​BPA's management of cultural resources takes place against the backdrop of BPA's relationships with the 46 sovereign tribal governments located in the region. Protection of cultural resources such as burial sites, religious sites, and usual and accustomed gathering areas are of vital interest and importance to the tribes. BPA's Tribal Policy commits the agency to consulting with potentially affected tribes prior to taking actions that could have an adverse impact on them.

BPA's Tribal Affairs Program participates in agency-wide cultural resource planning efforts and assists in the development and monitoring of tribal involvement and communication strategies developed for Power, Transmission Business Services and EFW projects and programs. More specifically this involves internal and external tribal involvement in the development of agency Programmatic and other Agreements; monitoring of agency-wide notification, communication, and consultation practices and processes as appropriate.