Native American Affairs: Emergency Drought for Tribes

Background and AuthorizationWith the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (Act) of 2022, Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is authorized to provide emergency drought relief for federally recognized Indian Tribes in the 17 western states for near-term drought relief actions to mitigate drought impacts for Indian Tribes that are impacted by the operation of a Reclamation water project. Reclamation’s Native American Affairs and International Affairs Office (NAIAO) will implement the Emergency Drought Relief for Tribes Program authorized under the Act.For more information on this program please visit https://www.usbr.gov/inflation-reduction-act.  This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) is issued under the authority of the Inflation Reduction Act,SEC. 80004. EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF FOR TRIBES.(a) EMERGENCY DROUGHT RELIEF FOR TRIBES—In addition to amounts otherwise available, there is appropriated to the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation for fiscal year 2022, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, $12,500,000, to remain available until September 30, 2026, for near-term drought relief actions to mitigate drought impacts for Indian Tribes that are impacted by the operation of a Bureau of Reclamation water project, including through direct financial assistance to address drinking water shortages and to mitigate the loss of Tribal trust resources.(b) COST-SHARING AND MATCHING REQUIREMENTS—None of the funds provided by this section shall be subject to cost-sharing or matching requirements. ObjectivesThis NOFO’s objectives are to provide assistance to eligible Tribes that are impacted by the operation of Reclamation water projects with near-term drought relief projects; to assist eligible Tribes to develop, manage and protect their water and related resources to mitigate the adverse impacts of drought meeting one or more of the following:Mitigate drought impacts,Increase drought resiliency,Reduce reliance on declining water sources,Increase the efficiency of water deliveries,Mitigate the loss of water and related Tribal trust resources, orAddress drinking water shortages.These objectives are consistent with the purposes of the Act and Reclamation-wide objectives.