Tribal Consultation
Collaborative, Considered Tribal Consultation Services
Tribal consultation services for finding common ground that moves your project forward.
When done correctly, Tribal consultation is a two-way government-to-government dialogue that spans the regulatory process, acknowledges Tribal sovereignty, and is driven by a “meaningful, good faith” approach. Consultation impacts projects across many markets and sectors, but especially the renewable energy market (specifically solar, wind and battery storage projects), as well as transmission projects. Many undertakings involving facility development, maintenance, or re-development also require consultation.
Our team has familiarity with the challenges consultation can entail, and the experience to handle them successfully. We act as your proactive partners from your project’s initial planning stages, providing holistic support, guidance, and agency to all participating parties. This promotes better communication, stronger relationships, and successful projects.
In addition to assisting with formal agency Tribal consultation work, we can also help facilitate consultation and communication outside of the federal regulatory process on your behalf as auxiliary support toward overall stakeholder consultation and outreach.
Our team can assist you with all aspects of the Tribal consultation process, including:
Introductory Letters and Documentation
The consultation process typically begins with a formal letter from the federal agency official to the corresponding Tribal official—often the Tribal leader, with the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) or their equivalent included.
We can expedite this step by collaborating on your behalf with agency personnel to finalize the letter’s contents, handle its movement through the postal system, and track resultant responses.
When helping facilitate communication on your behalf outside of the federal regulatory realm, our team can also assist with introductory letters and documents of coordination.
Structuring Meetings
Tribal consultation may occur across different media, including in-person or virtual meetings, emails, telephone conversations, site visits, and written correspondence.
Our experts can help you explore the best options, get in touch with Tribal representatives, and enable multiple meetings throughout your project’s regulatory process.
Documentation of Consultation
The consultation process requires agencies to document all efforts to initiate, carry out consultation and maintain records regarding attendance, meeting content, site visits, and other aspects.
To continue streamlining your project, our team will track this component, facilitating overall regulatory compliance and minimizing delays.
Outcome Management
Our experts will work with you, the agencies, Tribes, and other stakeholders to define appropriate identification methods for the types of resources (e.g., historic properties, traditional cultural properties, and landscapes) that may be present in a project's area of potential effects.
We can also assist in evaluating or supporting the evaluation for these resources where impacts cannot be avoided and help develop suitable mitigation strategies when eligible properties or sacred places will be adversely affected.
Relationship-building
The scope and scale of your projects may bring you into contact with the same stakeholders repeatedly.
Our team can help identify legacy problems, locations of concern, and flashpoint issues that may arise during project development, and provide strategies and support to help you navigate these areas and strengthen your relationship with Tribal groups and agencies.
Cultural Resource and Heritage Management Solutions for Major Projects
Chronicle has completed hundreds of projects involving tribal consultation. Although the majority of our tribal consultation work involves projects in California, as well as the Southwest, Intermountain, and Pac-West regions, we have worked for Tribal nations across the U.S. Tribal nations consulted have included the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, the San Carlos Apache Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and the Coushatta Tribe of Louisiana.
Tribal Consultation on Bureau of Land Management-owned Land
We were commissioned by the BLM to conduct an ethnographic study of Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, exploring the region’s long-standing importance to multiple Tribes, including the Koi Nation, Elem Indian Colony, Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, and Middletown Rancheria. Chronicle reached out to tribal representatives, conducted interviews, and revisited sites that held deep cultural, spiritual, and historical importance.
Tribal Outreach for Large-Scale Solar Project
Chronicle facilitated Tribal consultation outside the NHPA Section 106 process by contacting consulting Tribes on behalf of our client. Using virtual or in-person meetings per each Tribe’s preference, we set meetings between Tribes and the client to introduce the project, address each Tribe’s questions and potential concerns, and foster development of independent long-term relationships between both parties. The lead federal agency acknowledged our outreach efforts on behalf of its client and its willingness to collaborate with all stakeholders.