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JUNE 7, 2000

Tribal governments face many challenges these days and keeping their lands clean and safe is just one of their many duties. With land, water, air, and toxic waste being some of their major concerns, tribes are busy putting together programs and plans that will ensure the environmental well being of their lands for generations to come.

With this in mind, the Region 8 division of the US Environmental Protection Agency honored tribal environmental excellence on Tuesday. Having jurisdiction over Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, North Dakota, and South Dakota, Region 8 covers some of the largest tribal land bases in the West.

Kris Jensen, a tribal coordinator for the EPA's Region 8, emphasized the importance of the honors. "We try to recognize tribal work," said Jensen on Tuesday. "I think the odds are sometimes even steeper for tribes to succeed and we are very aware of the need to make sure we give recognition for their work."

Jensen herself nominated the work of a water assessment report prepared by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribe on the Flathead reservation in Montana. She said the report, written by honoree Seth Makepeace, is "really outstanding" and the EPA has used it as a model for other tribes who wish to receive funding through grants under the 1972 Clean Water Act.

Although the tribe did not receive funding this year, Jensen said she has high hopes for next year. As the Nonpoint Source Tribal Coordinator for the region, she noted her group has been trying hard to increase grant money for tribal water initiatives. Due to funding limitations, a total of $2.5 million is currently available nationally under the Act.

Included among the many recognized in yesterday's Denver, Colorado, ceremony, are a few honorees from the Oglala Lakota reservation at Pine Ridge, South Dakota. The Oglala Sioux Tribe Rural Water Supply System received honors for their efforts to maintain high-quality water for the Lakota as did Kim Clausen-Jensen, the Environmental Director for the tribe. Clausen-Jensen has worked for 8 years at Pine Ridge, addressing pollution issues for the largest reservation in Region 8.

Related Story:
List of EPA honorees (Enviro 6/7)

Relevant Links:
The EPA Region 8 Tribal Assistance Program: www.epa.gov/region8/tribes
The EPA Region 8: www.epa.gov/region8