Energy and mineral development program 2025

The Fort Peck Assiniboine & Sioux Tribes received a $192,560 Project Grant award on September 22, 2025, under the Minerals and Mining on Indian Lands program (CFDA 15.038), administered by the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs Central Office. The award, which extends through September 21, 2027, will support technical assistance and resource evaluation activities on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. Under this program, the tribe will conduct feasibility studies, resource inventories, and pre-development assessments to evaluate both renewable energy sources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal) and conventional mineral resources (oil, natural gas, coal, sand, gravel, and base metals) located on tribal lands.

The deliverables will include comprehensive technical analyses, data documentation, and economic viability determinations that establish the foundation for informed decision-making regarding energy and mineral development opportunities. The project supports the tribe's broader objectives of achieving energy independence, promoting economic development, and advancing tribal sovereignty. As is standard under this program, the tribe will be required to submit all technical data, processed analyses, and project documentation upon completion, with records retained for the specified regulatory periods. This award represents the Department of Interior's continued investment in tribal capacity-building for sustainable resource development planning.