Tribal Transportation News
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A big THANK YOU to all of you who have served and those who continue to serve our great country! Cross Timbers Consulting is proud to have three staff members who have served. |
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Tom Edwards served in Air Force and Navy Seabees for 22 years of total service. |
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Rachael Cooper served
as a Civil Engineering Officer in the Air Force 2009-2014.
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Chuck Tsoodle served in the Army National Guard 1961-1967. |
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ITA has a new website address!
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Updates from Mary Beth Clark, President:
The ITA Annual meeting is approaching quickly. The Virtual meeting will be December 7-9, 2021. You can find the draft agenda and registration on the website www.tribaltransportation.weebly.com. Please understand you will need to have your membership paid before the meeting in order to run and vote for a vacant position. ITA is excited for the upcoming Annual Meeting 2021!
o Officer Positions up for election: President and Treasure.
o Regional Representatives will be decided by respective tribes of a particular Region.
Current Membership expires November 30, 2021. As always, new membership for FY2022 is for December 1, 2021 to November 30, 2022. You can locate the new membership form on the website. Form and payment is mailed to ITA Treasurer, Sara Yockey. When your membership is paid, the Annual Meeting will be free when you register.
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ITA October Monthly Meeting
November 18, 2021
10:00am (PDT)
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ITA Annual Virtual Meeting
December 7-9, 2021
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Thank you to all who joined us in our Walking Challenge in October! As a group, we walked over 2000 miles! We wanted to share a couple of participants' experiences with you: |
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From the top finisher with over 210 miles:
With October being National Pedestrian Safety Month I wanted to accept Cross Timbers Challenge of walking 21 miles to recognize pedestrian safety. The day before the start of October I also accepted a challenge of walking 100 miles to promote firefighter health. So, I accepted both challenges thinking that I was not going to put a lot of effort into it but found something more.
I begin the challenges with a personal goal of achieving 3.3 miles a day. The first weekend I begin walking at the local high school track with my son, Hudson. We walked and talked the entire time and before I knew it, we had 3 miles completed. I was shocked that we had walked that much but I really enjoyed that time with my son. Through out the course of the month I set new goals: my wife and I would get up early and walk 2 miles before work; I would get at least another mile at work using our treadmill desk; and then walk another 2 miles with my wife and/or kids after work. Many times, I surpassed all my goals and halfway through the month I had achieved over 100 miles. At this point, I was feeling physical and mentally strong, so I set a new goal for myself and that was to accomplish 200 miles by the end of the month. My family was very encouraging and made numerous comments that I looked and acted healthier and happier.
I would encourage anyone in our indigenous communities to begin walking. It is a great way to mentally decompress, become healthy and have more energy. Here at the Pawnee Nation, we have our Community Health Relations (CHR) Department that holds different healthy lifestyle activities throughout the year, and I am sure other tribal nations have something similar. Taking advantage of these opportunities will help you to become healthier and spiritually refreshed.
I was inspired to do the challenges just to do the challenges but what I found a niche where I could spend time with my family and improve my well-being at the same time. By the end of the month, I found myself healthier and spiritual happy through this experience. I hope everyone that participated in the challenges found them as rewarding as I did. It all starts with one step.
Chris McCray
Pawnee Nation
Transportation Manager
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From Mary Beth Clark:
It looked like a fun challenge since I usually walk all the time anyway. I walk for various reasons such as maintaining my health, enjoying the fresh air that helps my body rejuvenate and clears the brain. Looking at nature makes me appreciate what mother earth gives each of us which many of us takes for granted. The Nez Perce Tribe continues to support and encourages healthy lifestyles; our tribe offers fitness time during our lunch breaks that many employees take part in. Another reason I walk is my fur baby “Chester” loves to stretch his legs each day too; if I don’t give him walks, he is a pest all night long.
It was fun to participate!
*Photos were taken on the Clearwater River on the Nez Perce Reservation near Spaulding, Idaho.
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Tribal Land Staff National Conference |
Join us for the 11th Tribal Land Staff National Conference to be held April 5-7, 2022 at the Mystic Lake Center, located in the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community near Minneapolis. Mark your calendars now and make plans to attend, sponsor or exhibit at this important national event. |
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Be sure to check out LTAP classes coming up soon! They have classes ranging from MUTCD, Excavation Safety, Construction Project Management, and Traffic Incident Management. Classes are free but you MUST register in order to attend! |
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Free Webinar: Wednesday, November 17
Topic: NEPA as a Planning Tool
The Indian Land Tenure Foundation will host a live webinar on using the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) as a planning tool. The webinar is on Wednesday, Nov. 17 from Noon until 2 p.m. central time. It is available at no cost but participants do need to register in advance.
This 90-minute webinar will focus on using NEPA as a planning process for tribal actions. The six-step planning process will be introduced and applied to the required content of NEPA analysis and documentation: purpose and need (defining the problem and objectives); identifying alternative solutions; analyzing current environment;
and analyzing beneficial and adverse effects of alternatives.
The six steps in the process are:
- Identifying problems and opportunities
- Specifying the criteria for decision-making
- Formulating alternative solutions to the problem
- Evaluating alternative solutions
- Selecting and implementing the best solution
- Evaluating effectiveness of the solution
Participants will have the opportunity for questions and discussion with the presenter.
