Guidance and Specialised Support for Native American Communities in Region 10

Guidance and Specialised Support for Native American Communities in Region 10

The environmental landscape for Region 10 tribes is about to see a surge of learning opportunities, with numerous training programs and workshops scheduled for the upcoming months. Here's a roundup of some of the key events that tribal members should keep an eye on.

Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management (ATCEM)

As an annual gathering for tribes, nonprofits, the state of Alaska, and federal agencies, the ATCEM conference offers a platform for discussing and addressing a wide range of tribal environmental issues.

The Alaska Forum on the Environment

This large environmental conference covers a variety of topics, providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of tribal environmental management in Alaska.

FEMA Emergency Management Institute

FEMA offers several workshops and classes on emergency management principles and practices specifically tailored for tribal communities.

Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program Certificate

Focusing on executive leadership development, this program aims to nurture future Alaska Native leaders.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC)

ANTHC offers a workshop called "7 Generations," which focuses on community-based environmental planning.

Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN)

THHN provides webinars on indoor and outdoor air quality, offering valuable insights into maintaining healthy living spaces.

The Alaska Rural Management Certificate

This program provides foundational skills and understanding of management, as well as discussion and consideration of management issues in rural Alaska.

The Northern and Interior Region Solid Waste Monthly Teleconference

Serving Northern and Interior tribes facing solid waste issues, this teleconference offers a forum for discussing and finding solutions to common challenges.

Online Training for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP)

Online training is available for creating a QAPP, including 8 modules, 5 videos on using ITEP's TurboQAPP software, and 5 videos on planning projects using the Uniform Federal Policy for QAPP.

National Tribal Forum on Air Quality

This forum focuses on current policies, regulatory initiatives, and technical topics in air quality.

The Swinomish Climate Change and Health Assessment Project Training Modules

These training modules describe a unique application of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's health assessment framework by the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.

Multiple Organizations Provide One-on-One Technical Assistance

Several organizations offer one-on-one technical assistance to tribes seeking to develop Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPPs).

EPA-Related Upcoming Training for Region 10 Tribes

Aside from the events already listed in the Region 10 Tribal calendar, additional EPA-related upcoming training for Region 10 Tribes includes:

1. A 4-day course for EPA On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs), offering equitable training slots to EPA regions, including Region 10. This course is EPA-only and focuses on emergency response preparedness.
2. The National Tribal Air Association grant opportunity from EPA, supporting tribes in air quality program activities such as compliance assistance, monitoring, and rulemaking, which may include related training components.
3. Region 10 Tribal calendar events beginning November 2025, such as:
4. National Tanks Conference & Expo (Nov 17-20 in Spokane, WA), which may be relevant to Tribes involved in underground tank management.
5. Pacific Northwest Tribal Clean Water Act training (Nov 19, Tulalip, WA) on Clean Water Act programs tailored for Tribes interested in Treatment as State (TAS) status.
6. Region 10 Virtual Workshop on Smoke Management (Dec 8-15), focusing on collaborative approaches to wildfire smoke management.
7. Virtual Water Quality Standards Academy starting registration this fall.
8. Although outside Region 10, there is a River Watch water quality sampling certification training in October 2025 in Colorado, which may be a model or alternative for interested Tribal groups.
9. EPA also offers air quality resources and funding assistance for Tribes in Region 10, including portable air monitoring device loans and Tribal Healthy Homes Network funding. These programs often sponsor or facilitate relevant training sessions.

Other Notable Trainings

• The Alaska Tribal Administrators Association Symposium focuses on best practices for tribal council and administrative collaboration.
• EPA hosts a series of webinars on various administrative and environmental topics called "Tribal Environmental Webinars."
• The Water Quality Standards Academy is an introductory course designed for those with six months to one year of experience with water quality standards and criteria programs.
• ANTHC hosts monthly GAP Networking Calls for GAP grantees in Alaska.
• Contaminated Site Clean-Up Information offers resources and training opportunities, ranging from introductory to advanced, on contaminated site clean-up for brownfields, solid waste, and Superfund sites.
• The Tribal Lands & Environment Forum focuses on solid/hazardous waste management, brownfields, underground storage tanks, Superfund sites, emergency response, and water quality.
• ITEP provides a variety of air quality trainings on topics such as indoor air quality and management of tribal air programs.
• Zender Environmental offers a Solid Waste Training and Technical Assistance Program with various workshops and classes on solid waste management.
• ITEP's online training includes courses on topics like radon fundamentals, building performance, and climate change adaption planning.
• RUBA provides an overview of financial operations for rural utilities, and if space is available, tribal administrators may attend.
• BIA Providers covers a wide range of topics of interest to tribes, and GAP may cover a portion of the travel costs if the grantee is attending sessions that relate to the tribe's GAP work plan.
• The Tribal Environmental Leaders Summit is an annual conference for tribal leaders in EPA Region 10 to discuss environmental concerns.
• The National Brownfields Conference focuses on revitalizing communities, spurring economic growth, restoring the environment, and protecting public health by cleaning up and reusing brownfield sites.
• DEC's Solid Waste Bootcamp is a webinar training series covering topics like solid waste 101 and backhaul 101.
• UAF's Tribal Management Program offers an Associate of Applied Science Degree and a Certificate in Tribal Management.
• EPA's Grants Management Training for Applicants and Recipients is available online and consists of 6 modules.
• ANTHC has recorded webinars available on various administrative topics such as grant writing, finance tracking, and tribal environmental planning.

For detailed registration information or confirmation that certain trainings are open to Region 10 Tribes, checking the EPA Region 10 Tribal calendar regularly and contacting EPA Tribal program contacts is recommended.

1. The ATCEM conference discusses and addresses a wide range of tribal environmental issues, providing a platform for nonprofits, the state of Alaska, federal agencies, and tribes to collaborate on surface water management, climate change, and remediation.
2. The Alaska Forum on the Environment provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of tribal environmental management in Alaska, covering waste management, air quality, and health-and-wellness in the workplace.
3. FEMA offers workshops and classes on emergency management principles and practices specifically tailored for tribal communities, focusing on climate change and disaster preparedness.
4. The Alaska Native Executive Leadership Program Certificate aims to nurture future Alaska Native leaders, promoting personal growth, career development, and environmental science education.
5. ANTHC offers a workshop called "7 Generations," which focuses on community-based environmental planning, emphasizing mental health, fitness-and-exercise, and education-and-self-development.
6. Tribal Healthy Homes Network (THHN) provides webinars on indoor and outdoor air quality, offering valuable insights into maintaining healthy living spaces and workplace-wellness.
7. The Alaska Rural Management Certificate provides foundational skills and understanding of management, as well as discussion and consideration of management issues in rural Alaska, including climate change and water management.
8. The Northern and Interior Region Solid Waste Monthly Teleconference offers a forum for Northern and Interior tribes facing solid waste issues, discussing solutions to common challenges and promoting sustainability and recycling.
9. Online Training for Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) is available, including courses on creating QAPP, as well as using software for planning projects related to air quality, contaminated site clean-up, and emergency response.

Read also: