Task H Findings and Recommendations
H5 Finding
Recommendation ■ Assess reform options for changing
Fire suppression tactics implemented by Incident Management Teams (IMTs) are destroying thousands of acres of Indian forest land. ■ These outside teams with no direct relationship to the reservation land and resources are risk averse and often prefer indirect attack using backfires far from the fire front. ■ This often results in the destruction of many acres of tribal forestlands that did not need to be burned to contain the fire. The need for Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) funds has increased significantly due to more frequent and larger wildfires on Indian lands but funding is insufficient and there are barriers to administering funds. ■ BAER funding is often insufficient to meet emergency needs. Burned Area Rehabilitation (BAR) funding comes too late. ■ The policies and procedures for administering these funds are not aligned with the timing needs for project implementation. ■ The BIA seems to only have two staff dedicated to these processes. Some tribes express interest in selling timber using direct log sales instead of selling stumpage. ■ BIA’s timber sales policies and procedures are designed for stumpage timber sales unless the tribe has established a tribal forestry enterprise under CFR 163.13. BIA’s process for creating and securing approval of tribal enterprises can be overly complex and involve multiple reviews and delays.
command structure, tribal liaison, and the decision-making process to include greater tribal participation when IMTs are deployed to wildfires on or near Indian trust lands. ■ In delegating authority to IMTs, tribal leadership should be allowed to include provisions which consider unique tribal values and a higher-level requirement for protection of trust resources. Recommendation ■ An independent review of the adequacy of BAER and BAR funding and staffing for Indian lands is needed and necessary actions taken to ensure sufficient funds are allocated to fulfill the Secretary’s trust responsibility and NIFRMA’s statutory objective of maintaining Indian forest land
H6 Finding
in a perpetually productive state. ■ Reform policy and procedures for
administering BAER and BAR funds to align with project implementation requirements.
H7 Finding
Recommendation ■ BIA forestry regulations and policy restricting delivered log sales need to be reviewed and reforms implemented to facilitate timely creation of forestry enterprises or other acceptable processes for log sales. BIA needs to improve communications to provide other current options for log sales.
Task Findings and Recommendations 157
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