Tribal NPS Resources and Training

On this Page

• Tribal NPS Program: Getting Started
• Tribal NPS Trainings
• Other NPS Resources

Tribal NPS Program: Getting Started

Handbook for Developing and Managing Tribal Nonpoint Source Pollution Programs (pdf) (8.6 MB, February 2010)
This updated handbook provides guidance and practical templates for tribes interested in obtaining federal funds to manage nonpoint source pollution under section 319(h) of the Clean Water Act. It describes the 319 (h) grant process, and how to develop a nonpoint source assessment report and management program. This version includes new tribal examples, and a section focused on the watershed-based planning approach. The final section includes resources for tribes related to program goals.

Tribal Staff Sample Training Curriculum (pdf) (362.14 KB)
This document provides a list of tasks and training resources available to ensure you quickly become versed in the requirements and duties of a Tribal Nonpoint Source team member. In general, we recommend the training courses be completed in the first 2 years of work in the nonpoint source program.

EPA Region 9 Financial Assistance Eligibility Handbook for Tribal CWA Programs in the Pacific Southwest (November 2022)

This handbook is designed to assist Indian Tribes in EPA's Pacific Southwest (Region 9) with preparing applications for financial assistance eligibility for Clean Water Act Water Quality Planning and Protection Programs.

Tribal NPS Trainings

EPA hosts in-person and virtual trainings for Tribal NPS programs. Check with your EPA Regional Tribal NPS Coordinator for upcoming training opportunities.

2023 Tribal EPA & US EPA Region 9 Annual Conference: The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and US EPA Region 9 co-hosted the October 2023 conference. Video recordings of conference presentations are available on the Region 9 Conference YouTube channel. Here are direct links to Tribal nonpoint source program presentations:

• Hualapai Tribe - CWA Section 319 Projects
• Washoe Tribe - Wildfire Management & Mitigating Climate Change Risk with the CWA 319 NPS Program
• Duckwater Shoshone Tribe - Reducing Trash Pollution on Tribal Lands Through Trash Free Waters Projects 

2023 Tribal NPS Webinar Training Series: In 2023 EPA hosted a six-part webinar series covering a variety of programmatic and technical topics to support Tribal NPS management efforts. Each webinar included presentations from Tribal, EPA, and/or partner agencies, and provided an opportunity for participant discussion. Webinar recordings and presentation slides are available below.

• Building a Tribal NPS Program (video) February 9, 2023
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 1 (pdf) (4.3 MB, February 2023)
  • Presenters: Steve Kem (Southern Ute Indian Tribe), Sharri Venno (Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians), Tanya Williamson (Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians), Howard Kahan (USEPA Region 9), Janette Marsh (USEPA Region 5), Bessie Wright (USEPA Region 1)
• Incorporating Local & Indigenous Knowledge to Target Tribal NPS Work (video) February 23, 2023
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 2 Slides (pdf) (5.85 MB)
  • Presenters: Aaron Bill (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe), Madeline Nyblade (University of Minnesota-Twin Cities), Neil Patterson Jr. (SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry), Jose Zambrana (USEPA Office of Research & Development), Adam Griggs (USEPA HQ), Laura Shumway (USEPA HQ)
• Adopting the Watershed Approach in Managing NPS Pollution (video) March 23, 2023
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 3 Slides (pdf) (4.4 MB, March 2023)
  • Presenters: Craig Kreman (Quapaw Nation), Valerie Streeter (Tulalip Tribes), Denise Jensen (Winnebago Tribe), Ann D'Alfonso (USEPA Region 7), Rachel Rentz (USEPA Region 6)
• Integrating Climate Resilience and Hazard Mitigation in Tribal NPS Work (video) May 4, 2023
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 4 Slides (pdf) (16.42 MB)
  • Presenters: Heidi Brow (Pala Band of Mission Indians), Beckie Finn (Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head Aquinnah), Kathy Lynn (Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project, University of Oregon), Katherine Baum (Federal Emergency Management Agency), Ellie Flaherty (USEPA HQ)
• Implementing On-the-Ground Tribal NPS Projects (video) May 25, 2023
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 5 Slides (pdf) (46.32 MB, May 2023)
  • Presenters: Amy Castaneda (Miccosukee Tribe of Indians), Sam Day (Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa), Ryan Siggelkow (Forest County Potawatomi Community), Alex Wieten (Gun Lake Tribe), Margot Buckelew (USEPA HQ), Janette Marsh (USEPA Region 5)
• Addressing Agricultural NPS Pollution: Key Partners & Strategies (video) June 22, 2023 
  • Tribal NPS Training Webinar 6 Slides (pdf) (20.92 MB, June 2023)
  • Presenters: Mark Buettner (Klamath Tribes), Desirae Kissell-Abella (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Nicholas Rajen (Intertribal Agriculture Council), Julie Randall Colbert (Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians), Grant Victor (Victor Ranch Partnership), Margot Buckelew (USEPA HQ), Bessie Wright (USEPA Region 1)

