Annual Secretary’s Tribal Consultation Meeting provides opportunity for dialogue with Wisconsin tribes on transportation matters

July 3, 2012

Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) Secretary Mark Gottlieb, along with representatives of federal and state agencies, recently met with leaders of Wisconsin’s 11 tribes to discuss topics of concern and interest to the tribes on transportation-related matters.

The June 20th meeting at Legendary Waters in Red Cliff brought together state tribal chairs and council members, WisDOT officials and tribal liaisons, and representatives of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Each year since 2005 WisDOT has held annual consultation meetings with Wisconsin tribes. The meetings are held in accordance with Executive Order 39, which affirms the government-to-government relationship between the Wisconsin tribes and the State of Wisconsin, and the WisDOT Tribal Partnership Agreement that outlines the processes and emphasis areas to work on collaboratively and cooperatively.

Secretary Gottlieb reported progress for the year, including the establishment of a Tribal Labor Advisory Committee to provide recommendations to the agency regarding approaches to promote Native American labor opportunities on WisDOT projects. He talked about five intergovernmental agreements resulting in several state programs, including the Tribal Transportation Safety Program, Tribal Task Force, Tribal Historic Preservation Program, statewide crash data and analyses, and the National Summer Transportation Institute. Secretary Gottlieb also affirmed WisDOT’s commitment to building a strong state and tribal partnership, saying, "We will continue to work together to develop and ensure an effective, efficient and long-term consultation framework."

In addition, WisDOT Tribal Liaisons reported on the ongoing initiatives in the areas of transportation safety, business and labor development, economic development, cultural resource protection, and training.

Upcoming WisDOT events are the Tribal Historic Preservation Project Listening Session on November 7-9, 2012 in Keshena, and the Tribal Transportation Conference on December 11-12, 2012 in Lac du Flambeau. Both events are open to the public.

For more information about WisDOT’s Tribal Affairs, contact Tribal Liaison Kelly Jackson at (608) 266-3761 or visit the WisDOT web site.

For more information, contact:
Kelly Jackson, WisDOT Tribal Affairs
(608) 266-3761, kelly.jackson@dot.wi.gov