Niki Richards, Executive Director, Valley Advocates for Responsible Development 

An important part of Federal agency decision making includes meaningful coordination with Tribal Nations. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires a project’s proposed actions, and varying alternatives, to be analyzed with consideration of potential impacts on Tribal lands, Tribal resources and/or cultural heritage. Federal agencies are governed by policy documents that outline agency-specific provisions for coordination with Tribal Nations. Executive order #13175, “Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments” holds at its core the goal of strengthening relations between the United States Government and Tribal Nations - and all of the requirements, when applied throughout the process, can do just that. 

Targhee National Forest is named in honor of a Bannock Indian warrior. The proposed action is located within ancestral lands of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes who hold treaty rights to uses of the forest. With respect to these ancestral lands and the rights of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes, the Forest Service is required to consult and coordinate with the Tribes throughout the NEPA process.