Other NPS Resources

The Tribal Competitive Project Mapper is now available! The project data entered into GRTS by Tribal NPS Programs is now viewable in an interactive map format. Developed in coordination with a Tribal environmental staff review panel, the Tribal NPS Project Explorer will allow Tribal NPS programs to search by NPS pollution source, learn more about BMPs used in similar situations, and to make staff-to-staff connections with Tribes that have implemented work with 319 funds. The EPA will use the database for education and to highlight the benefits of this program to our management and members of the public. Data entry for this mapper is for Tribal competitive grants only and information submitted by the Tribes has been curated for public consumption.

 Tribal Water and Natural Resources Conservation Guide: This guide aims to provide resources to Tribal environmental programs about federal assistance opportunities that can support Tribally led efforts to protect and restore waters, protect air quality, protect wildlife and habitat, prepare for climate change and natural hazards, steward lands, and support and engage Tribal communities.

EPA Region 9 Tribal Water Section Grant Fact Sheets: Please visit this page for fact sheets on funding opportunities available to federally-recognized tribes in EPA's Pacific Southwest (Region 9) to improve water quality and water and wastewater infrastructure.

Watershed-Based Planning: The watershed approach is a holistic coordinating framework that can help guide Tribal NPS pollution management efforts to protect and restore waters. As a part of the Clean Water Act Section 319 program, the EPA encourages Tribes to consider the nine-element watershed planning framework when developing watershed plans. Please visit the Watershed Approach section of the EPA's National NPS Program website for more information. Contact your EPA Regional Tribal NPS Coordinator for additional examples of watershed-based plans in your EPA region. Example Tribal watershed-based plans:

Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation: Soldier Creek Watershed-Based Plan (pdf) (7.39 MB, June 2024)

Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians: NW Angle Watershed Management Plan (pdf) (3.3 MB, 2018)

Northern Cheyenne Tribe: Lame Deer Creek Watershed Nine Element Plan (pdf) (38.73 MB, January 2024)

NPS Partnerships & Funding: Building partnerships and leveraging available resources to secure outside assistance are key to the success NPS pollution management efforts. Tribal NPS staff can form partnerships across tribal departments and with external agencies and organizations to collaboratively manage NPS pollution at the watershed scale. 

• Tribal NPS Management: Leveraging Opportunities with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (May 2022). This resource guide, developed in coordination with Tribal NPS partners, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), highlights leveraging opportunities between EPA's Clean Water Act Section 319 program and resources available from NRCS and local conservation districts that can help support Tribes and Nations' water quality program goals. This guide serves as a starting point for Tribal staff interested in learning how to begin working with NRCS and conservation districts to help manage NPS pollution. Please click here for a recording of the June 8, 2022 webinar to learn more about Tribal NPS partnership opportunities with NRCS and NACD!

Trash Free Waters: EPA's Trash Free Waters program supports efforts to reduce the volume of trash entering waters by working with partners to implement collaborative solutions that target land-based sources. 

• Region 8 Trash Free Water Tribal Program Handbook (January 2022). The Trash Free Waters team in EPA's Region 8 office (which covers Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming) has developed a handbook to assist Tribal governments, Indigenous communities, and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement projects that reduce trash in waterways on Tribal lands. While there is no one-size-fits-all solution to trash pollution, this handbook provides basic information on project design, implementation, and funding to serve as a starting point for those interested in taking action to reduce escaped trash in their community. This resource was developed specifically for Region 8 Tribes, but much of the information related to project development and funding opportunities may be helpful to tribal and other communities outside of Region 8 as well.