Home News December 7, 2012

Important New Tribal Consultation Tool Launched by HUD

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently launched its Tribal Directory Assessment Tool, an online resource for identifying which Indian tribes have an interest in each state or county in the United States. The tool, originally developed for HUD’s grant recipients, is available for all Section 106 practitioners to use at http://egis.hud.gov/tdat/Tribal.aspx.

Knowing which Indian tribes to invite to participate in the Section 106 consultation process has often been noted by federal agencies as a significant challenge. With just a few clicks, federal agencies will now be able to identify which tribes to consult and will also find contact information for tribal leaders and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers. This new online resource is one of the most important tools to facilitate federal agency consultation with Indian tribes.

The ACHP encourages all federal agencies to avail themselves of this resource and congratulates HUD for developing this long awaited tribal consultation resource. “This tool is a vast improvement in how we approach federally funded development to ensure the full participation of tribal communities,” said Mark Johnston, HUD’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and Development. “With just a few clicks, planners will literally be building a bridge to those stakeholders with a deep, even spiritual interest in how these lands are developed.”

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