The National Wildlife Federation works on several conservation projects with Native American tribes, including protecting the Powder River Basin, cultivating the next generation of conservation leaders through tribal education programs, and conserving the Colorado River. NWF also works to develop a natural resource strategy with the Our Natural Resources coalition of tribes to restore and protect tribal lands nationwide. Recent successes include the restoration of bison to tribal lands in Montana and partnering with the Cocopah Tribe to restore habitat along the Colorado River.

1. SOME OF OUR CURRENT PROJECTS
PROTECTING THE 13,500 SQUARE-MILE POWDER RIVER BASIN
Home to peregrine falcons, sage grouse, swift fox, and bald and golden eagles. A rush to
extract fossil fuels is sacrificing this Montana-Wyoming watershed to irresponsible energy
development. In response, NWF mobilized a coalition of tribes, ranchers, farmers, hunters and
anglers that are fully engaged in stemming reckless coal development in the Basin. NWF also
is expanding the fight beyond the Basin, linking the Basin Coalition with tribes and activists
along the proposed coal export route - from Wyoming through to Pacific Northwest ports.
CULTIVATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATION LEADERS
NWF empowers tribal educators and students to become the next generation of environmental
stewards - engaging them to protect habitat and fostering leadership. In Arizona, New Mexico,
Montana, and the Dakotas, NWF collaborates with tribal schools and colleges to implement
NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat®, Access Nature™, and Eco-Schools – USA programs. NWF’s
WHAT WE DO environmental curriculum is adapted to traditional tribal agricultural practices, native
plant uses, tribal language and traditional relationships with the land and heightens Native
MISSION: NWF partners with sovereign American student involvement in science and natural resources curricula. The initiative
tribal nations to solve today’s conservation broadens the diversity of, and cultural understanding between, conservationists.
challenges for future generations. CONSERVING THE COLORADO RIVER
The Lower Colorado River contains the best remaining native habitat on the river for
NWF works nationwide with tribes migratory neotropical songbirds, waterfowl, and other wetland birds, including threatened and
conserving species and habitat, endangered species. Essential to tribes, the Colorado River sustains tribal subsistence, cultural,
safeguarding wildlife, advancing land economic, and recreation activities. The river is critically threatened by development, over-use,
invasive species, and climate change. To help staunch the damage, NWF and the Cocopah
stewardship, and protecting water
Tribe have restored native riparian habitat, helping to revive the river for the wildlife and
resources. people who depend on it. NWF gathered a tribal coalition to focus on the problem and craft a
vision that would restore the river, engendering resilience to climate and human threats.
NWF engages the next generation
GALVANIZING A STRATEGY TO CONSERVE THE NATURAL RESOURCES OF ALL TRIBAL NATIONS
of conservation leaders throughout
With the tribal coalition Our Natural Resources (ONR) (pronounced “Honor”), NWF is
its programs. With tribes, NWF developing, providing outreach, and implementing a natural resource strategy to restore
conservation education sustains and and protect the environmental health and productivity of all tribal nations. Together we
promotes tribal culture. are working to reshape relationships between tribes and other natural resource managers,
to ensure consistent support and resources for tribal conservation efforts nationwide, and to
safeguard wildlife. NWF is the only non-tribal member of this important coalition.
PHOTO CREDITS:

2. RECENT SUCCESSES WHY NWF’S TRIBAL PROGRAM?
BISON RETURN TO MONTANA’S FORT PECK & FORT The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is the only
BELKNAP TRIBAL LANDS national conservation organization that partners
The recent move restores an iconic North American with tribes to protect wildlife, habitat, and cultural
species to the landscape, a species emblematic of resources and to address energy and climate issues.
Native American culture. The bison carry with them
not only wildlife diversity, but also a renewed way NWF and Tribes are leading the way to new and
of life. This is the fruition of more than 20 years of effective wildlife conservation. With 95 million
Partnering
NWF working with tribes and other partners. We acres – 11 million acres more than the U.S. National
are now working with the Shoshone and Arapahoe Park Service – tribal lands present significant
Tribes to restore wild bison to the Wind River opportunities for conservation.
Reservation in Wyoming.
POWDER RIVER BASIN
Tribal sovereignty affords tribes the freedom and
authority to choose conservation over environmentally
harmful activities. With deep cultural connections
With
NWF partnered with the Northern Cheyenne
Environmental Protection Department (EPD) to
make the Tribe one of the first EPA-designated
Climate Showcase Communities in the U.S. Activities
and passion for the natural world, tribes are the
pacesetters for wildlife conservation. Tribes
included community trainings on energy efficiency,
solar air heater construction and installation, straw
bale construction and updating and renovating the
EPD building to be energy efficient.
HABITAT RESTORATION WITH COCOPAH TRIBE
Partnered with the Cocopah Tribe to restore 150
acres of native, riparian habitat along the Colorado
River on their reservation to protect endangered
species and wildlife.
LEARN MORE &
CONNECTING NATURE, CULTURE & CURRICULUM:
TRIBAL ECO-SCHOOLS SUPPORT OUR WORK
The STAR School just west of Leupp, AZ (Navajo Your financial support makes our tribal partnerships
Nation) is the first tribal Eco-School, a Green Ribbon possible. Visit our website at www.nwf.org/
School and also the first solar-powered K-8 charter tribalprogram
school in the U.S. No power lines come to the
school; all of the buildings on campus are powered Or contact Garrit Voggesser, NWF Tribal Lands
by an array of over 100 solar panels and two wind Program National Director, by email at
generators. Students learn about solar and wind voggesser@nwf.org or phone at (303) 441-5161.
power at all grade levels.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION