An assessment of how Indian forests fit into the general scheme of landscape ecology and restoration
TASK J
Tribal lands make up a significant portion of the landscape management mosaic inclusive of federal, state, county, private, NGO, and in some cases other tribal lands. Tribal reservations are bordered by ~ 4,000 miles of forestlands overseen by others and in need of management to improve resiliency and to restore the ecologic function into the future. Working across ownerships in collaboration is necessary for largescale forest restoration and is the focus of many new legal authorities. “We don’t consult, we co-manage.” —IFMAT IV focus group participant This scale of landscape-level forest restoration can be accomplished through collaboration and active management when goals are to protect and enhance the resilience of the ecosystem through detailed planning, focused investments, and the application of silvicultural practices. These efforts must occur across various spatial and temporal scales to protect and enhance tribal resources for future generations. In this assessment section the team used several terms, landscape ecology and restoration, that could have multiple interpretations, thus definitions are included for context. Guided by these definitions the team sought to provide context on how tribal forests fit into cross-boundary forest ecology and restoration
Giant sequoia trees are culturally significant to the Tule River tribe but are susceptible to stand replacing wildfire events. The Tule River tribe in south central California entered into a co-stewardship agreement with the adjacent USDA Forest Service Sequoia National Forest. The agreement protects tribal interests and promotes cross boundary fuels reduction projects. PHOTO CREDIT: SERRA HOAGLAND
Task Findings and Recommendations 185
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