Tribal High Priority Projects Program
Year
|
2013
|
2014
|
Authorization (GF)
|
$ 30 M
|
$ 30 M
|
Program purpose
New program, modeled after the former regulatory Indian Reservation Roads High Priority Projects Program, to provide funding to Indian Tribes or a governmental subdivision of an Indian Tribe whose annual allocation of funding received under the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Tribe, or to any Tribe that has an emergency or disaster occur on a tribal transportation facility that renders the facility impassible or unusable.
Statutory citation(s): MAP-21 §1123
Funding features
Funds are authorized to be appropriated from the General Fund, to remain available until September 30 of the third fiscal year after the year appropriated.
Project funding is limited to a maximum of $1 million per application.
The cost of an emergency or disaster project must be at least 10% of the Tribe's TTP fund distribution. Emergency or disaster projects are also limited to the estimated cost of repairing damage to the tribal transportation facility.
Federal share: 100%.
Eligible activities
Repair or reconstruction of eligible facilities in the national inventory of tribal transportation facilities.
Funds may not be used for—
- transportation planning;
- research;
- routine maintenance activities;
- structures and erosion protection unrelated to transportation and roadways;
- general reservation planning not involving transportation;
- landscaping and irrigation systems not involving transportation programs and projects;
- work performed on projects that are not included on an approved transportation improvement program (TIP), unless otherwise authorized by the Department of Interior (DOI) and the Department of Transportation (DOT);
- the purchase of equipment unless otherwise authorized by Federal law; or
- the condemnation of land for recreational trails.
Program features
Eligible applicants
- An Indian Tribe or governmental subdivision thereof, whose annual allocation of funding under the TTP is insufficient to complete the highest priority project of the Tribe.
- An Indian Tribe that has an emergency or disaster with respect to a transportation facility included on the national inventory of tribal transportation facilities.
Project applications
An applicant may have only one application for assistance pending at any one time. Application must include:
- Project scope of work, including deliverables, budget, and timeline.
- Amount of funds requested.
- Project information addressing the ranking criteria or the nature of the emergency or disaster.
- Documentation that the project is on an eligible facility, official tribal action requesting the project, and authorization for DOI to place the project on a TIP if selected and approved.
- Any other information DOI and DOT deem necessary to make a determination.
Ranking criteria
A project scoring matrix will be used to rank applications, based on the following:
- Existence of safety hazards with documented fatality and injury accidents.
- Number of years since the Tribe last completed a construction project funded under 23 USC 202.
- Readiness of the Tribe to proceed to construction or bridge design need.
- Percentage of project costs matched by funds that are not provided under the TTP (with a higher ranking for projects with a greater percentage of other sources of matching funds).
- Amount of funds requested (with a higher priority to projects requesting lesser amounts).
- Challenges caused by geographic isolation.
- All weather access for employment, commerce, health, safety, educational resources, or housing.
Funding priority
- Applications are due no sooner than 60 days after funding is made available.
- Within the limit of available funding, DOI and DOT will jointly produce a priority list ranking approved projects.
- Unaccepted applications will be returned to the Tribe with explanation of deficiencies.
- All applicants will be notified of project selections within 180 days after applications are due.
Priority will be given to an emergency or disaster project application, which may be submitted at any time during the fiscal year. If such an application is submitted after the priority list is issued and funds are distributed, and the project is determined eligible for program funds, DOI will provide funds for the project when unobligated funds provided to projects on the list are returned to DOI. An emergency or disaster project means damage to a tribal transportation facility that—
- renders the tribal transportation facility impassable or unusable;
- is caused by a natural disaster over a widespread area; or a catastrophic failure from an external cause; and
- would be eligible under the emergency relief program (23 USC 125), but does not meet the required funding thresholds under the emergency relief program.