Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Panel hears tribal leaders and sponsor urge lowering WaterSMART cost-share barriers for tribes
Summary
Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury's Water Smart Access for Tribes Act drew support from Navajo Nation representatives at the House Natural Resources subcommittee hearing; witnesses said high nonfederal cost-share requirements have limited tribal participation in the Interior's WaterSMART grant program.
The subcommittee considered the Water Smart Access for Tribes Act, introduced by Representative Melanie Stansbury, which would permit the Secretary of the Interior to reduce or waive nonfederal cost-share requirements for tribes applying for WaterSMART grants.
"Water is life," Rep. Stansbury said in her opening remarks. She described limited piped water access on tribal lands and said the bill would "remove those barriers and would unlock 1,000,000 of dollars in investment in tribal water programs and projects," citing the program's aim to fund conservation, efficiency and infrastructure projects.
Dwight Witherspoon, water…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
