American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO)
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AIEO Mission
The American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) leads EPA's efforts to protect human health and the environment of federally recognized Tribes by supporting implementation of federal environmental laws consistent with the federal trust responsibility, the government-to-government relationship, and EPA's 1984 Indian Policy.
For information on EPA's environmental programs specifically related to tribal governments, such as environmental policies, practices and laws, please visit the American Indian Environmental Office Tribal Portal.
American Indian Environmental Office Newsletter
Message from JoAnn Chase, AIEO Director:
I am delighted to share with you the AIEO Newsletters. With all of the great work that EPA is doing in partnership with tribal environmental programs, we wanted to reach out to you, our partners, to spread the word about new programs and opportunities impacting tribal communities. More importantly, we want to engage you in this work, to hear your ideas on how we can continue to strengthen our existing partnerships, and to create new and meaningful endeavors.
AIEO Newsletter Issue Summer 2012 (PDF) (6 pp, 362K, About PDF)
Grants and Funding
AIEO manages the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP). The GAP provides grant funding to federally-recognized tribes and intertribal consortia through a negotiated process administered by each EPA Region. The grant funds may be used by tribes to plan and carry out a number of environmental capacity-building activities.
Direct Implementation Tribal Cooperative Agreements (DITCAs) allow tribes and intertribal consortia to help EPA implement federal environmental programs in Indian country, notwithstanding the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act. DITCAs are negotiated between EPA and tribes and can help tribes build the capacity to carry out specific activities for EPA with EPA retaining final decision-making authority and ultimate responsibility for the environmental programs including all regulatory activities.