Task D Findings and Recommendations
D4 Finding
Recommendation ■ Increase capacity TPA funding to a level that allows each tribe to fully staff their timber sale program. ■ An expanded BIA National timber team (see D1) could assist in getting shelf- ready timber sales through the sale layout process. ■ Streamline the process for creating and securing BIA approval of tribal forestry enterprises.
Lack of additional timber sales that are “shelf ready” makes it difficult to take advantage of fluctuating market conditions. ■ Few tribes have more than one year’s access to commercial volume available for marketing purposes reducing the opportunity to capture high market conditions. ■ Few tribes complete the sale layout of their Allowable Annual Cut volume and have annual revenues losses (see Tasks A & F). ■ Most tribes lack the funding to fully staff their timber sale preparation programs (see Task A). Many tribes do not use the BIA Timber Sale Handbooks and at the same time many do not have their own specific handbooks for guidance. The exception is the ITARA tribes which have developed guidance documents. ■ When tribes use BIA handbooks it is for specific issues such as trespass or rights- of-way. ■ There is inconsistency between the BIA regions in understanding of the roles, policies, manuals, and handbooks at different levels of self-governance.
D5 Finding
Recommendation A better understanding of the governance structure that is required for contracted and compact tribes would streamline actions taken by the tribes. ■ BIA needs to acknowledge that tribes operating under P.L. 93-638 contracts and compacts are not required to comply with BIA policies, manuals, and handbooks (see Task G). ■ For contract and compact tribes, BIA review of timber sale documents for approval needs to be through the lens of self-governance rather than adherence to manuals and handbooks. Compact and contract tribes can develop their own program standards, policies, and procedures. ■ BIA should support workshops that will help tribes develop their own manuals and handbooks. Recommendation ■ TAAMS or an alternative system should be developed to track planting and other silvicultural activities. ■ For tribes who want to continue using TAAMS, the BIA should continue to provide the service for entering data into the program.
D6 Finding
TAAMS is a complicated system for timber sale accounting that requires specific training. ■ Many tribes that use TAAMS provide information to a BIA staff person for data entry into the program. ■ The current TAAMS system does not track planting and other silvicultural activities. ■ Most tribes that use TAAMS would prefer an alternative system to TAAMS.
Task Findings and Recommendations 113
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