Prepared by Nashoba Consulting, LLC for Alaska Venture Fund (November 2025)
Context and Purpose
Tribal governments across Alaska and the broader United States possess deep place-based expertise, sovereign authority, and cultural knowledge essential to public land management and environmental stewardship. Yet, participation in federal decision-making has often been constrained by process complexity, limited resources, and inconsistent agency engagement.
The Cooperating Agency Roles for Tribes Handbook was developed to address that gap. It provides Tribes with clear, practical guidance on how to use “cooperating agency” status as a tool to influence environmental impact statements (EISs), land-use plans, and other National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) processes managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The Handbook complements — not replaces — government-to-government consultation and other statutory rights (including those under ANILCA and the National Historic Preservation Act).
Its purpose is to empower Tribes to engage earlier and more effectively in decisions that affect traditional territories, resources, and ways of life — ensuring that Indigenous knowledge, values, and priorities shape the stewardship of public lands.
The Handbook will provide supporting information for the three main aspects of cooperating agency status:
- Becoming a cooperating agency.
- Negotiating an agreement.
- Participating in a NEPA process as a cooperating agency.