Summary: 

• Last week, USDA’s Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) held its final meeting of 2025 during the Intertribal Agriculture Council’s (IAC) Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV. The various TAC subcommittees (e.g. Ranching, Farm Production, and Conservation Subcommittee) provided a recap of their activities and priorities. TAC members and those in attendance raised concerns and offered recommendations and comments to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) representatives. Please see the Highlights in the Tribal Consultation section of the full policy brief for more details.

• The FDPIR Tribal Leaders Consultation Work Group also held its final government-to-government consultation of the year with USDA at IAC’s Annual Conference. Tribal leaders and USDA consulting officials discussed this Tribal leaders thanked USDA for the availability of funds during the government shutdown but also raised several concerns related to last year’s supply chain disruption, which impacted all Tribes operating FDPIR. Tribal leaders wanted to ensure the availability of food supplies in times of crisis going forward, particularly for smaller tribes and those located in remote areas. USDA officials acknowledged Tribal challenges and committed to partnering with Tribes to improve program transparency and service. The public comment period for this consultation will remain open until January 9, 2026. Any Tribal leaders wishing to submit written comments or remarks to USDA regarding FDPIR can email their comments to sm.fn.tribalaffairs@usda.gov.

• The IFAI Policy Brief is taking a brief Holiday break. IFAI will be out celebrating the holidays from Wednesday, December 24 through Monday, January 5. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for all of our updates in 2026.  Happy Holidays from IFAI!

Outreach Calendar

Highlights

USDA Tribal Advisory Committee (TAC) Meeting – IAC Annual Conference on Dec. 8, 2025

TAC members made several recommendations and observations to USDA during the meeting, including: 

• The TAC recommended that USDA provide additional consultation opportunities for the proposed Department of Agriculture reorganization. TAC members noted that although Tribal consultations did occur during the government shutdown, these consultations coincided with both the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN) and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) convenings, limiting complete tribal participation.

• The TAC requested that a subcommittee be formed for Tribal beef cattle producers.

• TAC members identified that Small Business Administration (SBA) funds were too limited for agricultural producers.

• The TAC also noted that the shutdown compounded backlogs for approvals of forest management plans and agreements. The TAC requested that USDA address this backlog expeditiously.

• During the public comment period of the TAC meeting, commenters raised issues related to (1) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administration of the National Animal Health Laboratory Network; (2) implementation of a real-time food delivery tracking system for the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR); (3) the impact of Office of Management and Budget Memo M-25-36 on USDA’s obligation to consult with Tribal Nations; (4) the impact of The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21) on food assistance for Tribal communities, particularly SNAP considerations, and (5) the need for a Stafford Act amendment to include food supply chain disruptions as an eligible emergency for expedited responsiveness for food emergencies.

Congressional Hearings: 

There are no Congressional hearings relevant to Tribal food and agriculture this week.

Looking Back:

There were no Congressional hearings directly related to Tribal Food and Agriculture scheduled last week.

Looking Ahead:

There are no Congressional hearings directly related to Tribal Food and Agriculture scheduled this week.

Nominations:

Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Consultive Committee 

Description: The purpose of this body is to ensure that the interests of U.S. stakeholders are considered in the development of positions and policy relative to U.S. participation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO). 

Deadline: Nominations will be accepted at any time.

Regulatory/Rule Making Actions:

Title: Expanding Access to Risk Protection (EARP) 

• USDA’s Federal Crop Insurance Corporation (FCIC) is requesting comments on an EARP final rule that took effect on Nov. 30. 

• The changes are intended to update, streamline, and clarify several crop insurance regulations such as area risk protection insurance regulations, common crop insurance regulations, and forage seeding crop insurance provisions.  

• FCIC will accept comments by close of business on Jan. 27, 2026. 

Posted: Week of Dec. 1 

Read more HERE.

Title: Notice of Funding Availability for Credit Assistance Under the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program  

• USDA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is soliciting letters of interest from eligible entities like state, local, and Tribal governments, seeking credit assistance from the EPA.  

• There are five key priorities under the WIFIA program, including (1) providing safe drinking water and improving water quality; (2) advancing local, regional, and state water priorities.  

• EPA approximates $6.5 billion will be made available for approved projects.  

• LOIs will be reviewed on or after December 29, 2025.  

Posted: Week of Dec. 1 

Read More HERE.