Big Valley Band Of Pomo Indians

Big Valley Band Of Pomo Indians, doing business as Big Valley Rancheria, is a federally recognized Indian tribe headquartered in Lakeport, California that acts as a prime recipient of federal grants focused on tribal community development, environmental management, justice system capacity-building, and social services. The tribe competes exclusively for federal funding, not contracts, and receives awards from 35 distinct federal agencies across 135 prime and sub-awards totaling $41.7 million obligated. The tribe's grant portfolio reflects its status as a tribally owned entity; it does not hold federal contracts or contract vehicles.

Big Valley Rancheria's capability footprint spans five primary domains. First, it delivers tribal justice and public safety programs: the tribe received a $1 million project grant from the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance (CFDA 16.596) in October 2025 to establish a Healing to Wellness Court serving high-risk, high-need individuals, and a $400,000 project grant (CFDA 16.585) to launch a Youth Healing to Wellness Court addressing substance use disorders. Second, the tribe operates law enforcement capacity-building through the Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services: a $593,588 grant (CFDA 16.710) funds hiring of sworn law enforcement officers and a $106,412 grant supports equipment and training for community policing. Third, the tribe manages water resources, environmental quality, and infrastructure: the Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation awarded $3.18 million for domestic water services (CFDA 10.770), and the Bureau of Reclamation provided multiple project grants for water system improvements, water level monitoring, and pre-development planning for water treatment plant construction. Fourth, the tribe delivers aging and nutrition services under formula grants from the Administration for Community Living: three active awards under the Older Americans Act Title VI and related programs fund caregiver support and nutrition services to Native American elders. Fifth, the tribe implements energy assistance and environmental compliance: the Office of Community Services funds Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) and infrastructure supplements, while the Environmental Protection Agency and the tribe jointly support nonpoint source management, water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and tribal environmental data management systems. Supporting grant work includes historic preservation under the National Park Service (CFDA 15.904) for tribal historic preservation office operations, broadband infrastructure deployment funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to serve unserved Native American households, and community development block grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Customer concentration is distributed across social services, environmental, and justice agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families leads by award count (20 awards), followed by the Administration for Community Living (13 awards) and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Public and Indian Housing Office (13 awards). These three agencies account for approximately 47 percent of recent awards. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior National Park Service round out the top five by award volume, with 10 and 8 awards respectively. Activity has declined sharply in 2024 and 2025 (3 awards in 2024, 6 in 2025) following a peak of 17 awards in 2023, signaling a contraction in annual obligations. Fourteen awards carry ultimate completion dates within the next twenty-four months, representing renewal and recompete opportunity across aging services, environmental programs, energy assistance, and water infrastructure projects.

The tribe operates as a prime recipient in 99 percent of recent awards (133 of 135 total). Subcontractor exposure is minimal: one sub-award appears under the California Department of Health Care Services on a State Opioid Response Grant (May 2023). Grant work spans formula grants, project grants, and block grants with periods ranging from two to five years. Recent activity reflects concentration in HHS and Interior programs aligned with tribal self-determination and community infrastructure priorities rather than the competitive federal contracting space.