News - Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior today announced a $27 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to protect Tribal communities by repairing and upgrading clean water systems and replacing failing dams.

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs announced the distribution of over $1.4 billion in contracts to Indian Economic Enterprises in Fiscal Year 2023 across the Department, which includes $1.03 billion awarded to Indian Small Business Economic Enterprises, a historical high for the Department.

$5 million in funding will further goals of Department’s Grasslands Keystone Initiative

Following a tour of the Hopi Tribe’s Keams Canyon Water Project, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a $48 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to repair and revitalize Tribal water sanitation systems, upgrade irrigation and power projects and invest in the safety of dams in Tribal communities.

The Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) today announced a $15 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for repairs to the Oglala Dam on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. This investment is in addition to over $21 million allocated for the project last year, as part of a $29 million investment for dam safety programs in Tribal communities across the country.

124 awards will support 76 Tribes and 8 Tribal organizations to enhance preparedness, resilience, and ocean and coastal management planning.

Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Bryan Newland wrapped up a weeklong tour of Alaska where he met Tribal leaders and community members to discuss investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for Tribal climate resilience and the Department of the Interior’s ongoing efforts to support Alaska Native communities. Assistant Secretary Newland’s visit follows Secretary Haaland’s recent trip to Alaska where she highlighted ongoing efforts to support sustainable economies across the state.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs today submitted its initial spend plan for funding allocations authorized in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to the U.S. Congress. This spend plan represents a blueprint for how BIA will invest directly in Tribal communities across the country to bolster community resilience, replace aging infrastructure and expand access to clean drinking water. The BIA participated in three Department-wide consultations with Tribes in the development of the submitted spend plan and to inform further program implementation.