Northwest Region

Office of the Regional Director

The Regional Director is a Senior Executive Service member and has the delegated authority from the Secretary and/or Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs to uphold, maintain, and improve the government-to-government relationships with federally recognized Native American tribes in the Northwest Region. The Regional Director is supported by two Deputy Regional Directors, Trust and Indian and Administrative Services, who help to fulfill federal trust responsibilities through the delivery of programs and services in their respective divisions.

Branches in the Division of Trust Services, Northwest Regional Office (NWRO):

Environmental & Cultural Resources Management

Ensures environmental compliance of IA facilities and activities with Federal regulations and standards, provides technical assistance and response for natural resource damage assessments, hazardous contaminated sites, remedial cleanups, and supports BIA agencies, field stations, and federally recognized Tribal Nations on environmental and cultural resource compliance. This includes NEPA compliance for federal actions, Endangered Species Act (Section 7) consultations, and identification/assessment of archaeological site conditions under NHPA’s Sections 106 & 110. DECRM also administers Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 (ARPA) permits, assists in repatriation under NAGPRA, and provides IA law enforcement training and support.

Branch of Land Titles and Records

The Branch of Land Titles & Records (LTRO) records probates, non-probate conveyance documents, legal documents into the Trust Asset Accounting Management System (TAAMS); LTRO updates title into TAAMS, distributes Title Status Reports (TSR) for mortgage, rights of way, and ownership purposes; as well as provides Inventory of Decedents Report (INV) from death reports received, when requested by agencies, Probate departments, including out of Region departments.

Branch of Forestry and Wildland Management

The Branch of Forestry and Wildland Fire Management is responsible for managing the forest and provide technical assistance, including providing the resources the Indian owners desire. Wildland Fire Management provides resources to assist with wildfires and reduce fuel loads on wildlands and in the wildland urban interface areas to reduce fire hazards to structures

Natural Resources

The Branch of Natural Resources provides oversight of the following programs for activities on Trust and restricted lands within the Northwest Region: Irrigation, Agriculture, Invasive Species, Minerals and Mining, Fisheries, Water Resources, Water Rights, Integrated Resource Management Planning, and Emergency Management.

Probate and Estate Services
The Branch of Probate and Estate Services focuses on the preparation and submission of the record of probate documentation for determination of the legal heirs or devisees and for the subsequent distribution of the trust estate.

Real Estate Services

The Branch of Real Estate Services is responsible for providing technical assistance to Tribes and Agencies for a variety of issues affecting trust and restricted land and resources. The Division prepares the necessary documentation or completes the reviews, and makes recommendations for realty transactions including acquisitions, disposals, leasing and rights-of-ways.

Lockbox Coordination
Lockbox Coordination oversees and initiates curative actions to ensure lockbox transactions and the trust income are processed accurately, timely, and efficiently for Indian beneficiaries within the Northwest Region.

Branches in the Division of Indian Services and Administration, NWRO:

Self Determination Services
The Branch of Self-Determination is responsible for promoting and advocating for maximum Indian participation in the programs and services conducted by the Federal Government for Indians; and to encourage and support the development of tribal capacity to better manage the opportunities and responsibilities of self-determination. The branch is authorized by P.L 93-638 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, as amended (ISDEAA) to award grants, contracts and cooperative agreements with tribes and tribal organization in order to meet each unique tribal need. In addition to implementing the line authority of the BIA, the NWRO conducts contract administration for the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and the Office of Justice Services (OJS).

Transportation
The Branch of Transportation (DOT) supports of the Bureau’s mission to provide an adequate network of roads serving Indian communities. DOT accomplishes this by (a) administering Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) contract authority to construct roads and bridges, (b) maintaining a road and bridge inventory of Indian Reservation Roads (IRR), (c) creating a Region-wide Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) and (d) planning and design of road projects.

Tribal Government Services and FOIA
The Branch of Tribal Government Services supports the Bureau's mission by providing tribal governance-related services to Agencies and Tribes in the Northwest Region. The branch provides a range of services, including providing advice, technical guidance and direction on tribal constitutions, corporate charters, resolutions, ordinances, law and order codes, official tribal actions, tribal courts and enrollment where authorized by Tribal law or Federal statute. The branch is also responsible for processing responses under the Freedom of Information Act.

Human Services
The Branch of Human Services supports the Bureau’s mission by providing Social Services Program services such as Indian Child Welfare (ICWA), General Assistance (Direct Services) and IIM Case Management Services. The program provides guidance and technical assistance to BIA Agency Programs, P.L. 93-638 Contract Tribes and Self-Governance Tribes on ICWA, General Assistance and IIM regulations. Social workers at the NWRO provide training and annual reviews of IIM supervised accounts per 25 CFR § 115.427.

Facilities, Property, and Safety
The Branch of Facilites, Property, and Safety supports the bureau’s mission by ensuring BIA employees have a safe environment in which to work. They provide assistance to the agencies on safety issues such as Worker Compensation, Tort Claims, Accident Investigations, Safety Inspections, Homeland Security and Motor Vehicle Safety. The Northwest Regional Safety Manager also works with Tribal contracted/compacted programs on all aspects of the Safety program.