Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Gulf Hypoxia Program Funding Available for Tribal Cooperative Agreements


vvEPA

Office of Water
November 2022

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Gulf Hypoxia Program
Funding Available for Tribal Cooperative Agreements

The Hypoxia Task Force (HTF) was established in 1997 to reduce the size of the low oxygen (hypoxic)
"dead" zone in the northern Gulf of Mexico. The Task Force is a federal, state, and Tribal collaborative
and voluntary partnership that works with other partners, including multi-state "sub-basin"
committees and a land grant university consortium (known as Southern Extension Research Activity-46
(SERA-46)) to implement the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan. A key goal of the Action Plan is to reduce
excess nitrogen and phosphorus loads into waterways of the Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Basin
(MARB). State Nutrient Reduction Strategies are a cornerstone of the HTF's activities.

How does this action support Tribal communities?

The Gulf Hypoxia Program (GHP) is funded through the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), which
provides $60 million over five years for EPA to issue grants to advance the goals of the Gulf Hypoxia
Action Plan. This historic investment will allow the HTF Tribes, states, and key partners to make
significant strides towards achieving the goals of the HTF's Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan. EPA will make
$6 million of these funds available to 21 eligible Tribes that have Tribal lands in the Mississippi River
portion of the HTF states.

Consistent with the goals of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan, EPA will focus on the following priorities:

•	Supporting Tribes in leveraging existing nutrient reduction strategies or developing new ones to
advance HTF goals;

•	Supporting Tribes to build capacity within their environmental programs to support the goals of
the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan;

•	Documenting and communicating progress towards HTF goals at the Basin scale;

•	Advancing research in support of nutrient reduction strategies; and

•	Leveraging resources and coordinating with otherTribal, federal, foundations, and state
programs.

The following priorities are consistent with EPA's overall implementation of the BIL:

•	Ensuring that GHP benefits are realized by disadvantaged communities;

•	Advance water quality actions that have climate adaptation or mitigation co-benefits;

•	Fully enforcing civil rights;

•	Supporting the American worker and build a strong conservation workforce; and

•	Supporting domestic manufacturing

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Which Tribes are Eligible?

BIL funding must support implementation of the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan and must be spent within
the Mississippi River Basin part of the HTF states. Eligible Tribes must have land (reservation or trust) in
the Mississippi River Basin part of an HTF state and demonstrated their capacity to implement EPA
grants through the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP), or the Clean Water Act
(CWA) Section 106, and/or Section 319 grant programs. There are 21 Tribes that meet these eligibility
thresholds. To see the complete list of eligible Tribes please see the Gulf Hypoxia Program FY23
Implementation Memorandum for Tribal Cooperative Agreements (Tribal Implementation Memo)

What Funding is Available to Tribes?

EPA identified three categories for funding availability. Tribal eligibility category factors include eligible
land acreage (see Tribal Implementation Memo) and current programs (CWA Sections 319 and/or 106,
GAP). These categories and factors were informed by feedback received through Tribal consultation.
Funding categories are provided as ranges as the final amount will be determined by requested funds
and the number of applicants. Funding will be provided over a three-year period, with grants generally
extending for five years.

Tribal Eligibility Category

Number of Eligible Tribes

Potential Funding Ranges

(1) TAS 319/106 & >10K acres in MARB

$300K-$500K

(2) TAS 319/106 & <10K acres in MARB

$150K-$380K

(3) GAP & <10K acres in MARB

$150-$195K

Tribal workplans should support at least one of the following four strategic outcomes:

• Supporting staff to implement the workplan;

• Implement nutrient reduction demonstration projects;

• Implement NPS management programs; and

• Build capacity for nutrient reduction activities.

Where can I find more information?

EPA's implementation memorandum forTribal cooperative agreements under the Gulf Hypoxia
Program is available here https://www.epa.gov/svstem/files/documents/2022-
12/Gulf%20Hvpoxia%20Program%20FY%2023%20Tribal%20lmplementation%20Memo.pdf.

Read more about the BIL at https://www.epa.gov/infrastructure/bipartisan-infrastructure-law-fact-
sheets-and-reports.

For more information on water investments under the BIL, see

https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2021-ll/e-ow-bid-fact-sheet-final.508.pdf.

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