EPA Highlights Success Stories in the Indian Environment General Assistance Program
WASHINGTON (June 11, 2020) — Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the official launch of the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program (GAP) Success Story National Pilot, highlighting the agency’s efforts to partner with tribes to protect the environment and human health in Indian country. The GAP Success Stories are featured in a web-based application that combines maps with text, images and multimedia elements, known as story maps, allowing the user to visually locate GAP Success Stories across all EPA Regions.
“EPA’s new story map celebrates the importance of GAP and shows the great work tribes are accomplishing in partnership with EPA – building their capacity for meaningful participation in, or administration of, EPA programs,” said Chad McIntosh EPA Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs (OITA).
The American Indian Environmental Office, located in EPA’s OITA, worked with tribal and regional staff to conduct a small-scale pilot of a new, national system for collecting and sharing GAP success stories to demonstrate program value, highlight best practices, and support program resiliency. The initial 10 success stories represent tribal programs from across the country that are using GAP to address air, water, and land issues. These stories are also available in table form on EPA’s website here.
Background:
The Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act, signed by Congress in 1992, authorizes EPA to provide GAP grants to federally recognized tribes and tribal consortia for planning, developing and establishing environmental protection programs in Indian country and for developing and implementing solid and hazardous waste programs on tribal lands. Today, there are approximately 534 GAP grants with tribes and tribal consortia.
Information about the General Assistance Program and the work EPA is doing in Indian Country can be found at https://www.epa.gov/tribal/indian-environmental-general-assistance-program-gap.