CLEAN WATER ACT SECTION 106

SERA

TRIBAL GUIDANCE REVISION

PROJECT STATUS #1

EPA Office of Water



December 2020

What is happening?

EPA will need your input:

EPA is initiating a collaborative effort to revise the 2007
Guidance on Awards of Grants to Indian Tribes under
Section 106 of the Clean Water Act, which has been in use
since FY2007 as the primary guidance for tribal grant
recipients and internal and external grant project officers.
EPA has assembled an internal work group consisting of
representatives from HQ Offices and all 10 Regions. This
work group began meeting in May 2020 and is developing
recommendations for guidance revision in preparation for
tribal consultation.

The work group is considering when and how
best to engage tribes in the guidance revision
process. EPA's Office of Water tentatively
plans for the following points of tribal
engagement:

Outreach to tribal advisory groups fall
2020

First tribal comment period on the work
group's recommended revision approach
early 2021

Why is EPA revising the guidance?

An updated guidance is needed to reflect advances in the
program over the last 14 years and to help tribes to
develop, maintain, and expand water quality programs and
increase staff capacity. An updated guidance will serve as
a water quality program development roadmap, clarify
eligible activities, and better integrate current resources
and technical recommendations of the CWA regulations.

Second tribal comment period on the draft
updated guidance mid-late 2021

EPA will communicate:

What feedback EPA needs from tribes
Why EPA chose certain revision approaches
How tribes can provide input

What might change?

Milestone updates

The work group is considering several modifications to the
guidance including but not limited to:

Channels for communication:

Updating grant, programmatic, and technical content

(§) Email

X—N.

Improving the overall structure

• Adding information on other EPA programs and topics

(X^j Teleconference

Increasing flexibility for meeting reporting requirements

(rjjj) Webcasts

Goals for the Tribal Guidance Revision

Develop clear, comprehensive, updated, and succinct language that is relevant and applicable to tribes
Describe the Section 106 program and provide context around the CWA generally
Describe the benefits of water quality program development and implementation
Provide practical guidance in program implementation

Provide consistent messaging on national program requirements to help tribes more effectively negotiate workplans with EPA

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