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Approved Volume #1

Approved Volume #2

Economic Development Plan Resolution PL 33-11

APA Outstanding Award 10/24/11

Economic Development Department

The focus of the Tribe's Economic Development Department is to create jobs & revenue for the Tribe and its members by implementing the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Plan.

Economic Devlopment Plan Approved

On March 18, 2011 the Tribal Council unanimously approved resolution
PL-33-11 adopting the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Plan.

On March 23, 2011 a copy of the approved plan was officially submitted to the Federal Government in accordance with Public Law 101-18. The approved plan includes two volumes; Volume #1 the Strategic Economic Development Plan and Volume #2 the Investment and Management Plan.

On June 17, 2016, the Tribal Council unanimously approved Resolution #PL-41-16 which formally adopted Option B of the Economic Development Plan and authorized the Secretary of Interior to distribute of 50% of the interest amount of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Economic Development Fund created by PL-101-618 to each eligible, living, enrolled member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe

PL 41-16 Resolution 

Economic Development Plan
Receives Outstanding Planning Award

The Pyramid Lake Economic Development Plan has been awarded the Outstanding Plan Award by the Nevada Chapter of the American Planning Association at the 2011 DoBoer Awards for Excellence in Planning.  The awards honor excellence in planning projects and individual initiative. Winners represent the best efforts of the planning community to affect the Silver State in a positive way.  For more information about this award please review the official press release from the Tribe.

APA Outstanding Plan Award, October 24, 2011

Economic Development Plan Wins National Planning Award

The Pyramid Lake Economic Development Plan has been awarded the 2012 Donald E. Hunter Excellence in Economic Development Planning Honorable Mention Award by Economic Development Division of the American Planning Association. The national awards panel that reviewed the plan was impressed with the overall effort particularly the Tribe’s perseverance in getting the plan adopted, the potential for real impact from the plan, and the reflection of local needs, goals, and tasks in the plan.

Nation APA Award, April 16, 2012.

Volume #1 Strategic Economic Development Plan
The purpose of Volume #1, the Strategic Economic Development Plan is to create long term profit-making opportunities, to create optimum employment opportunities, and to establish a high quality recreation area at Pyramid Lake for the Tribe and its Members. The plan is broken down into 7 key elements that are focused on accomplishing the purpose of the plan. Each element of the plan consists of generalized goals and policies that the Tribal Government can follow to create jobs and growth on the reservation. The 7 elements of the Strategic Economic Development Plan are:
Recreation and Fishing: This element of the plan is focused on satisfying the requirements of PL-101-618 by creating a high quality recreation area at Pyramid Lake. Goals included in this element seek to; add recreational facilities and amenities at Pyramid Lake, improving public safety for visitors, protecting Pyramid Lake and its fisheries, marketing Pyramid Lake as a destination, and using the natural and cultural resources to increase tourism.
Tribal Enterprises: This element is focused on improving the existing Tribal Enterprises and creating opportunities for new Tribal Enterprises to create jobs and revenue for Tribal Members. Goals included in this element seek to; separate the Tribal Enterprises from the Tribal Government, Develop new Tribal Enterprises on and off the reservation, Develop partnerships with other native Tribes, Improve the existing Tribal Enterprises, and develop partnerships with successful private industries.
Energy: This element is focused on developing energy project on the reservation to create jobs and create revenue for the Tribe. Goals included in this element seek to; lower utility costs and create revenue for Tribal Members, develop geothermal energy projects, develop solar energy projects, develop wind energy projects and develop other types of energy projects.
Good Governance and Education: This element is focused on improving the Tribal Government so that it is more attractive to outside investment and improving education on the reservation to attract and provide higher paying jobs for Tribal Members. Goals included in this element seek to; create a business friendly Tribal Government, provide quality health care on the reservation, increase access to high quality education and training for Tribal Members, creating and maintain a business regulatory structure and providing continual Economic Development and Land Use Planning services.
Industrial and Commercial Development: This element is focused on developing high quality industrial and commercial development to provide jobs for Tribal Members on the reservation. Goals included in this element seek to; create development standards, build commercial development, build industrial development, build tourism oriented development and develop new infrastructure.
Agriculture and Ranching: This element is focused on improving the agricultural and ranching industries to create additional jobs and revenue for Tribal Members. Goals included in this element seek to; provide adequate land and water resources, produce new and more profitable products, improve agricultural infrastructure, provide enhanced range management and conservation and improve range infrastructure.
Tribal Entrepreneurship: This element is focused on promoting Tribal Members to open their own businesses as a way to create additional jobs and revenue on the reservation. Goals included in this element seek to; create optimal employment opportunities for Tribal Members, create new Tribal Member owned businesses, promote Tribal Member businesses, attain 8A Business Development Program status, and creating a Tribal Member Business Owners Stakeholders group.

Volume #2 Investment and Management Plan
The purpose of Volume #2, the Investment and Management Plan is to establish in writing the policy matters concerning the use of the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund in order to maximize job creation and revenue for the Tribe and its members. There are 4 sections to this plan; Option A, Option B, Option C and the Investment Policy. Each section of the plan establishes the policy matters for the Tribe to use the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund to create jobs and growth on the reservation. In the event that the legal and administrative issues involving PL-101-618 become settled, the option in this plan that best reflects the outcome of the legal and administrative issues surrounding the Truckee River Operating Agreement (TROA) will become the Tribe’s plan for the use of the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund.
Option A outlines the Tribe’s plans to use the Pyramid Lake Paiute Economic Development Fund in the event the Federal Government allows the Tribe to distribute 100% of the interest amount of the form in the form of an economic stimulus payment to each Tribal Member. This option would become the Tribe’s plan if the United States Congress amends the law to allow this or if another branch of the Federal Government finds that this amount of individual economic stimulus payments of the interest is allowed. Option B of this plan outlines the Tribe’s plan to use the Economic Development Fund in the event the Federal Government allows the Tribe to distribute 20% to 50% of the interest amount in the form of an economic stimulus payment to each Tribal Member. This option would become the Tribe’s plan if the United States Congress amends the law to allow this or if another branch of the Federal Government finds that this amount of individual economic stimulus payments of the interest is allowed.
Option C of this plan outlines the Tribe’s plan to use the Economic Development Fund in the event the Federal Government does not allow the Tribe to distribute none of the interest amount in the form of an economic stimulus payment to each Tribal Member. This option would become the Tribe’s plan if the United States Congress does not amend the law to allow this or if another branch of the Federal Government finds that individual economic stimulus payments of the interest is not allowed. The Investment Policy section of this plan outlines the guidelines and objective for the Federal Government to follow while managing the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund.

It is important to note that the approval of an Economic Development Plan by the Tribe does not mean that the Federal Government will allow the Tribe to access the Pyramid Lake Paiute Economic Development Fund. It is also important to note that the approval of the plan by the Tribal Council does not mean that economic stimulus payments to Tribal Members will start immediately. There are many lingering legal and administrative issues involving PL-101-618 and the uses of the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund that still must be worked out. These issues include; the legality of the Tribe to be able to distribute certain funds from the Pyramid Lake Economic Development Fund for use by Tribal Members, the implementation of the Truckee River Operating Agreement, and Federal administrative reviews and legal issues concerning PL-101-618.

Additional Information and Contact

For more information about the PL Economic Development Plan or other Economic Development related inquires, please email inquiries to [email protected] or call (775) 574-1000 ext 1102.