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<br />Tribal Participation <br /> <br />Over the years previous IHMT's continued to recognize the need to integrate <br />the tribal entities into short and long-term planning efforts, especially with <br />respect to establishing local plans and building standards. North Dakota <br />Division of Emergency Management has long been interested in strengthening <br />emergency management on tribal lands, and tribes have indicated an interest in <br />becoming more involved in planning and mitigating hazards on tribal land. <br /> <br />A Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe representative expressed concerns regarding federal <br />and state respect for their sovereignty, and submitted recommendations to <br />increase tribal participation in emergency management and hazard mitigation. <br />Damage occurring on tribal lands can have "spill-over" effects on non-tribal <br />land. Comprehensive planning can be more effective if local and tribal <br />considerations are included. <br /> <br />Recommended Action: Continue to support tribal participation in hazard <br />mitigation planning and emergency management initiatives. <br /> <br />Lead Agency(ies): North Dakota Division of Emergency Management. Support <br />will be sought from the North Dakota Commission on Indian Affairs, the Rural <br />Development Council and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Support may also <br />come from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Indian <br />Health Services. <br /> <br />Implementation Strategy: In previous years, DEM has established two ad hoc <br />committees that assist in planning and implementation of the HMGP: The State <br />Hazard Mitigation Team reviews applications and selects projects for <br />submission to FEMA for funding. The Interagency Hazard Mitigation Team is a <br />group of federal and state agencies that tap into their own agency resources to <br />augment state team activity and HMGP funding. <br /> <br />The North Dakota Indian Affairs Commissioner will be invited to serve on, <br />and/or to help increase representation of tribal interests on the State Hazard <br />Mitigation Team. Additionally, DEM and the Rural Development Council will <br />take steps to provide guidance, direction, and training to tribal representatives <br />regarding the team's function and procedures. <br /> <br />Funding: No funding will be necessary for this recommendation. It may be <br />possible to identify funding to expand tribal mitigation projects on tribal lands <br />through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Bureau of Land Management <br />(BLM). <br /> <br />Time line for implementation: Immediately. DEM and FEMA have conducted <br />a series of meetings with the tribes to discuss the HMGP. <br /> <br />10 <br />