Tribal Connections: NRCS Partnership with Native American Tribes in Washington

Updated 03/27/2013

NRCS has expertise in agronomy, range management, forestry, agricultural engineering, soils, water management, wildlife habitat management, aquaculture, resource inventories, and watershed and flood protection.

NRCS field office personnel provides assistance upon request to private landowners and operators, Indian tribes and Tribal members. Assistance provided includes, but is not limited to, the following: Conservation planning on cropland, pastureland, and rangeland and assistance to apply rangeland management and improvement practices, irrigation water development structures and management, brush control, erosion control structures, agriculture, forestry, farmland protection, wildlife habitat improvement, and wetlands restoration.

American Indians and Alaska Natives are eligible to participate in all NRCS programs and may have special status as provided by statute or regulation. The demand for NRCS services by American Indian tribal groups continues to increase as the value of NRCS assistance becomes better understood.
 

NRCS Programs for Tribes and Tribal Members

The NRCS provides technical assistance and financial assistance to private landowners and operators, tribes and tribal members to assist them in protecting and improving natural resources such as soil, water, air, plants, and animals.

NRCS can assist tribes and tribal members in conservation work, and how to apply for NRCS programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

The Indigenous Stewardship Methods guidebook (PDF; 1.2 MB) helps field planners learn technology from indigenous people which could improve or expand existing NRCS practices or create new ones. Examples (PDF; 2.7MB) from the Wisconsin Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (WTCAC) show potential applications.

Washington Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (WATCAC)

Initiated in 2011, the Washington Tribal Conservation Advisory Council (WATCAC) provides a forum for twenty-nine Native American Tribes and tribal members in Washington to address natural resource issues on tribal lands. The WATCAC provides a tribal voice to the USDA NRCS on conservation issues that are important to Washington tribes at the state and national levels. For more information on the WATCAC, including minutes from meetings, meeting dates, etc.

Meeting schedule, minutes and related documents

The Tribal Connection newsletter and Tribal Partnership Report

Review past issues of the Tribal Connection Newsletter. These publications highlight conservation success stories of projects on tribal lands as well as NRCS program information.

Review current and past Tribal Partnership Reports. These publications highlight conservation dollars spent on tribal lands.

Tribal Partners

Link to the 29 Tribal websites working with NRCS in Washington.

For More Information

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