Navajo lawmakers approve green jobs commission

WINDOW ROCK – Navajo Nation lawmakers have voted to create a commission to support green jobs on the reservation where half of the work force is unemployed.

The legislation sponsored by Tribal Council Speaker Lawrence Morgan garnered a nearly unanimous vote from delegates Tuesday (July 22) during their summer session.

A separate bill to establish a fund for the commission has yet to be heard.

The commission isn’t expected to be fully functioning for at least a couple of years while community needs and the economic landscape are surveyed.

The commission will approve and allocate funds for small-scale projects that could include a textile wool mill, farmers’ market or renewable energy plants.

The measure now goes to Navajo President Joe Shirley Jr.