Secretary of Natural Resources Office

ᏂᎬᏩᏍᏓ ᏓᏓᏁᏜᏅ ᏗᎦᏘᏯ ᏧᏂᎸᏫᏍᏓᏁᏗᎢ

ᎡᎳᏗ ᎠᎴᏃ Ꮭ ᎡᎺᏏᏂ ᎤᎾᏙᏢᏒᎢ

The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation (DOT). Established to provide financial and technical assistance to public transportation systems, the FTA announced in 2017 the availability of competitive grant funding opportunities specifically for the purchase of low or no emission vehicles and related supply equipment.  Subsequently, the Office of the Secretary established appropriate partnerships and designed a program plan in conjunction with the Cherokee Nation Roads Department. In 2018 the FTA listed The Cherokee Nation as an approved funding recipient and CN staff began working diligently on the project.

Our Low or No emissions program focuses on connecting rural Cherokee citizens to jobs in urban locations via clean energy transit options.  Cherokee Nation will supplement current transportation fleet with zero emissions electric buses, which will operate on established rural routes.  The “Low No” project will align closely with our Volkswagen project to support long-term sustainability goals and maximize funding opportunities.  We will satisfy reporting obligations as required by grant parameters, viewable in our public notices section