Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program in Indian Country

The mission of the Department of the Interior's (DOI) Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) program is to restore natural resources injured as a result of oil spills or hazardous substance releases into the environment.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and other trustee organizations work together with the NRDAR program to assess damages resulting from environmental contamination. Once the damages are assessed, the NRDAR program negotiates legal settlements or takes other legal actions against the responsible parties for the spill or release.

The BIA’s Branch of Environmental and Cultural Resources Management (BECRM) conducts NRDAR environmental damage assessments on trust land owned by Indian Affairs.

While BECRM does not have the authority to conduct NRDAR environmental assessments on Tribal land, BECRM is able to consult, coordinate, cooperate with, and provide technical assistance to Tribal governments to conduct damage assessments and access environmental restoration services.

If there has been an oil spill, hazardous substance release or other environmental contamination on your trust or restricted land, contact BECRM or your local BIA agency.