Tribal environmental spokesman to speak at Democratic luncheon
Monday's Democratic Luncheon will kick off Earth Week with a presentation by Clifford Banuelos, Tribal-State Environmental Liaison for the Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada (ITCN) with the State of Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP). In that role he works with bureaus under NDEP and the Tribes of Nevada to coordinate and consult on environmental projects and concerns. He also works with the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), which NDEP falls under. Under DCNR are also Nevada State Lands, Nevada State Parks, Nevada State Historic Preservation Office, Nevada Division of Water Resources, Nevada Division of Forestry, and many other divisions. Over time he has developed long-term relationships with numerous tribal and non-tribal governments and agencies, giving him a thorough understanding of tribal government structure, programs, and emergency management.
In addition to his NDEP and DCNR activities, Clifford serves as a liaison between Nevada Tribes and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Activities related to that role include coordination of training, gathering and sharing information from and to Tribes, technical support to Tribes for grant and plan writing, and helping to escalate issues from state matters to regional matters such as the Thacker Pass Lithium Mine and Anaconda Copper Mine Superfund cleanup. His work requires him to interact with numerous federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Interior (DOI), the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFW) and many agencies, both federal and state, including the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
From 2013 to 2017, Clifford was Environmental Coordinator for the Elko Band Council of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone in Nevada. In that position he worked with many of the same agencies and acted as the Tribe's Emergency Manager. In that role he made many contacts with emergency management agencies, and was a member of the Nevada Inter-Tribal Emergency Response Committee (ITERC). During his time as the Environmental Coordinator, Clifford was a member of the EPA Regional Tribal Operations Committee (RTOC), and was the Nevada representative on the National Tribal Operations Committee (NTOC), which acted as a national tribal advisory committee for the EPA, the American Indian Environmental Office (AIEO), and the Office of Tribal and International Affairs (OITA). He was also the NTOC representative on the National Tribal Toxics Council (NTTC). Before 2013, he worked for the Elko Band as their Transportation Planner, Grant Writer, and Emergency Specialist. In his years working as the Emergency Specialist, from 2003-2008, he worked with the Nevada Division of Emergency Management (NDEM), FEMA, and other governmental agencies.
Clifford Banuelos grew up in Sacramento. He studied Journalism at Sacramento Community College and Sacramento State University. Before moving to Elko in 2001, he was employed in the financial industry, including at Wells Fargo, The Money Store and E*Trade. He is a member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone in Nevada. His grandfather was the tribe's last traditional Chief, Frank Temoke Sr. His mother, Evelyn Temoke-Roche, raised him to respect the air, water, ground, animals, and plants. Being a Western Shoshone wada-diki newe (people) is a quintessential aspect of who he is. He has Mexican heritage on his father’s side, also an important part of who he is. His father was involved in the Chicano rights movement under Cesar Chavez in the 1960’s and 70’s, which is one reason why social justice is of such importance to him.
Sponsored by the Democratic Men's Committee, this event is scheduled for 1:00 PM on Monday, April 18th, and can be attended either in person at Black Bear Diner, inside Max Casino, or online via Zoom. Clifford will take the floor after all the lunch orders have been taken, around 1:30. Those wishing to be on distribution for luncheon Zoom links should email Rich Dunn, Men's Committee Events Coordinator, at richdunn@aol.com.
- AIEO
- American Indian Environmental Office
- Anaconda Copper
- Announcements
- Bureau of Land Management
- Clifford Banuelos
- DCNR
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- Department of Interior
- Department of Transportation
- Division of Environmental Protection
- Division of Forestry
- Division of Water Resources
- DOI
- DOT
- Earth Week
- Elko Band
- Emergency Manager
- Environmental
- Environmental Coordinator
- Environmental Protection Agency
- EPA
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- FEMA
- grant
- Inter-Tribal Council of Nevada
- Inter-Tribal Emergency Response Committee
- ITCN
- ITERC
- Lithium Mine
- National Tribal Operations Committee
- National Tribal Toxics Council
- NDEP
- Nevada
- Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
- Nevada State Lands
- Nevada State Parks
- NTOC
- NTTC
- OITA
- PLAN
- Regional Tribal Operations Committee
- RTOC
- Superfund
- Te-Moak Tribe
- Thacker Pass
- Transporta
- Tribal-State Environmental Liaison
- US Fish & Wildlife Service
- US Forest Service
- USDA
- USFW
- Western Shoshone
- writing