The Southern Ute Indian Tribe’s Environmental Programs Division hosted Feb. 12-14 a grants training workshop administrated by the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education and supported with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency funding.

The training took place in the Environmental Programs Division’s new building and commenced with a blessing by Hanley Frost and opening comments by Brian Zink, the tribal Permanent Fund’s chief financial officer. Twenty-five participants attended, including program staff and grants management specialists from the Southern Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, and Northern Ute tribes, as well as the EPA Region 8 project officer and grants specialist.

The training covered financial grants management, from the application process to final closeout, with specialized training modules on accounting fundamentals for non-accountants and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs).

It was an excellent opportunity for tribal staff to work collaboratively with national EPA trainers and the regional EPA staff to increase their regulatory knowledge and improve their grant management skills. The training was effective in getting the participants on the same level to help maximize the management of EPA grant funds for the tribes.

The EPD currently has nine grants that it manages in the areas of air quality, water quality, brownfields, underground storage tanks and general assistance.