FAQ

The 2023 Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Conference is co-hosted by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The conference is being held at the Viejas Casino & Resort located on The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians’ Reservation. The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians, one of the remaining 12 bands of the Kumeyaay Indian Nation, resides on a 1,600-acre reservation in the Viejas Valley, east of the community of Alpine in San Diego County, California. The Viejas Band is recognized as a sovereign government by the United States, with which it maintains a government-to-government relationship.

Click HERE to learn more about the Kumeyaay Nation

The hybrid Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Conference is being held from October 24-26, 2023.

The Conference is being held at the Viejas Casino & Resort in Alpine, CA on the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians’ Reservation, and online through Accelevents, a hybrid virtual conferencing platform.

Yes. The hybrid Conference is combining an in-person and virtual (online) experience. All sessions will be live-streamed through the Accelevents hybrid platform.

A hybrid conference is a conference that combines an in-person component with a virtual (online) experience. Registrants will be able to attend the conference in person or through our online platform Accelevents.

Accelevents is an all-in-one virtual (online) and hybrid events platform.

No, you do not have to work for a Tribe or the U.S. EPA to attend.

The agenda will be available on the Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Conference Agenda page.

2023 Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Conference In-Person Registration Fees:

Early Bird (through July 31, 2023): $300
Regular (between August 1 – October 22, 2023): $350
Late (between October 23 – October 26, 2023): $400
Virtual (online only): $100

Online Registration Refunds:
NO REFUNDS will be made for online-only registrations.

In Person Registration Refunds:

Refund request received:

– by August 31, 2023: 100% refund of the registration price, minus a 10% processing fee.
– between September 1 and September 30, 2023: 50% refund of the registration price, minus a 10% processing fee.
– after October 1, 2023: 0% refund of the registration price. (NO REFUNDS will be issued.)

There is no deadline for registration, but registration fees will increase as we get closer to the conference date.

Yes, we will have on-site registration.

We accept all major credit cards or payments by check.

We prefer payment by credit card at the time of registration, but you will also be able to pay by check after you register.

Payment by credit card is made online as part of the registration process. Payments by check should be made out to “Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians” and sent to:

Viejas Environmental Department
1 Viejas Grade Road
Alpine, CA 91901

You may submit your proposal using the online submission form.

The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2023.

We will announce which submissions have been selected by October 1, 2023.

Your presentation materials will be uploaded to the Accelevents virtual event platform, which will be accessible to all conference registrants. We will send upload instructions when we notify you that your session has been accepted.

Yes. Presenters who do not work for a Tribe or for U.S. EPA may partner with someone who does to submit a session proposal.

Yes. We are offering presenters the option of a fully virtual presentation, a hybrid presentation with some presenters in person and some participating remotely, and a fully in-person presentation. All presentations will be live-streamed so that those who aren’t able to attend in person can still see all the sessions.

You may nominate a person or organization using the online form.

Nominations are due by September 30, 2023.

Nominees must work for a Tribe or Tribal organization within Region 9 (Arizona, California, and Nevada).

You can read Conner’s Byestewa, Jr.’s bio to learn more.

Please visit the Viejas Casino and Resort website.

We have reserved a room block from Saturday, October 21, 2023, to Sunday, October 29, 2023, at Viejas Casino & Resort. Make reservations through our dedicated room reservations page.

The room block code is EPA2023.

To receive the room block rate, reservations must be made no later than October 14, 2023.

Rooms at the Viejas Casino and Resort are $161 per night under the Tribal EPA & U.S. EPA Region 9 Conference room block for the nights of Saturday, October 21, 2023 – Sunday, October 29, 2023. Nights outside these dates will be at a different rate.

The nearest airport is the San Diego International Airport.

Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to and from the airport. You can use a ride-sharing service such as Uber, Lyft or Sidecar. If you would like to coordinate with other attendees who may be arriving and departing at similar times, please utilize the Arrival and Departure workbooks on the Travel Page.

Please contact the 24 hour helpline at (833) 945-569 or the main line at 619-445-5400

Viejas Casino & Resort is at an elevation 2323ft

Viejas -Alpine, CA:
In October the temperature ranges from an average high of 82°F (28°C) to an average low of 59°F (15°C). Please plan accordingly.

San Diego, CA:
In October the temperature ranges from an average high of 73.2°F (22.9°C) to an average low of 61.9°F (16.6°C). Please plan accordingly.

Please check the latest National Weather Service weather forecasts and CalTrans I-8 road conditions. 

We strongly encourage everyone attending the conference to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but we will not require proof of vaccination to attend.

We will be following health regulations that may be put in place, including up to the time of the event. 

We will have hand sanitizer available throughout the conference venue, including in each breakout room.

We strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but we will not be requiring proof of vaccination to attend.