Announcement: Pala Band Hosted Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference

PALA, CA – The Pala Band of Mission Indians and the Pala Environmental Department announce Pala Band Hosted Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference.

Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference

The Pala Band of Mission Indians and the Pala Environmental Department were honored to host the 2022 Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference in Lake Tahoe from October 27-29, 2022.

Working with staff from EPA Region 9 (Pacific Southwest), we organized a successful event that welcomed over 400 in-person attendees and over 150 virtual participants. The conference included over 70 breakout sessions on air, water, solid waste management, grant management, and more.

Keynote Speakers

Events included our welcome plenary session, with remarks from USEPA Region 9 Administrator Martha Guzman, and USEPA Assistant Administrator for Research and Development, Chris Frey; a screening of the documentary Inhabitants, followed by a Q&A with Michael Kotutwa Johnson, Ph.D., who was featured in the film; and the Conner Byestewa Jr. Awards Banquet, which featured a keynote speech by Dr. Johnson.

This year’s Conner Byestewa Jr. Award winners were John Flores, Environmental Director for the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians; Camilo Perez, Pesticide Programs Director for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, and Mervin Wright, Jr., Executive Director of Pyramid Lake Fisheries for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe.

We were also entertained and inspired by songs and poetry from Jessa Calderon (Chumash and Tongva).

Thank you

We would like to extend our gratitude for the support of Chairman Robert Smith and the Pala Executive Committee in making this conference a success.

This conference would not have been possible without the hard work of the Pala Environmental Department staff: Heidi Brow, Tina Fernandez, Alexis Wallick, and Darold Wallick. Tribal consultant and Event Coordinator David Bernie deserves our gratitude for managing the website, artwork, organization, and more.

2023 Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference

The 2023 Tribal EPA Region 9 Conference will be hosted by the Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians. Cristina Torres, Ryan Krantz, and Michael Lawrence of Viejas assisted us this year, and we have our deep appreciation for their help.

Pala Environmental Department
For more information, contact the Pala Environment Department:
760-891-3510 | ped@palatribe.com | ped.palatribe.com

Pala Band of Mission Indians
For more information, contact the Pala Band of Mission Indians:
760-891-3500 | www.palatribe.com