The San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority aims to provide tribes with equitable access to the Measure AA Grant Program and the benefits that Measure AA projects provide.
Our agency serves a region that encompasses the unceded homelands of the Ohlone, Miwok, Wappo, and Patwin speaking people, who were the original inhabitants and stewards of these lands for thousands of years. Their descendants are represented today by approximately 30 Tribal bands. We recognize that tribes have experienced state sanctioned violence and racism that have excluded them from the San Francisco Bay shoreline, and have made Bay stewardship, access to outdoor spaces and natural resources, preparation for climate change, and representation on decision making bodies extremely difficult.
Equitable access to our programs can increase access to outdoor spaces, protect cultural resources, institute traditional stewardship, and fund more projects led by tribes along the San Francisco Bay shoreline.
Tribal Engagement Recommendations
In May 2024, the Governing Board of the Authority passed Resolution 123 adopting Tribal Engagement Recommendations that staff developed in collaboration with the region’s California Native American tribes and tribal organizations. The Recommendations include potential actions the Authority can take to improve access to San Francisco Bay shoreline projects for tribes. Specific actions are incorporated into annual staff work plans that are approved by the Governing Board. We welcome ongoing input from tribes on how Authority staff can best provide tribes with equitable access to the Measure AA grant program.
Tribal Engagement Recommendations
Interim Tribal Consultation Policy
In May 2023, the Governing Board of the Authority adopted an Interim Tribal Consultation Policy as an initial step toward a more comprehensive approach to working with Tribes while the Tribal Engagement Recommendations were in development. The policy states that the Authority's Executive Officer shall send project notification letters to Tribes with interest in the county in which projects are located and offer the opportunity to consult with staff regarding the proposed project, using the Native American Heritage Commission’s Tribal Consultation List as the basis for determining which Tribes to notify. It also establishes the staff position of Tribal Liaison, to be staffed by the State Coastal Conservancy’s Tribal Liaison, to serve as the main contact for Tribes, and the Tribal Liaison shall seek to ensure that outreach and consultation occur regularly and consistent with this policy.
Interim Tribal Consultation Policy
The Authority may enter into a grant agreement with federally recognized tribes and nonprofit organizations. However, other tribal organizations may be engaged in our grant programs in other ways, such as through fiscal sponsorships.
