Bio & Mission

We are the Tribes of Arizona, California, and Nevada whose lands fall within what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) designates as Region 9 (Pacific Southwest). Region 9 includes 148 federally recognized Tribal Nations. EPA’s Region 9 main office is located in San Francisco, with multiple smaller offices throughout the region. Together, the Tribes and EPA work to develop and support the capacity of Region 9’s sovereign Tribal nations to implement environmental protections for air, water, solid waste management, and more.

The Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference is a collaborative partnership between the Tribes of Region 9 and the EPA. The conference brings together Tribal leaders, Tribal environmental professionals, and EPA staff to cooperate, collaborate, renew old partnerships, and form new ones.

The mission of the Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference is to bring together Tribal leaders and Tribal environmental professionals with Region 9 EPA staff to cooperate, collaborate, learn, and partner to support Tribal environmental programs. Along with the quarterly Region 9 Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC) meetings, the annual conference provides a forum for Tribes and EPA to work together to support Tribal environmental programs.

The first Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference was held in 1993. It is the annual meeting for Tribal environmental professionals and U.S. EPA staff from Arizona, California, and Nevada.

The Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Annual Conference is proudly co-hosted by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the direction of the Viejas Environmental Department and in cooperation with EPA’s Region 9 Tribal Branch.

Region 9 Tribes and U.S. EPA Together in Partnership