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Figure B.7. Hazardous fuel accomplishments and funding ($2020) including RTRL. Source: Funding from Jeff Rupert, DOI Office of Wildland Fire, Accomplishments from Mark Jackson, BIA. Note that reporting standards changed in 2020.
database were not available when this report was prepared. The proportion of forested tribal lands in the consolidated BIA Pacific Northwest Region ranks highest among the ownerships, slightly worse than on Forest Service lands. For the other Regions, the BIA lands fared better, typically ranking lower than the other ownerships. However, like most other ownerships, the land in this hazard category has been increasing since 2010 due to increasingly harsh field conditions. Across tribal forests only, the percentage of acres in High/Very-High Wildfire Hazard Potential rating grew by 5% nationally over the last ten years, with the Southwest Region (9%) growing the fastest, followed by the Pacific Northwest Region (2%). This 5% increase is second only to the National Forests which increased at almost twice the rate (9%), but outpaces other federal lands (2%). State, local, and private lands saw no increase or an actual decrease over the same time.
since 2013 (Figure B.7). The large accomplishment in 2020 reflects a change in accomplishment reporting to align with other agencies as well as inclusion of treated non-forest acres following DOI policy guidance in January 2019. The 2020 on the ground accomplishment for forested acres are in line with previous years. A persistent problem has been the inability of tribes to expend the funds they have been allocated due to HR delays, lack of Contracting and Awarding officials, tribal employment priorities and late distribution of funds (Task A and C). Table B.4 suggests that 41% of Indian forests, or about 8 million acres are in High/Very-High Wildfire Potential. Although a significant amount of that area was likely impacted by the wildfires during the 2015-2020 period (Figure B.6), the hazardous fuel reduction program will need a significant and sustained boost to treat the remaining high hazard areas if they are to be protected within the next 10-20 years.
The large severe fires in the Pacific Northwest Region in 2020 are a likely reflection of the severe weather conditions although suppression policies and forest condition likely contributed. Tribes have regularly identified wildfire hazard/risk as a major concern and offered many examples of successful fuels management programs; however, tribes also regularly expressed frustration at their lack of ability to treat more of the mounting acres of fuel hazard given lack of funding, staff time and capabilities, cooperation from the BIA where needed, and a marketplace for harvested materials. Tribes have also been concerned about suppression strategies that ignore tribal values. Backlog in Treatment of Hazardous Fuels Acres treated for hazardous fuels on forested lands increased following the large increases in wildfire funding in the early 2000’s but accomplishments have fallen since 2010 to a trough in 2013 and have largely stagnated
88 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
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