GRIC Hosts National Tribal Forum on Air Quality

GRIN Staff

The 2023 National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTFAQ) took place at the Gila River Resorts & Casinos—Wild Horse Pass May 1 through 4.

The NTFAQ is a cooperative endeavor co-sponsored by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), with funding made available by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and sponsor contributions, including the Gila River Indian Community.

The NTFAQ brings together tribes from around the nation to network and participate in pre-conference training, workshops and breakout sessions on air resource management, climate protection, air quality, air monitoring and more.

GRIC served as the hosting tribe for NTFAQ and organized off-site field trips, offering more opportunities for participants to learn about the Community and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

The DEQ office is home to five departments: the Air Quality Program, Water Quality Program, Pesticide Control Office, Waste Management Program and Wildlife and Ecosystem Management Program.

The DEQ showcased the work of these departments through Community outreach efforts and ongoing projects, including the GRIC DEQ Educational Center. During the NTFAQ conference, attendees toured the MAR 5 Interpretive Trail, Sacaton Air Monitoring Station and Huhugam Heritage Center. Visitors also had the opportunity to learn about GRIC’s historic water settlement and its impact on the local Community.