NAAO Technical Assistance Activities
The Bureau of Reclamation's Native American Affairs Technical Assistance Program (TAP) is designed to fulfill the mandates of Reclamation law and policy to assist Indian Tribes in their on-Reservation development of water and related resources. The TAP provides a bridge between Indian Tribes and Reclamation offices and programs. Tribes can learn about the requirements of Reclamation law and Reclamation Regional Offices can learn about the needs of tribes within their jurisdiction. The TAP is one way that the benefits of the Reclamation program can be made available to Indian Tribes.
Program Description
Reclamation's Native American Program provides technical assistance to Indian Tribes in the field of water resource development and management through direct participation, training, and partnering. The goal of the TAP is to establish cooperative working relationships with the Tribes which enable the Tribe to take advantage and benefit from Reclamation's technical expertise and resources. This could take many forms from assisting tribal technical experts to providing the technical data necessary to assess, plan and develop on-reservation water resources. Assistance can also be provided through training to enhance a Tribe's knowledge and expertise in the use, protection and development of resources. Reclamation can provide training (formal and informal) in more effectively administering Tribal projects/programs and it can assist in supporting with the various Federal requirements. There may also be opportunities to partner under existing program authorizations or new program initiatives to protect, develop and more effectively use water related assets.
Technical assistance may be provided to federally recognized
Tribes to protect, manage and develop their water and related resources
through special initiatives of the Native American Affairs Program, or
it may also be provided through other projects and programs being conducted
at the Regional and Area Offices.
Using funds for technical assistance
Funds are used to provide technical and financial assistance to Indian tribes, institutions of higher education, national Indian organizations, and Tribal organizations in order to increase opportunities for Indian Tribes to develop, manage and protect their water related resources. Program activities include: assisting Tribes to better understand their water related needs; developing water resources, including rural water supplies on Indian reservations, through traditional and innovative technologies; and entering into partnerships with educational institutions for the training of Indian students in areas of water resources management.
Through the Native American Affairs Program, each region has developed a Technical Assistance Program (TAP) and shares equally in allocated funding for technical assistance. Each technical assistance activity that TAPs consider must:
- Serve federally recognized Tribes' needs
- Pertain to the use, protection, or development of water related trust assets.
Provided that:
- Feasibility studies shall not be funded -- a feasibility study requires express authority from Congress
- Construction shall not be funded
- Only definable products will be funded, no specific positions within Indian Tribes will be funded
- Only activities with durations of two years or less will be funded
- No activities will be funded which generate data or analyses which have the potential for compromising any study or activities of the Department of Justice in its pursuit of related Indian water claims
- No activity will be funded for non-federal dams or structures
- No technical assistance funds shall be used to fund administrative costs of 638 contracts
- No funds shall be used to purchase equipment as a sole purpose
- No technical assistance funds may be used to directly support litigation of any kind
- No technical assistance for activities which will have the effect of obligating the Bureau of Reclamation to perpetual funding requirements.