Court Ruling Undermines Tribal Sovereignty, Self Determination on Environmental Protections

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A recent court ruling allowing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to strip Tribal authority over environmental regulatory programs on Tribal lands disregards Tribal sovereignty and the right to make decisions affecting their lands, water, wildlife, and communities.

"Oklahoma is home to 38 federally recognized Tribal nations, each a sovereign government with a long tradition of caring for its lands, waters, and wildlife. Allowing the state to regulate Tribal lands without engaging these nations undermines that sovereignty and shuts them out of decisions about their own lands and resources. Oklahoma's conservation future depends on the state treating Tribal nations as partners, not bystanders," said Matt Wright, executive director of the Conservation Coalition of Oklahoma.

"Tribal nations are sovereign governments with inherent rights of self-determination in protecting natural resources that sustain their communities and cultural heritage," said Garrit Voggesser, senior director of Tribal Partnerships and Policy at National Wildlife Federation. "Respecting Tribal sovereignty is fundamental to advancing conservation that honors Indigenous knowledge, treaty rights, and to strengthen the government-to-government relationship between Tribes and the federal government."