Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke issued the following statement today which was read during the 26th Annual Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service at the United States Indian Police Academy in Artesia, N.M. The ceremony formally announced the names of three fallen law enforcement officers from the Navajo and Chickasaw Nations as new inscriptions to the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Monument.

“Like the famous and humble actions of the WWII Code Talkers who valiantly stepped out of Indian Country to defend the United States from foreign threats, these three brave officers courageously rose up within Indian Country to protect tribal communities from unexpected dangers. Today, I pay their families and their memories the utmost respect for their ultimate sacrifices as we permanently add their names to this distinguished memorial. May this memorial continue to serve as a testament that those who answer the call of duty will never be forgotten.

"In a tradition from my Navy service, I respectfully bid 'fair winds and following seas' to the spirits of these brave men and women.”

The officers recognized at this year’s ceremony brought the total number of names listed on the monument to 114:

• Navajo Nation Police Officer Leander Frank who, on August 30, 2016, was killed in a traffic accident while responding to a disturbance call in the Chinle District of the Navajo Nation Reservation. Office Frank served in the U.S. Marine Corps.
• Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police Agent Robert Patrick Flickinger who, on March 7, 2008, was killed in a traffic accident within the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma while serving in an undercover narcotics investigation of an outlaw motorcycle organization. Before joining the force, Agent Flickinger served two years in the U.S. Navy.
• Navajo Nation Chief of Police Hoska “Hoskie” Thompson who, on October 21, 1949, succumbed to freezing temperatures while trying to serve civil papers at a remote canyon area on the Navajo Reservation near the Arizona-New Mexico border.

The event is hosted by the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services and is held in conjunction with the International Chiefs of Police’s (ICAP) Indian Country Law Enforcement Section and other law enforcement organizations and agencies, including the National Sheriffs’ Association and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers at the U.S. Indian Police Academy in Artesia. The formal ceremony consists of full law enforcement honors with flag presentation, 21-gun salute, honor guard, traditional drum song and prayer, officer roll call, and family recognition. Each year, invited dignitaries provide keynote remarks at the ceremony.

The Indian Country Law Enforcement Officers Memorial was first dedicated on May 7, 1992, at the Indian Police Academy then located in Marana, Ariz. The academy and memorial were later moved to their present site, where the latter was re-dedicated on May 6, 1993. The memorial’s design is based upon indigenous design concepts. Comprised of three granite markers sited within a circular walkway lined with sage, a plant of spiritual significance to many tribes, the memorial includes four planters filled with foliage in colors representing people of all nations. The planters represent the four directions and are located near the walkway’s entrance.

The earliest inscribed name dates back to 1852. In addition to those from BIA and tribal law enforcement, officers listed represent numerous law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Border Patrol, the New Mexico State Police, the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office, the U.S. Customs Bureau, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A list of the names inscribed on the Indian Country Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial is available at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers’ website.

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WASHINGTON – The Department of the Interior announced today that the Bureau of Reclamation is awarding a construction contract of almost $62 million for part of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in New Mexico to increase the supply of clean drinking water to surrounding communities.

“This contract is a big step toward completing the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project, which is a top priority as it fits into the administration's commitment to improving infrastructure,” U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke said. “The project is critical to providing a much-needed, long-term, sustainable water supply for people on the Navajo and Jicarilla Apache reservations and the City of Gallup. It is also the cornerstone of our commitments under the Navajo Nation San Juan River Water Rights Settlement.”

The contract was awarded to Oscar Renda Contracting Inc. of Roanoke, Texas. It covers Block 9-11, an integral component of the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project. When completed, the entire project will consist of approximately 300 miles of pipeline, two water treatment plants, 19 pumping plants, and multiple water storage tanks.

Under the new contract, Reaches 9 through 11 of the San Juan Lateral portion of the project will include construction of approximately 28 miles of 48-inch and 42-inch diameter water transmission pipeline between the community of Naschitti, New Mexico to the Twin Lakes, New Mexico area. Work on this segment of the project is anticipated to begin in January 2018 with completion scheduled for March 2020.

Upon completion of the entire Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project in 2024, Block 9-11 will include turnouts to provide water to the communities of Naschitti, Buffalo Springs, Tohatchi, and Mexican Springs.

“This contract on a critical infrastructure project is the result of tremendous work by our Reclamation team and partners,” said Alan Mikkelsen, Reclamation’s Acting Commissioner. “The Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project will improve the safety and quality of life by providing an increased supply of clean drinking water to communities within the project area.”

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PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have approved an extension lease for the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) which enables operation of the coal-fired power plant to continue through December 22, 2019. Without the extension, activities to retire the plant would be required to begin in the coming year.

The Department of the Interior bureaus approved the extension lease following an environmental review which concluded earlier this week. The Navajo Generating Station Extension Lease Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Findings of No Significant Impact were issued for public review and comment from October 5 to November 3, 2017. Comments were received from 10 entities. Minor corrections and clarifications to the EA were made where appropriate.

Under the extension lease approved today, coal combustion at NGS will cease by December 22, 2019. Retirement of the facility would then begin, to be completed by December 22, 2024. The lease provides five years for the Salt River Project Agricultural Improvement and Power District to complete plant retirement and 30 years for long-term monitoring and remediation.

While the extension lease does not authorize coal combustion after December 22, 2019, efforts are continuing between the Navajo Nation and NGS stakeholders to develop agreements for post-2019 operations, which would require appropriate approvals and environmental review. Reclamation and BIA are monitoring developments to anticipate potential impacts to those who historically have received benefits from NGS operations, including Navajo and Hopi stakeholders and other Tribal interests.

An electronic copy of the revised EA and signed FONSIs are available at www.usbr.gov/ngs.

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