An active timber sale on the Quinault Reservation. PHOTO CREDIT: TIM VREDENBURG
contracts and compacts under the authority of the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 (ISDEAA- P.L. 93-638 as Amended). Under these Indian self-determination (contracts) and self-governance (compacts) arrangements, there is no longer direct BIA involvement in program operations and these tribes do not have to follow BIA Manuals and handbooks (GAO- 19-87 Indian Programs). There are a few forestry programs that are hybrid in nature having both BIA and tribal components under various organizational structures. Under the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act of 2016 (ITARA- P.L. 114-178) the implementation of self-governance is taken a step further by providing the authority
for tribes to conduct forest management activities under tribal forestry regulations instead of federal requirements. This further advanced the ISDEAA in tribal management of trust forest lands. Under ITARA and an approved Indian Trust Asset Management Plan (ITAMP), most of the ‘inherent trust functions’, previously exclusive domain of the BIA, are now performed under tribal authority. With ITARA and an approved ITAMP, tribes are authorized to carry out forest land management
activities under tribal law and tribal forestry regulations without approval of the BIA. For instance, management under an ITARA/ITAMP provides the opportunity to address environmental compliance under tribal law and tribal forestry regulations providing a potentially streamlined, much less expensive and burdensome approach. ITARA provides opportunity to exercise full tribal self-determination and strengthen tribal sovereignty in the management of Indian
“I’m encouraged by us being able to manage our forests in our own way, by talking to our own people.” —IFMAT IV focus group participant
Task Findings and Recommendations 141
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