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Tribal Programs and Services

USDA offers a variety of programs and services that are available to Tribal Governments, Tribal communities and organizations, and individual Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. The Office of Tribal Relations (OTR) is dedicated to ensuring that Tribes have relevant information on the programs and services available at USDA.

For additional information on all Programs, please visit the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance and search by agency for USDA.

Farm Bill

News

USDA Tribal Resources

Upcoming Listening Sessions

None at this time.

Previous Listening Sessions

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Quarterly Tribal Listening Session Conference Call

Date: June 13, 2019
Time: 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm Eastern
Toll Free Call-In Number: 800-230-1092 (No access code needed)
Agenda Items include updates on research and promotion boards and updates on hemp production program.

Feral Swine Farm Bill Listening Session

Date: Friday, April 5, 2019
Time: 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Please join APHIS Administrator Kevin Shea and NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr along with members of their leadership teams, including APHIS Associate Administrators Mike Gregoire and Mike Watson and NRCS Acting Associate Chief Kevin Norton on Friday, April 5, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT for a Farm Bill Listening Session via teleconference. This listening session is an opportunity for interested State and Tribal partners as well as stakeholders to comment on the feral swine provision in the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 that will be jointly managed by APHIS and NRCS.

We recognize that many of you live outside of the Washington, D.C., area, and we hope this call-in format makes it easy for you to participate in the upcoming session and share your thoughts on implementation.

The summary pasted below provides a brief overview of the feral swine farm bill provision. The listening session will also begin with a short briefing on the provisions followed by stakeholder comments for the remainder of the call. In order to hear from as many participants as possible, we ask that you plan to limit your comments to 3 minutes or less. If you would like to provide a written copy of your comments either before or after the listening session, you can do so by sending them to hallie.zimmers@aphis.usda.gov.

To participate in the listening session, we ask that you please register in advance by clicking on the link below and providing your name, organization and email address. Once you submit your information, you will promptly receive an email that includes the call-in number and a unique conference code to enter the call. You will also have the opportunity to join by webinar. The listening session will be recorded.

If you would like to make other colleagues aware of this event, please forward them the link below. To avoid any problems connecting to the call, do not share your unique code.

Registration Link: ems8.intellor.com?do=register&t=1&p=813125

We look forward to hearing from you.

Agricultural Marketing Service Listening Session

Date: Thursday, April 11, 2019
Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Teleconference Dial-In Number: (800) 230-1059

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) will hold a listening session on Thursday, April 11, 2019 at 3pm eastern. This event will provide an opportunity to highlight AMS programs and services. It will also give AMS an opportunity to hear directly from you, the leaders, about how we can better serve Native Americans and Alaska Natives. Please feel free to share this with others who may benefit from this information.

Agenda Items:

  • Updates on Research & Promotion Boards (Patty Petrella)
  • Hemp Production Program (Patty Bennett)
  • Foods for the FDPIR Program (Terry Lutz)
  • Native American-owned Vendors Expand their Eligibility Status
  • Upcoming AMS Jobs

February 14, 2019 - USDA Food and Nutrition Service Listening Session

October 20, 2018 – Invite and Agenda for USDA General Listening Session at the Alaska Federation of Natives Convention (PDF, 711 KB)

Upcoming Webinars

National Environmental Policy Act Webinar

The USDA Forest Service will be publishing a proposed rule to update our National Environmental Policy Act regulations (36 CFR 220). You are invited to attend an information-sharing webinar (PDF, 137 KB) for Tribes to learn about the changes in the proposed rule and the tribal consultation process.

The proposed rule is a key component of our agency-wide effort to improve our environmental analysis and decision-making processes. It is the result of robust input from agency personnel, the public, and other stakeholders. The changes in the proposed rule can help us better manage sustainable, healthy, and productive National Forests and Grasslands. It will help us be more efficient without sacrificing our commitment to delivering high quality, science-based analysis, and making decisions that honor our environmental stewardship responsibilities.

The dates of the Tribal informational webinars are:

Monday, June 24, 2019 at 1:30pm – 3:00pm (EDT)
Friday, July 12, 2019 at 1:00pm – 2:30pm (EDT)
Webinar link: usfs.adobeconnect.com/neparule-500

Archived Webinars

U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee (COC) Tribal Outreach Webinar

This recorded webinar is available at: www.fsa.usda.gov/programs-and-services/outreach-and-education/webinars/index.

Keeping the Tradition (traditional foods, that is!) Alive: Community Food Systems in Native Communities

What Does Farm to School Look Like in Native American Communities? Recording

Incorporating Traditional Foods in Child Nutrition Program Menus Recording | April 20, 2016 Presentation (PDF, 7.5MB)

Tribal Supportive Housing Webinar Series

Permanent Supportive Housing: A Comprehensive Approach to Tribal Housing

Promising Practice in Permanent Supportive Housing: Principles in Action

Federal Financial and Non-Financial Resources to Build Trauma Informed Tribal Housing

Educational Opportunities and Resources

Scholarships for Native American Students: Learn about Financial Aid, Advocacy Groups and Tribal Colleges

InterTribal Technical Assistance Network

USDA deployed the InterTribal Technical Assistance Network (Network) to ensure Tribal governments, communities, and individuals receive technical assistance to improve their access to USDA programs and services. The Network helps USDA deliver its programs and services to farmers and ranchers who are focusing on providing local and traditional food to tribal members and improving the market access for tribally-produced foods. The Network supports members of tribes across the United States, potentially benefitting 55 million acres of reservation lands and the communities located on those lands: www.indianag.org/technicalassistance.