Tribal Liaison Program

The NRC shares the Federal government's unique Trust Relationship with, and Trust Responsibility to, Indian Tribes. Under the Federal Trust Doctrine, the United States – and the individual agencies of the Federal government – owe a fiduciary duty to Indian Tribes. As the NRC does not hold in trust Tribal lands or assets or provide services to federally recognized Tribes, it fulfills its Trust Responsibility through implementation of the principles of the Tribal Policy Statement, by providing protections under its implementing regulations, and through recognition of additional obligations consistent with other applicable treaties and statutory authorities. The NRC Tribal Liaison Program is comprised of a series of initiatives designed to ensure that the NRC fulfills this commitment. The program’s key functions include outreach, consultation, program development and management, and knowledge management and training. The Tribal Protocol Manual supports these efforts by providing NRC staff with practical guidance for respectful and consistent engagement with Tribes.

The NRC Tribal Relations Team facilitates and promotes the implementation of the Tribal Liaison Program, which consists of Intergovernmental Liaison Project Managers (Tribal Liaisons). The Tribal Relations Team can be reached here or individually as seen in the table below.

Roles and Responsibilities for Intergovernmental Liaison Project Managers

• Serve as the primary contact for federally recognized and non-federally recognized Tribes and other Federal agencies (e.g., U.S. Department of Interior - Bureau of Indian Affairs; U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) - Federal Emergency Management Agency, and others) when performing joint Tribal engagement activities
• Disseminate information to Tribal governments to assist in NRC regulatory decisions
• Coordinate and promote Tribal outreach efforts
• Collaborate and maintain Tribal contact database for NRC communications
• Lead and facilitate working groups and committees on agencywide topics relevant to Tribal governments
• Promote and facilitate consultations with Tribal governments

For more details about the Tribal Liaison role, see TR-100 Tribal Liaison Roles and Responsibilities.

Each NRC regional office has a designated Regional State Liaison Officer (RSLO). While the RSLO's primary role is to facilitate communication between the NRC and State governments, they also work to build relationships and maintain ongoing communication with federally recognized Tribes that are affected by or have an interest in NRC activities within their region.