaska Native to participate in the 10-week summer internship in Washington, D.C. First Alaskans Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to advance and develop the capacities of Alaska Native people and communities to meet the social, economic and educational challenges of the future through community engagement, information and research, collaboration, and leadership development. The goal of the internship is to give Native Americans and Alaska Natives an insider's view of the federal government and to learn about the federal trust responsibility with tribes.

"The partnership with First Alaskans Institute is a wonderful opportunity to involve more Alaska Natives in our internship program," said Ellen Wheeler, executive director of the Udall Foundation. "We are excited to work with such a well-established program, which already places young Alaska Native leaders in internships in Alaska."

In the summer of 2008, Andrea Sanders, Yupik originally from Quinhagak in the Calista Corporation region, successfully completed the Morris K. Udall Foundation Native American Congressional Internship in Washington, D.C. She received her B.A. in government from Georgetown University. Sanders was one of 12 students from 11 tribes and 11 colleges and universities. Since its inception in 1996, 149 Native American/Alaska Native students from 98 tribes have participated in the program.

Sanders completed the intensive, 10-week internship in Washington, D.C., this summer, working full-time for the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, where she observed the federal legislative process first-hand. Special enrichment activities provided her with opportunities to meet with key decision-makers in Washington, D.C. Regarding the internship, Sanders stated, "I have lived in Washington, D.C., for over four years and never have I felt more welcome or at home in this city as I did these last 10 weeks. I have met many wonderful Native leaders and advocates who made this experience not only memorable, but life changing."

In addition to placing interns in Congressional offices and committees, Cabinet departments and the White House, the Udall Foundation provides interns with lodging, a daily allowance for meals and incidentals, airfare to and from Washington, D.C., and a $1,200 educational stipend upon completion of the program.

The deadline to apply for the 2009 Native American Congressional Internships in Washington, D.C., is January 30, 2009. For a complete listing of the 2008 Udall Interns or to obtain more information on the Morris K. Udall Foundation, please visit our website at www.udall.gov or contact Program Manager, Colin Ben at (520) 901-8568 or by email at ben@udall.gov.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency based in Tucson, Arizona, and overseen by a board of trustees appointed by the President of the United States. The Udall Foundation was established in 1992 by Congress to honor the late Morris K. Udall's 30 years of service in the House of Representatives. Congressman Udall championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance and national environmental policy. The Udall Foundation operates scholarship, fellowship and internship programs for studies related to the environment and Native American issues, as well as the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which provides mediation and related services to assist in resolving environmental disputes all over the United States.

For more information regarding the Native American Congressional Internship Program, please visit the Udall Foundation website at www.udall.gov. For information regarding First Alaskans Institute, please visit the website at www.firstalaskans.org.

"Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resources Planning"

University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center Ballroom
Tuesday, March 17, 2009

The Water Resources Research Center at The University of Arizona, the Morris K. Udall Foundation, and the Arizona Water Institute will be co-hosting a conference entitled Best Practices for Stakeholder Engagement in Water Resource Planning on March 17, 2009.

We all have a stake in our water future. What should water planners, managers and policy makers be doing to ensure that our needs and concerns are heard, understood and addressed? The 2009 conference will examine this question and provide some answers. Planners and decision makers will talk about their goals, frustrations and successes with stakeholder engagement. Stakeholders will tell us about their experiences getting their voices heard. Engagement professionals will share the knowledge gained from years of practice. We will also learn about new technologies, innovations, and cutting-edge research applied to a range of water planning challenges. In addition, participants will have a chance to get involved in facilitated workshops on special topics. Posters will be on display and a dedicated poster session will allow time for questions and answers.

Betsy Rieke, former Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Water and Science and Director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, will present the opening keynote address on her experiences with major water negotiations. As luncheon speaker, Grady Gammage will share his thoughts on the challenges facing Arizona's water planners and stakeholders.

Registration will open on January 7, 2009. Early bird registration is $55.00.
A preliminary agenda, registration and the call for posters information can be found on our web site at cals.arizona.edu/azwater/programs/conf2009. Registration fee waivers will be available.

Please contact Susanna Eden (seden@cals.arizona.edu) or Sharon Megdal (smegdal@cals.arizona.edu) for more information.

Press Release

Mark Schaefer accepts leadership of the US Institute for the Environmental Conflict Resolution

Mark Schaefer photo

Mark Schaefer, who has held high-level science and environmental policy positions in the federal and nonprofit sectors, has been named to head the Tucson-based U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution (U.S. Institute). Schaefer's title will be deputy executive director for environmental conflict resolution of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, which is the parent agency for the U.S. Institute.

"Mark has more than 20 years experience dealing with environmental problems in a variety of positions, including as a scientist, manager and policymaker. He brings to the U.S. Institute a commitment to conflict resolution processes and collaborative decision making, along with his deep substantive knowledge about environmental and natural resource issues," said Ellen Wheeler, executive director of the Morris K. Udall Foundation. "We are excited to have Mark join us." For more information see PRESS RELEASE.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information Contact:
Melissa Millage (520) 901-8562

2008 Udall Scholars Announced

Terrence L. Bracy, Chairman of the Board of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, has announced that 80 students from 64 colleges and universities have been selected as 2008 Udall Scholars. They were selected by a 14-member independent review committee on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, health care or tribal public policy, leadership potential, and academic achievement. The review committee also awarded 51 Honorable Mentions.

The 80 Scholars were selected from among 510 candidates nominated by 239 colleges and universities. Sixty-nine scholars intend to pursue careers related to the environment. Seven Native American/Alaska Native scholars intend to pursue careers in tribal public policy; four Native American/Alaska Native scholars will study healthcare. Each scholarship provides up to $5,000 for one year. Honorable Mentions will receive a $350 award.

The Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation was authorized by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Udall's legacy of public service. The Foundation is supported by a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury and contributions from the private sector. There have been 994 Udall Scholars since the first awards in 1996.

Congressman Udall served in the House of Representatives for three decades, a career distinguished by civility, integrity and consensus. His love for the environment resulted in numerous pieces of legislation, chief among them the Alaska Lands Act of 1980, which doubled the size of the national park system and tripled our national wilderness. Congressman Udall also championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance.

The 2008 Udall Scholars will assemble August 2-6 in Tucson, Arizona, to receive their awards and meet policy-makers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance.

For a listing of the 2008 Udall Scholars and Honorable Mentions and more information on the Foundation and related programs, visit www.udall.gov or contact Melissa Millage at (520) 901-8562 or millage@udall.gov.

Selected statistics on the 2008 competition
465 nominees were pursuing careers related to the environment
19 nominees were Native American/Alaska Native and pursuing careers related to health care
29 nominees were Native American/Alaska Native and pursuing careers related to tribal public policy
23% of nominees identified themselves as belonging to an ethnic minority
20 nominees were attending a two-year college

Selected statistics on the 2008 Scholars
72% are juniors
67% are women
26% self-identify as Native American/Alaska Native, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, or African-American
3 scholars attend a two-year college
14 students are their institution's first Udall Scholar

---4/08/08---

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For Further Information Contact:
Colin Ben (520) 901-8568

Morris K. Udall Foundation Awards 2008 Native American Congressional Internships in Washington, DC.

Terrence L. Bracy, Chairman of the Board of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, has announced that 12 students from 11 tribes and 11 colleges and universities have been selected as 2008 Native American Congressional Interns. They were selected by an independent review committee of nationally recognized Native American educators and tribal policy leaders on the basis of demonstrated commitment to careers in tribal public policy and academic achievement.

The twelve Udall Interns will complete an intensive, ten-week internship in Washington, D.C. this summer, where they will work full-time in congressional offices or federal agencies and observe the federal legislative process first-hand. Special enrichment activities will provide opportunities to meet with key decision-makers. Since its inception in 1996, 149 Native American/Alaska Native students from 98 tribes will have participated in the program.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation was authorized by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Udall's legacy of public service. The Foundation is supported by a trust fund in the U.S. Treasury and contributions from the private sector.

Congressman Udall served in the House of Representatives for three decades, a career distinguished by civility, integrity and consensus. He championed the rights of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, using his leadership in Congress to strengthen tribal self-governance and national environmental policy.

For a complete listing of the 2008 Udall Interns and to obtain more information on the Morris Udall Foundation, please visit our website at www.udall.gov or contact Colin Ben at (520) 901-8568 or ben@udall.gov.

Selected statistics on the 2008 Interns:
6 belong to tribes or bands that have not previously participated in the program;
5 are currently pursuing graduate or law degrees;
4 currently attend a public university.

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