International and Tribal Affairs

May 6, 2014

Protecting Our Natural Resources – Here and Abroad

Air, Chesapeake Bay, Chesapeake Bay Foundation, ecosystem, fish, International and Tribal Affairs, Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, water, wetlands 0 Comments

OITA PDAA Jane Nishida talks to key local and national stakeholders working to preserve and protect Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay

By Jane Nishida, Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs

The Chesapeake Bay is one of the nation’s most vital resources, providing important habitat for fish and wildlife, and recreational and tourism opportunities for millions of people each year. While increased tourism and development has supported the area’s economic growth, it has brought with it a suite of environmental challenges, including nutrient pollution, loss of forests and wetlands, and air pollution stemming from increased development in the area. In my previous roles as Secretary of Maryland’s Department of the Environment and Maryland Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, I saw first-hand the impacts of this damage, and worked closely with local residents, stakeholders, elected officials and the federal government to begin on a major restoration and protection effort. Not only can we protect the bay and surrounding wildlife, we can ensure the continued economic benefits of tourism for the future.

Nearly 8,000 miles away from the Chesapeake Bay lies an area with similar opportunities and challenges. Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known around the world for its striking beauty and diverse ecosystem. However, as with the Chesapeake Bay, concerned citizens and government officials are seeing increased degradation and pollution as more and more people access the Bay for tourism, recreation and shipping development. More

Editor's Note: The views expressed here are intended to explain EPA policy. They do not change anyone's rights or obligations. You may share this post. However, please do not change the title or the content, or remove EPA’s identity as the author. If you do make substantive changes, please do not attribute the edited title or content to EPA or the author.

EPA's official web site is www.epa.gov. Some links on this page may redirect users from the EPA website to specific content on a non-EPA, third-party site. In doing so, EPA is directing you only to the specific content referenced at the time of publication, not to any other content that may appear on the same webpage or elsewhere on the third-party site, or be added at a later date.

EPA is providing this link for informational purposes only. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of non-EPA information provided by any third-party sites or any other linked site. EPA does not endorse any non-government websites, companies, internet applications or any policies or information expressed therein.

Apr 30, 2014

EPA in the Arctic

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortia, Alaska Native Villages, arctic, Arctic Council, Indian General Assistance Program, International and Tribal Affairs, National Strategy for the Arctic Region, Tribal Affairs, tribes 1 Comment

Ice breaking off the coast of Greenland. (Credit: Ben DeAngelo)

The Arctic is changing at a faster rate than the rest of the world. Warming air and sea temperatures mean melting ice, thawing permafrost, and unpredictable seasons. These changes in turn impact the marine and terrestrial ecosystems upon which many northern indigenous families depend for food, clothing, and shelter. My office works to engage these communities in building resilience in the face of a rapidly changing climate, while at the same time, we are working at home and abroad to address the causes of these changes.

Supporting Alaska Native Villages means taking action at home and abroad to address the impacts of global warming. EPA leads efforts under the President’s Climate Action Plan and the National Strategy for the Arctic Region to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases through domestic regulation, improve the monitoring and reporting of emissions, address sources of emissions with our international partners, and support capacity building for local governments, states, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities. More

Feb 25, 2014

Protecting Communities at Our Border

border 2020, epa, International and Tribal Affairs, jane nishida, mexico border, semarnat 0 Comments

Environmental Justice is a guiding principle here at EPA, and one that is woven into the work of all of our programmatic and regional efforts, both domestically and internationally. EPA administers a unique initiative in North America that focuses on community-led environmental programs that benefit one of our most at-risk communities along the U.S.-Mexico Border.

EPA, along with local, state, and federal officials, and communities in the U.S. and Mexico, break ground on new drinking wells

The work of U.S.-Mexico Border Program is immensely important because the U.S. residents of the border community are among the poorest in the United States, and they’ve experienced severe environmental degradation over the years. Since the signing of the La Paz Agreement in 1983 between the U.S. and Mexico, EPA has partnered with Mexico’s Ministry of Environment (known as SEMARNAT) to address border issues, such as waste, wastewater management, drinking water, clean air, and emergency response. More

Dec 5, 2013

The Impacts of a Changing Climate on Our Tribes

Climate Action Plan, climate change, epa, International and Tribal Affairs, jane nishida, President Obama, tribes 0 Comments

In Golovin, Alaska a storm caused damage to subsistence fishing camps. The sea ice destroyed the closest berry picking and beach green harvesting areas. Credit: Toby Anungazak Jr., LEO

Tribes in the United States are uniquely vulnerable to the impacts of a changing climate due to the integral nature of the environment within their traditional ways of life and culture. These impacts include erosion, temperature change, drought and various changes in access to and quality of water. As part of EPA’s Climate Adaptation Plan, and in support of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the Office of International and Tribal Affairs (OITA) has been working closely with tribal partners to provide funding and technical guidance to assist tribes in adapting to these changes.

Aug 19, 2013

The Power of Collaboration

Canada, CEC, climate change, epa, International and Tribal Affairs, Mexico, Michelle DePass, NAAEC, NAFTA, Octaviana Trujillo 1 Comment

As Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs (OITA), I work with important partners to develop new and innovative ways to create a greener and healthier environment for future generations. Two of our closest partners are Canada and Mexico.

Each year, the Environmental Ministers from Canada and Mexico, along with EPA’s Administrator, meet to discuss our nations’ path forward under the North American Agreement for Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), the environmental side agreement of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The leaders met last month in Mexico at the 20th Annual Council Session for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), which is the commission established through NAFTA and NAAEC to implement our shared regional environmental goals.