CSKT receives nearly $38 million in federal grant awards
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes recently announced several successful grant awards, amounting to nearly $38 million, that focus on efforts for restoration, conservation and preservation of homelands across the Flathead Indian Reservation.
“The initiatives reflected in these grant awards are areas of focus for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes,” said CSKT Chairman Tom McDonald. “We continue to work towards the restoration, conservation and preservation of our homelands to support our community, wildlife, water and landscapes. These grants and partnerships help us strengthen efforts and we are pleased to have the support and increased resources that help us maintain what we value for our future generations.”
America the Beautiful Challenge: $3.5 million
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) joined its public partners this week in announcing $141.3 million in total grant allocations through the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC), including $3.5 million for CSKT. The 74 new grants will support landscape-scale conservation projects across 46 States, three U.S. Territories, and 21 Tribal and Native Nations.
CSKT, along with Crown of the Continent partners, submitted and were selected for a project titled Bio-Cultural Restoration within the Crown of the Continent. The $3.5 million award will be used to develop Landscape Conservation Design collaborative strategies for 16 landscape features and invasive plant risk assessments; restore whitebark pine; and engage with the community to develop and monitor collaborative actions.
Projects will include funding for forage management on the Tribe’s bison range; reconnecting resources and cultural practices; recovering functioning systems that support First Foods and ceremonial species; improving ecological connectivity; and growing a trained conservation workforce.
ATBC grants support projects that conserve, restore and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community resilience and access to nature. The program is a partnership between the Department of the Interior (though the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Department of Defense, Native Americans in Philanthropy and NFWF. The competitive grant awards were made possible with funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, other federal conservation programs and private sources.
In a secondary ATBC award, CSKT – in partnership with Fish, Wildlife and Parks – received additional funding for a predator control initiative.
Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling: $1.02 million
In conjunction with America Recycles Day, observed Nov. 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced nine recipients of more than $9.2 million in Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling grants for Tribes and Recycling Education and Outreach grants.
CSKT’s Natural Resources Department ‘s Division of Environmental Protection received $1,023,748 to identify end-markets and expand materials management infrastructure. These objectives will be achieved by expanding existing recycling programs; establishing five new recycling collection facilities; purchasing equipment; and researching end-markers and community partnerships for previously unrecycled materials.
These activities aim to encourage and expand recycling activities to reduce community blight and potential health and environmental contamination associated with illegal dump sites.
Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program: $1.6 million
The CSKT's Division of Environmental Protection also was awarded $1.6 million as part of an EPA-funded Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program. The funding helps CSKT work with local partners to investigate and assess the risk residential septic systems pose across the Flathead Indian Reservation.
Environmental Protection Agency for Swimmer’s Itch Reduction: $904,300
Through an EPA Environmental Justice Program of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative, the Tribes will receive approximately $904,300 to support health projects to reduce the incidence of cercarial dermatitis (swimmer’s itch) in vulnerable populations around Flathead Lake.
The project will develop local partnerships on the Flathead Reservation; install rinse stations and outdoor message boards at five public-use beaches; deliver public education and outreach about the parasite and how best to avoid impacts; and install community-designed artworks at the rinse stations.
Bison Herbivory and Interactions: $143,000
The CSKT Natural Resource Department Wildlife Management Program was awarded $143,000 from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the end of October for a project titled: Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Investigating Patterns of Bison Herbivory and Interactions. The project will follow bison movements around the bison range and investigate plants they eat and forage conditions.
Federal Highway Administration to Update and Rehabilitate US 93: $30.5 million
Last summer the CSKT NRD Roads Program was awarded $30,567,037 to update and rehabilitate U.S. Highway 93 from Dublin Gulch Road to Gunlock Road, as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s National Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects =program.