Offshore Wind Tribal Engagement
This project funding will be used to expand Tribal capacity for engagement in local offshore wind energy development efforts by supporting costs to meaningfully participate in offshore wind energy development planning, attend relevant meetings, and respond to federal inquiries. The offshore wind energy project is being developed off the Humboldt County coast and serviced through Humboldt Bay Harbor in California. Tribes and tribal organizations will be reimbursed for the time and resources to participate in meetings, workshops, and other planning activities, in addition to travel reimbursements to allow staff and Native community leaders to attend meetings, workshops and conferences they may not otherwise be able to attend due to limited resources.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to facilitate offshore wind Tribal engagement. This region is home to nearly twenty Tribes, each with unique histories, priorities, and perspectives. This funding will make it possible for Tribes with limited capacity to participate meaningfully and consistently in decision-making processes through attending meetings and conferences, consulting with state and federal agencies, and keeping up with legal and economic developments,” said NCIDC Board Chair, Trina Mathewson. “Without the Tribal engagement funding, these offshore wind energy projects potentially involving hundreds of millions of dollars, with regional, state, and national impacts, would move forward without real, representative community input. This is a chance for Tribal Nations' perspectives to be considered so that potential negative project impacts might be minimized, and Tribal community benefits might be prioritized.”
Awarded: $1,031,000
Location: Humboldt County