Task J Findings and Recommendations
J6 Finding
Recommendation Create a specific non-competitive funding source for tribes to obtain that facilitates building relationships with neighbors. ■ Limit the funding sources that make tribes compete with each other for resources as this is counterinitiative to the sentiments behind federal trust responsibility and tribal development.
Funding is a key challenge in building successful relationships with partners. ■ Collaboration and applied management on federal lands is continually challenged by funding and support for ESA/NEPA issues. Tribes already struggle to complete these requirements on trust lands as they are an unfunded mandate. ■ Additionally, RTRL projects are not free from litigation by environmental groups and this is a further hinderance to cross boundary cooperative and collaborative project development. In some cases, statewide injunctions for multiple years can end already established, approved, and funded cross-boundary projects. ■ Tribes may benefit from opportunities to use 638 contracts with the USFS and enter into co-management agreements if consistent sources of funding can be identified. However, 638 projects remain unfamiliar to the USFS and have yet to receive broadscale implementation. ■ Implementation of co-management projects should utilize authorities which allow tribes to retain timber receipts (Good Neighbor Authority with proposed amendment) which will facilitate continuation and expansion of co-management activities through self-funding.
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