AIANTA and USDA Forest Service announce Funding Opportunity and RFP to Support the NATIVE Act
AIANTA and U.S. Forest Service seek to fund Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises and native nonprofits that will enhance and integrate cultural tourism/cultural recreation to empower Native American communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (August 2, 2022) – The American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) and the USDA Forest Service (USFS) have jointly announced the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the U.S. Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act Grant. This program will award grants of up to $250,000 out of a total funding amount of approximately $900,000 and is intended to advance the intent and purpose of the NATIVE Act through supporting and investing in efforts to enhance and integrate cultural tourism/cultural recreation to empower Native American communities and to advance the National Travel and Tourism Strategy. The program seeks applications from Tribal Nations, Tribal Enterprises and native nonprofits that border and/or have historic ties to USFS managed lands and USFS Regions.
For full details of the U.S. Forest Service/AIANTA NATIVE Act Grant program, RFP timeline and instructions on how to apply, please visit aianta.org.
“We are thrilled to be part of this initiative to provide direct support to Native Nations to build on interpretive and cultural heritage tourism development projects in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service,” said Sherry L. Rupert, AIANTA, Chief Executive Officer.
AIANTA will award grants between $25,000 and $250,000 to advance cultural heritage and traditional values of Tribal Nations through recreation and tourism efforts on U.S. Forest Service lands. Selected projects must be completed by December 31, 2024. AIANTA and the USFS will hold a webinar in August for those interested in applying.
Founded in 1998, AIANTA was established by tribes for tribes to address inequities in the tourism system. Governed by an all-Native board of directors, AIANTA serves as a united voice for the $14 billion Native hospitality sector. AIANTA’s priorities are; 1) to provide technical assistance and training, research, and publications to American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities engaged in tourism and hospitality; 2) to facilitate conversations with the Native communities, federal agencies, non-profit associations, and elected officials on the economic and cultural importance of a healthy hospitality industry; 3) to highlight the importance of visiting authentic Native destinations, including cultural, heritage, historic, and artistic sites; and 4) to generate awareness, interest and demand for these destinations with domestic and international travelers, the travel trade and the media. www.aianta.org
U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.