Presenter:
Judy Kurtzman is a Senior Instructor of Environmental Law with the Shipley Group, consultants with more than 35 years of experience in NEPA compliance.
More information:
The webinar will be moderated by Nichlas Emmons, Program/Development Officer with the Indian Land Tenure Foundation. It will be conducted live via Zoom and will last approximately two hours. The webinar is presented free of charge by ILTF, but all participants must register in advance.
To register now, please click the link below. Questions about the webinar can be directed via email to nemmons@iltf.org.
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Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) Program
The Federal Highway Administration today published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) in the Federal Register for $100 million for the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) Program.
The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-Act) established the program to provide federal financial assistance for the construction, reconstruction or rehabilitation of transportation projects providing access to or located next to or on federal or tribal lands.
Under the NSFLTP, the federal share of a project can be up to 90 percent and must be used to improve the condition of a critical transportation facility. Projects over $50M are encouraged but the program will accept project applications $25M or higher. Federal lands and tribes can apply directly for grants under the program. States and local agencies may also apply, but only if sponsored by a federal land management agency or tribe.
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Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO)
FTA announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $25 million through the American Rescue Plan to help public transportation agencies return service from COVID-19 suspensions in ways that can best serve their communities.
Under FTA's Route Planning Restoration Program, funding can be used for transit route restoration planning that is designed to examine ridership following the COVID-19 pandemic, reduce travel times and make adjustments to increase the quality or frequency of transit service for low-income riders and those in disadvantaged neighborhoods or communities who may need increased service to get to jobs, shopping and health care.
Projects will be selected, in part, on their ability to increase racial equity and advance environmental justice, in support of the President’s Executive Order on "Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government." The projects will also be examined for their impact on the climate, as referenced in the President’s Executive Order on "Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad." Transit agencies will be given additional consideration for projects that clearly reassess and plan for service that connects those in underserved communities, while helping cut down on car and other trips that increase emissions, particularly in those communities, which are often the most impacted by airborne pollution.
Eligible recipients include any urbanized area formula grant (Section 5307) recipient that has reduced transit service on or after January 20, 2020, due to COVID-19. The maximum award amount for any prospective applicant may be up to $1 million and a local match is not required.
Projects will be evaluated by criteria outlined in the NOFO. Apply by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 15, 2021.
The NOFO announced the availability of $2.2 billion in discretionary funding for transit systems that need additional assistance to cover operating expenses related to maintaining day-to-day operations, cleaning and sanitization combating the spread of pathogens on transit systems and maintaining critical staffing levels.
FTA is committed to providing equal access to this session for all participants. If you need alternative formats, options, or services, please email FTAarpassistance@dot.gov.
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We would love to highlight one of your projects! Just contact us for more information about doing that.
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Presentations from the 2021 NTICC virtual conference are now available online! |
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Shawnee resident Truman Andrew Carter, 72, passed on to a life everlasting on October 31, 2021.
He was born January 16, 1949, in Pawnee to Andrew Carter and Katherine Elephant Carter. He graduated from Shawnee High School in 1967. On July 3, 1969, Truman married Audrey Jolene Carter. He received his juris doctorate degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in Norman and was an attorney since 1987.
He was preceded in death by his father Andrew Carter, his mother Katherine Elephant Carter, sister Esther Jean Carter, wife Audrey Jolene Carter, grandson Devon Carter, and brother and sister-in-law Floyd and Jacque Roland.
Survivors include 3 sons and 2 daughters-in-law, Daman and Julia Carter of Shawnee, Randle Carter of the home, and Beau and Stephanie Carter of Choctaw, Oklahoma; 3 grandsons, Taron, Logan and Easton Carter, 1 granddaughter Madison Carter; 2 Brothers-in-law, Rick Roland of Tecumseh, and Steve Roland of Tecumseh; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, other family and friends, and special friends David and Diann Hodges of Tecumseh.
He enjoyed playing baseball, fast-pitch softball and coaching his sons’ and grandsons’ youth baseball teams.
He found his passion by serving Indian tribes and Indian people. His greatest law mentors were the late F. Browning Pipestem and the late G. William Rice.
Service will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, November 6, 2021, at Aydelotte Baptist Church. Burial will be at Tecumseh Cemetery.
Memorials may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.
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FHWA OTT Virtual Vendor Booth
The Office of Tribal Transportation is excited to present our Virtual Vendor Booth! Why? To improve dissemination of basic transportation program information to the many tribal communities we serve. This Virtual Vendor Booth is also a tool that enables us to connect with you during these times when travel and meeting face-to-face is discouraged.
This booth provides a virtual welcome to the Office of Tribal Transportation and all its resources, services, and technical support, providing quick access to basic programmatic tools that tribal transportation departments routinely use. We will frequently update and tailor its’ contents to share the success of the many tribal nations that have completed transportation projects that significantly benefit their communities.
To download the Office of Tribal Transportation virtual vendor booth, please click the button below:
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Ready for 2022?
Are you ready for 2021 to be over? Ready to start planning for next year? Let us know if you would like one of our 2022 planners. Planners are available to the first 250 people who email us a request.
Just email us with your name, tribe, address, and how many planners you would like. We will put them in the mail to you.
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Click on the event name below for a link to more details |
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PO Box 567
Guthrie, OK 73044
405-969-2862
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