Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation

The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation is an independent agency of the United States government created to preserve and extend the public-service legacy of Morris K. Udall. Its work centers on environmental policy, conservation and public lands, natural-resource stewardship, and the rights, health, self-governance, and policy leadership of American Indian and Alaska Native communities. The Foundation’s formal name is the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy Foundation, while “Udall Foundation” is the shorter name commonly used for the agency. Congress established the Foundation in 1992 to commemorate Morris Udall’s three decades of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2009, Congress amended the agency’s name to include Stewart L. Udall, Morris Udall’s brother and a former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, recognizing Stewart Udall’s own contribution to environmental protection, public lands policy, and Native American affairs. The Foundation is governed by a presidentially appointed Board of Trustees whose members are appointed with the advice and consent of the Senate. Its statutory purpose is captured by the motto “Scholarship and Excellence in national environmental policy.” The agency combines educational awards, professional development, policy research, public programming, and dispute-resolution services. Its best-known activity is the Udall Scholarship, which recognizes undergraduate students who have demonstrated commitment to environmental careers or, for eligible Native American and Alaska Native applicants, tribal public policy or health-care careers. The program provides scholarships and honorable mentions, and selected scholars participate in an orientation program that connects them with peers, public officials, environmental leaders, and Native American policy and health professionals. The resulting alumni network is intended to support continuing professional relationships beyond the award itself. The Foundation also operates or supports programs directed toward Native American and Alaska Native students and public servants. The Native American Congressional Internship Program gives participants practical exposure to federal decision-making through placements in congressional offices, committees, executive departments, and the White House. Related work includes support for tribal leadership education and policy research through the Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy, a collaboration with the University of Arizona that grew out of research associated with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Environmental education and public engagement are advanced through Parks in Focus, which introduces young people to national and state parks and encourages sustained appreciation of natural resources. The Foundation also convenes conferences and discussions on current environmental and Native American issues. Through its relationship with the University of Arizona’s Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy, it supports environmental policy research and environmental conflict-resolution work. The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution provides assessment, mediation, facilitation, and related services for federal environmental disputes. The Foundation’s activities are financed through separate mechanisms. Educational programs are supported primarily by interest from a congressional trust fund, supplemented where permitted by private donations. The conflict-resolution institute is supported by annual federal appropriations and fees for services. Unlike a commercial brand, the Foundation does not sell consumer products or compete for market share; its institutional identity is associated with public service, merit-based education, environmental stewardship, tribal self-governance, and nonpartisan policy capacity-building.

The Foundation was established by an act of Congress in 1992 as a memorial to Morris K. Udall, who represented Arizona in the U.S. House of Representatives for thirty years. The institution was designed to honor his influence on environmental protection, public lands, natural-resource policy, and Native American rights and self-governance. Rather than operating as a conventional memorial organization, it was created as an independent federal agency with a continuing programmatic mission. From its inception, the Foundation’s purpose linked educational opportunity with excellence in national environmental policy. Its scholarship and fellowship activities were intended to develop future professionals in environmental fields, while its Native American and Alaska Native programs supported people pursuing tribal public policy and health-care careers. The agency also developed public-facing environmental education and convening activities, including programs that connect young people with national and state parks and events focused on contemporary environmental and Native American issues. The Foundation’s mission broadened institutionally in 2009, when Congress amended its name to include Stewart L. Udall. Stewart Udall served as U.S. Secretary of the Interior and was recognized for his major role in federal environmental, public-lands, and Native American policy. The revised name formally connected the agency’s work with the public legacies of both brothers while retaining its scholarship and environmental-policy mandate. A central part of the Foundation’s educational identity is the Udall Scholarship. The program is aimed at promising college sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated commitment to environmental careers or, where applicable, to tribal public policy and Native American or Alaska Native health care. University nomination, written essays, academic records, and recommendations form part of the competitive selection process. Award recipients take part in an orientation in Tucson, Arizona, where they meet other scholars and engage with public officials and leaders in environmental and tribal affairs. The program also maintains an alumni network intended to support long-term professional exchange. The Native American Congressional Internship Program extends the Foundation’s leadership-development role into the federal workplace. Its ten-week placements expose Native American and Alaska Native participants to government operations through assignments in congressional offices, committees, Cabinet departments, and the White House. The program is designed to give participants practical knowledge of federal decision-making and to strengthen future capacity in tribal governance, law, education, health, justice, natural-resource protection, and economic development. The Foundation’s policy role is carried out through affiliated and supported institutions. The Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy at the University of Arizona conducts work related to environmental policy and conflict resolution. The Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy, founded by the Foundation and the University of Arizona, focuses on leadership education for tribal officials and research relevant to Native governance and policy. The U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution supplies assessment, mediation, facilitation, and related services intended to help resolve disputes involving federal environmental matters. Its governance reflects its federal status. The President appoints the Board of Trustees with Senate advice and consent. The board has thirteen members, including eleven voting members, with appointments structured to draw on congressional recommendations and expertise in environmental resources, Native American and Alaska Native health, tribal policy, and self-governance. Educational work is supported primarily through interest generated by a congressional trust fund, while the conflict-resolution institute relies on appropriations and service fees. The Foundation therefore combines memorial, educational, policy, and administrative functions rather than functioning as a commercial enterprise.

• 2009

  Stewart L. Udall added to the official name

  [1]Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Congress amended the Foundation’s name to recognize Stewart L. Udall’s public service, particularly his work involving environmental protection, public lands, and Native American affairs.

• 1992

  Foundation established by Congress

  [1]Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundationen.wikipedia.org

  Congress created the Foundation to honor Morris K. Udall’s thirty years of service in the House of Representatives and to advance education and excellence in national environmental policy.

A noncommercial federal public-service institution positioned at the intersection of environmental leadership, conservation policy, Native American and Alaska Native affairs, merit-based education, and collaborative conflict resolution.

• Scholarship

  Udall Scholarship

  A competitive undergraduate scholarship for students committed to environmental careers, and for eligible Native American and Alaska Native students pursuing tribal public policy or health-care careers. Applicants are nominated by their universities and submit essays, academic records, and recommendations. Scholars also participate in an orientation and gain access to a professional alumni network.

• Internship

  Native American Congressional Internship Program

  A ten-week federal-government internship for Native American and Alaska Native participants. Placements may involve congressional offices, committees, executive departments, or the White House, giving interns direct exposure to federal decision-making and policy fields affecting tribal communities.

• Environmental education

  Parks in Focus

  A youth-oriented program that brings young people into national and state parks to build familiarity with public lands and encourage a durable, sustainable appreciation of the nation’s natural resources.

• Conflict resolution

  U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution

  A Foundation-associated service that assists with federal environmental disputes through assessment, mediation, facilitation, and related collaborative methods. Its work is supported through federal appropriations and fees charged for services.

• Tribal leadership and policy education

  Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy

  A Foundation and University of Arizona initiative focused on leadership education for tribal leaders and research on Native governance and public policy. The institute developed from research programs associated with the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development.

1. 1Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundationen.wikipedia.org