Findings and Recommendations Task J Findings and Recommendations
J5 Finding
Recommendation Promote cross-boundary relationship building in areas with greatest need of restoration. ■ Conduct comprehensive assessments of the entire landscape to inform research and build support for reference documents such as the USFS 10-year wildland fire strategy that identify areas with greatest risk fire, insects, disease, development/ encroachment, etc. and focus relationship building efforts in these zones if they do not already exist. ■ Successful examples of tribes working with their neighbors included examples where the tribe entered an MOA/MOU with their local national forest, which included their aboriginal territories, so they could be part of their IDT process for forest plan revision. ■ Meaningful and regular coordination and collaboration with tribes is critical to maintain the government trust responsibility. ■ Better define adjacency and provide baseline training and resources for grants and agreements staff. ■ Land management organizations and agencies adjacent to tribal lands should integrate TEK and indigenous ways of knowing into their land management practices. ■ Consider small scale projects such as the development of signage that includes local native languages or teachings on interpretive materials that are public facing. This could help initiate relationships among federal and tribal entities for small scale tangible benefits. Actions that call out contemporary tribal connections to the land are especially important in recognizing modern day tribal communities.
Poor on-the-ground collaboration exists between tribes and their neighbors where relationships are lacking. ■ This can be especially problematic in places that are in desperate need of forest restoration. Often there are collaborative hurdles to surpass, for instance historical relationships or poor cross-cultural dialogue, in areas that surround tribal lands. ■ There could be past events that make it challenging for different groups to come together and partner on a project, or misunderstandings, or, quite frankly, harsh feelings towards other entities that block any positive relationship building.
194 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
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