Task H Findings and Recommendations
H13 Finding
Recommendation ■ Extend contracting periods for the USFS and BLM to provide tribes the ability to secure long-term supply of forest harvest/ biomass material. ■ Conduct an independent review of start-up funding requirements to establish long- term landscape scale TFPA/GNA cross boundary projects. Recommendation ■ Update BIA forestry documents and structure to address new authorities and procedures for tribes to directly carry out forestry program functions. Recommendation ■ Maine tribes should be serviced by the Midwest Regional Office. Recommendation ■ Congress should conduct a review to identify if tribes should have the option of being treated under the same rules as other landowners or be compensated for unfunded mandates.
Many tribes have lost the manufacturing infrastructure necessary to support Forest Management Activities on reservation lands. ■ The same lack of infrastructure limits the ability of tribes to effectively implement landscape scale co-management activities on neighboring Forest Service and BLM lands. Infrastructure investments are limited because tribes cannot secure seed funding and long-term management contracts with federal agency partners.
H14 Finding
In light of increased self-governance for tribes, the founding DOI documents for BIA forestry are potentially outdated.
H15 Finding
Maine tribes are geographically removed and not served well by the BIA Eastern Regional Office.
H16 Finding
Tribes do not have the opportunity to be treated as other landowners under the ESA and this can result in additional costs of management as well as unfunded mandates.
Replanting success in a burned area on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Washington state. PHOTO CREDIT: VINCENT CORRAO
160 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
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