The United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF) joined a Statement of Support and called upon the House Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs to hold a hearing on H.R. 7859, the Tribal Environmental Resiliency Resources Act (TERRA Act). Introduced by Representative Kilmer (D-WA-6) on April 2, 2024, the TERRA Act would establish a program in the Department of the Interior (DOI) to coordinate Tribal environmental resiliency efforts and assist Tribal Nations in community-driven relocation, climate adaptation planning, and environmental mitigation efforts.
The Joint Statement of Support emphasized that Tribal Nations have been increasingly contending with the harmful effects of climate change, including natural disasters of higher frequency and severity and the destruction of our environments and lands critical to our communities and cultural lifeways. This is especially concerning for USET SPF’s member Tribal Nation coastal communities that are under increasing threats of rising sea levels resulting from climate change. USET SPF will continue to advocate for increased federal funding and resources dedicated to long-term Tribal environmental resiliency and the removal of bureaucratic barriers to access these resources. We expect Congress to uphold its trust and treaty obligations to Tribal Nations by prioritizing consideration and enactment of this bill, beginning with a legislative hearing and swift passage of the H.R. 7859 by the House Subcommittee on Indian an Insular Affairs.
For more information, please contact Brian Howard, USET SPF Senior Policy Analyst, at bhoward@usetinc.org.
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