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Office of Inspector General
At a Glance
PRO"*^
Catalyst for Improving the Environment
Why We Did This Review
At the suggestion of the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Administrator,
the Offices of Inspector
General for EPA and the
U.S. Department of the Interior
(DOI) performed a joint audit
to identify Tribal positive
practices. The detailed j oint
report is provided separately.
The purpose of this additional
report is to provide
recommendations to assist EPA
in better managing Tribal
environmental programs.
Background
There are more than 560
Federally recognized Tribes in
the United States. Each Tribe
is an individual, sovereign
government unique in structure
and culture. EPA funds tribal
core environmental programs
through the General Assistance
Program.
For further information,
Contact the EPA Office of
Congressional and Public
Liaison at (202) 566-2391.
To view the full EPA report,
click on the following link:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2007/
20070503-2007-P-00022.pdf
To view the joint EPA-DOI report,
click on the following link:
www.epa.qov/oiq/reports/2007/
20070503-2007-P-00022JT.pdf
Promoting Tribal Success in EPA Programs
What We Found
Tribes have made progress in overcoming barriers to successful management of
environmental programs. Innovation is the key for Tribes to maximize the
effectiveness of their programs and overcome barriers. The 14 visited Tribes
provided examples of innovative practices, including:
Collaboration and Partnerships. Many of the successful projects result
from efforts to foster good communication and positive relationships with
others. Tribes work cooperatively with Federal agencies, other Tribes, State
and local governments, educational institutions, and the private sector.
Education and Outreach. Tribes educate the community regarding
environmental programs. Further, Tribes value community input and
understand that project success often depends on community support.
Expanding Resources. Based on its size, capacity, and structure, each of the
visited Tribes has its own processes for finding alternative sources of revenue
to ensure sustainability of natural resource and environmental programs.
We based our findings and recommendations in this report on the information
contained in the joint EPA-DOI report Tribal Successes: Protecting the
Environment and Natural Resources. That report provides details on specific
successful practices implemented by each of the 14 visited Tribes.
What We Recommend
To further help Tribes build on successful practices, we recommend that the EPA
Assistant Administrator for Water:
•	Work with Tribes to promote collaboration and partnerships.
•	Identify and make available relevant education and outreach materials.
•	Work with Tribes to identify economic resources and funding alternatives.
The Agency concurred with the recommendations and agreed that the practices
outlined will lead to Tribal successes.

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