Assistant Secretary Washburn Announces $9.4 Million in Grants to Develop Tribal Energy and Mineral Resources

WASHINGTON, DC – As part of President Obama’s commitment to working with Indian Country leaders to promote strong, prosperous and resilient tribal economies and communities, Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs Kevin K. Washburn today announced that more than $9.4 million has been awarded to 46 tribal projects to assist in developing energy and mineral resources. The grants were awarded as part of the Energy and Mineral Development Program administered by the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development (IEED), a division of the Office of the Assistant Secretary – Indian Affairs. The projects funded include a panoply of renewable energy sources, including geothermal, biomass, hydro-electric, woody biomass, solar, wind, and plastics-to-energy that will provide clean, low-cost power to tribal members and encourage business on tribal lands. “The IEED Energy and Mineral Development Program is another example of how Indian Affairs is working to assist tribes in realizing the maximum potential of their energy and mineral resources,” said Assistant Secretary Washburn. “These grants will provide tribal communities who have energy and mineral resources with the opportunity and financial support to conduct projects that will evaluate, find and document their energy and mineral assets, and help bring those assets to market.” The Energy and Mineral Development Program uses a hands-on approach to assist tribes by funding the evaluation and documentation of energy and mineral resource potential on their lands. Program staff solicit proposals from tribes and select qualified projects through a competitive review process. Staff then work hand-in-hand with tribal personnel as technical advisors to advance, modify and tailor projects to a tribe’s needs and to ensure the best possible product is obtained for the funds allocated.

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Page 2 – IEED 2014 EMDP Grant Awards The grants and technical assistance help tribes and individual land owners evaluate their energy and mineral resource potential by: • funding geological, geophysical and engineering reports, maps, and other data concerning their energy and mineral resources; • offering technical assistance to use assessment information to enable them to understand their resource potential and plan for the potential development of those resources; • developing a marketing vehicle to promote their lands and resources; and, perhaps most significantly, • providing direct assistance in negotiating complex, value-added agreements with potential partners or investors. IEED has worked collaboratively within the Bureau of Indian Affairs Southern Plains Regional Office’s Division of Acquisition and Grant Management and with Bureau of Indian Affairs resources during the week of September 8-12 to process the new awards. “Energy and mineral development on Indian trust lands play a critical role in creating jobs and generating income throughout Indian Country, while also contributing to the national economy,” said Washburn. All natural resources produced on Indian trust lands had an estimated economic impact of more than $19 billion, with more than 90 percent of this impact derived from energy and mineral development on tribal lands, according to the Department of the Interior’s Economic Contributions report issued on July 11, 2014. The report also noted that out of an estimated 80,868 natural resources-related jobs on tribal lands in Fiscal Year 2013, 89 percent were directly associated with energy and mineral development. According to Interior’s Office of Natural Resource Revenue, energy and mineral resources generated more than $970 million in royalty revenue paid to Indian mineral owners in 2013. Income from energy and minerals is by far the largest source of revenue generated from Indian trust lands. In 2014, the Energy and Mineral Development Program received 78 proposals with total funding requests exceeding $27.5 million. Funds were awarded to 46 of the submissions. The chart below summarizes the funds awarded by commodity, number of projects awarded, and total amount awarded in each commodity category. The Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs oversees the Office of Indian Energy and Economic Development, which implements the Indian Energy Resource Development Program under Title V of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. IEED’s mission is to foster stronger American Indian and Alaska Native communities by helping federally recognized tribes with employment and workforce training programs; developing their renewable and non-renewable energy and mineral resources; and increasing access to capital for tribal and individual American Indian- and Alaska Native-owned businesses.

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Page 3 – IEED 2014 EMDP Grant Awards For more information about the IEED2014 EMDP Grant Awards, programs and services, visit the Indian Affairs website at http://www.indianaffairs.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/IEED/index.htm

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