research SBy vi^Levelopment ^ PRot^° www.epa.gov/ord EPA's Office of Research and Development National EPA-Tribal Science Council What Is the Mission of the National EPA-Tribal Science Council (TSC)? "In a manner consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Indian Policy and trust responsibility, the mission of the Tribal Science Council is to provide a forum for interaction between Tribal and Agency representatives of mutual benefit and responsibility to work collaboratively on environmental scientific issues. The Council addresses a wide range of scientific issues, including research, monitoring, modeling, information, technology, and training in Indian country. To support the subsistence, cultural, and ceremonial lifestyles of Indians and the safe use and availability of a healthy environment for present and future generations, the TSC is committed to the development of sound holistic, integrated, and cross-media scientific approaches. The relationship between the Tribes and EPA in the TSC will not substitute for, but rather augment, the government-to-government relationship between EPA and Tribal governments." — Endorsed by the National Tribal Operations Committee, July 2000 What Are the Goals of the TSC? The TSC seeks to: • Develop a better understanding of the priority science issues of tribes from across the country and address these issues and consider them an integral part of EPA's formal planning processes. • Reach consensus on collaborative approaches for addressing priority scientific issues. • Share EPA scientific products or activities that may help address the priority scientific issues of tribes. • Promote partnerships between tribal and EPA scientists in the development and application of sound science. • Facilitate communication and coordination with other agencies and organizations to more effectively respond to tribal issues. How Does the TSC Operate? The TSC strives to address environmental science issues that are priorities for tribes throughout the country. The process for how these issues are identified and addressed is described below. • Issues identified by tribes in an EPA region are brought to the Council through the TSC's Tribal Representative from that region. Because the Council is designed to complement the existing infrastructure that the EPA established to work with tribes across the country, scientific issues can also be brought to the attention of the TSC via the TSC's Agency Representative from program-specific EPA tribal advisory groups. • The TSC Tribal Representatives work together to develop a set of tribal science priorities of national significance for Tribal Caucus endorsement; these will be the focus of the Council's activities. • The full Council then explores the issues and determines what should be done to address them, including: recommending more research, identifying resources available to advance the issues, or raising the profile of the problems both at EPA and within the tribal landscape, ensuring that they are included in program-specific activities across the Agency and brought to the attention of Tribes throughout Indian country. • Those issues that are not found to meet the Council's criteria will be referred to the appropriate EPA region or Agency-specific work group that can best address the issue. • The group's progress on addressing issues is communicated to the National Tribal Caucus of the National Tribal Operations Committee, to Regional Tribal Operations Committees, and throughout the regions. Building a scientific foundation for sound environmental decisions ------- March 2020 How Do I Get Involved? The TSC continually seeks input from tribes on priority science issues that they may be facing and related activities that are going on across the Agency or in other federal agencies. If you are interested in keeping up with TSC activities, or have issues that you wish to raise, please contact the appropriate TSC Tribal, Regional, or Headquarters Representative or the Executive Secretary. Who Are the TSC Members? The TSC is made up of Agency Representatives from each major EPA region and headquarters program office and Tribal Representatives from each EPA region with federally recognized tribes, including representation for Alaska Native Villages. The membership is vital to understanding and addressing tribal science priority issues to protect human health and the environment in Indian country. Current Tribal Representatives Co-Chair: Neil Patterson, Tuscarora Nation (Region 2) William (Billy) Longfellow, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik (Region 1) Trevor White, Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indian Township (Region 1 Alternate) Katie Renwick, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (Region 4) Jerry Cain, Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (Region 4 Alternate) Jeffrey (Jeff) Mears, Oneida Nation (Region 5) Craig Kreman Quapaw Nation (Region 6) Page Hingst, Santee Sioux Nation of Nebraska (Region 7) Misha Mazurkewycz, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska (Region 7 Alternate) Joshua Tweeton, Spirit Lake Tribe (Region 8) Allyson TwoBears, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Region 8 Alternate) TBD (Region 9) Lee Juan Tyler, Shoshone Bannock Tribes (Region 10: Idaho, Oregon, and Washington) Kelly Wright, Shoshone Bannock Tribes (Region 10 Alternate: Idaho, Oregon and Washington) Alexis Wagner, Metlakatla Indian Community (Region 10: Alaska) Current Agency Program Office Representatives Co-Chair: Jose Zambrana, Office of Research Development (ORD Francine St. Denis, American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO) Amy Kaufman, Office of Air and Radiation (OAR) Karen Hamernik, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention (OCSPP) Theodore Coopwood, Office of Children's Health (OCH) David Charters, Office of Land and Emergency Management (OLEM) Elizabeth Jackson, Office of Mission Support (OMS) David Jewett, Office of Research and Development (ORD) Karen Gude, Office of Water (OW) Current Agency Regional Representatives Vacancy, Region 1 Kai Tang, Region 2 Regina Poeske, Region 3 Dawn Taylor, Region 4 Luke Hullinger, Region 5 Carole Braverman, Region 5 Alternate Alexandra (Alexa) Olson, Region 6 Christopher Taylor, Region 7 Amber Tilley, Region 7 Alternate Vacancy, Region 8 Rebecca Jamison, Region 9 Lon Kissinger, Region 10 ORD's Office of Science Advisor, Policy, and Engagement (OSAPE) performs the executive secretarial function for the TSC. Executive Secretary: Monica Rodia, ORD, OSAPE; Contact: (202) 564-8322 or rodia.monica(a)epa.gov For more information about OSP and TSC activities, please visit www.epa.gov/research/tribal-science-council Building a scientific foundation for sound environmental decisions ------- |