Dear Tribal Organizations:
CalEPA is pleased to announce that we’ve released a draft Tribal Consultation Protocol and framework, for use by our staff and the staff at each of our six boards, departments, and office. A hard copy of this draft Protocol was mailed earlier this week to each of the Tribal Chairs and their respective environmental directors, a electronic copy is attached here. The draft Tribal Consultation Protocol is also available on our website https://calepa.ca.gov/tribal/. We seek your input and comment on this draft to ensure that it is as useful as possible for all parties involved in our consultation efforts.
CalEPA received valuable input from California Tribes when it established the State’s first agency-wide Consultation Policy to improve and maintain communication and collaboration with California Tribes in October 2009, and again when it revised its Policy in 2015. We continue to actively implement this Policy with the assistance of our Tribal Advisory Committee, and through coordinated efforts among our designated Tribal Liaisons within each board, department and office, who serve as central points of contact for our state-wide tribal stakeholders. As part of CalEPA’s engagement with tribal communities, we now look forward to benefiting from additional tools, like our Protocol, that will assist us in implementing the Policy and working cooperatively with tribal members, tribal governments and their representatives.
Before finalizing the Protocol, however, we ask for your input concerning the roles and practices laid out in the draft Protocol, as well as the descriptions of the consultation process. We are holding a Tribal comment period until June 15, 2018. During this comment period, there will be two ways to provide us with comments. First, we plan to conduct a series of workshops to discuss the Protocol in geographically distinct areas. CalEPA will hold these workshops, jointly with its boards and departments, on announced dates during the comment period. We will consider all comments and input on the draft Protocol presented at these workshops.
Second, comments can also be submitted in writing. Please submit your written comments to the following:
Malinda Dumisani
Special Assistant for EJ and Tribal Affairs, CalEPA
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, California, 95812-2815
Email: malinda.dumisani@calepa.ca.gov
Moreover, should you or any members of your Tribal representation feel that additional time beyond the comment period provided in this letter is necessary to submit written comments, please do not hesitate to let us know.
CalEPA is dedicated to strengthening our collaboration with California Tribes, and ensuring that all Tribes have a voice and a seat at the table on issues that affect health, environmental quality and economic vitality. Input from California Tribes is critical to the success of this Protocol, and to the success of CalEPA’s efforts to engage and consult with Tribes throughout its programmatic activities.
Please do not hesitate to contact Yana Garcia, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Justice and Tribal Affairs at (916) 323-0444 or via email at yana.garcia@calepa.ca.gov should you have any questions regarding this draft Tribal Protocol, CalEPA’s Tribal Consultation Policy, or the consultation efforts at CalEPA or any of its boards, departments, or office. We look forward to hearing from you on this important matter.
For more information go to CalEPA Tribal Web Site at http://www.calepa.ca.gov/Tribal/.
