Environmental restoration and waste management planning participation

The Nez Perce Tribe received a $2,059,696.61 cooperative agreement from the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under the Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management program (CFDA 81.214: Environmental Monitoring/Cleanup, Cultural and Resource Management, Emergency Response Research, Outreach, Technical Analysis). Effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030, this award funds environmental restoration and waste management planning participation activities at the Hanford Site in Washington state. The Tribe will serve as a bridge between the Hanford Facility Oversight (HFO), the Nez Perce Tribe, and DOE-EM to facilitate interactions, discussions, and decision-making processes that ensure tribal involvement in environmental restoration decisions and build tribal support for DOE-EM initiatives.

The cooperative agreement supports the Tribe's participation in Hanford Site environmental management governance and planning, leveraging the Tribe's expertise in environmental compliance, cultural resource management, and natural resource stewardship. This award complements the Nez Perce Tribe's existing portfolio of federal environmental work, which includes EPA-funded climate resilience and forest restoration grants, DOE-funded cultural resource surveys, and environmental monitoring across the Pacific Northwest region.

Facilitate interactions and discussions between HFO, NEZ perce and DOE-EM to gain tribal involvement in the decision-making processes at the hanford site, and tribal support for DOE decisions.