ELI Announces Partnership to Advance Government-to-Government Consultation in State and Local Decisionmaking
April 2023
(Washington, D.C.): The Environmental Law Institute (ELI), the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO), and Dr. Jamie Donatuto, community environmental health analyst for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, today announced their partnership with two California Native American Tribes—the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians, and the Pechanga Band of Indians—in a groundbreaking project to advance tribal sovereignty and cultural resource protection in state and local environmental decisionmaking.
ELI Receives Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Grant to Advance Racial Equity and Justice for California Native American Tribes
January 2022

(Washington, D.C.)—Tribal citizens’ physical, mental, and spiritual wellness is tied to environmental health, food sovereignty, and cultural identity. Yet, state and local environmental agencies regularly make decisions that impact the health and wellness of tribal communities without engaging in meaningful government-to-government consultation.

New Toolkit Helps Cities Address Climate Change & Food Waste Simultaneously
August 2021

(Washington, D.C.): Throughout the United States, our towns and cities are on the front lines when it comes to addressing food waste and climate change. Recognizing the link between these two challenges, the Environmental Law Institute has released a new report that will help towns and cities address these challenges simultaneously—in their climate action plans.

Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs: Initiatives

Initiatives

Nashville Food Waste Initiative

The Nashville Food Waste Initiative is a pilot project of the Natural Resources Defense Council to develop high-impact local policies and on-the-ground actions to address food waste. NRDC and Urban Green Lab, a local partner, run the Initiative, and ELI serves on the Initiative's leadership team.

About the Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs

History

In 1986, with funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, ELI founded the Center for State, Local, and Regional Environmental Programs to promote the important agenda of supporting subnational governments and sovereign tribes in managing natural resources and implementing and enforcing the laws governing environmental protection. The Center's unique approach highlights ELI’s in-depth knowledge of state, tribal, and local environmental law and programs, and supports the growing need for guidance and analysis of these protection efforts.

Giving Green Streets the Green Light: Improving Water Quality Through Capital Improvement Policies
Author
Cynthia R. Harris and Christina Libre
Date Released
June 2019
Giving Green Streets the Green Light: Improving Water Quality Through Capital Im

The vast majority of assessed water bodies across the United States are designated as impaired. Cities contribute to the problem with stormwater runoff from roads, buildings, sidewalks, and other impervious surfaces polluting our rivers, lakes and streams. Indeed, many localities are on the hook to meet a gamut of regulatory requirements, from MS4 permits to TMDLs in order to reduce polluted runoff. Innovative localities are turning to green infrastructure practices to reduce flooding, control erosion, and prevent polluted runoff from entering streams and other waterbodies.