Rep. Huffman Calls on Admin to Consult with Tribes in Offshore Wind Development
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (CA-02) sent an urgent letter to U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Director Elizabeth Klein requesting the agency place a senior-level official in California to oversee tribal participation in offshore wind development and be responsive to tribal needs.
Representative Huffman’s letter follows a recent visit with Secretary of the Interior Deborah Haaland to Humboldt, California – the site of the new offshore wind project – where they engaged with tribal leaders directly to hear concerns.
“Tribes in my California congressional district are witnessing the advancement of a significant new clean energy industry in offshore wind, which has both the promise of confronting climate change and the potential to impact native people and their lands and cultures. Most tribal nations have limited capacity to participate in offshore wind development in its early stages and have serious concerns about the deployment of the technology,” Huffman said in his letter.
“I call on BOEM again to expeditiously place an official on the ground in California to oversee tribal participation in offshore wind development. This is vital to the offshore wind effort and is responsive to the federal government’s trust obligations to tribes,” Huffman said.
As part of his advocacy for tribes, Rep. Huffman recently introduced a bill to increase public safety for tribal citizens by promoting cooperation and information sharing between tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
To view a full copy of the letter, click here.
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