Not only are the tribal forests important for economic activity, but these same forests are also needed for fuelwood, pinyon nuts, range forage and other items. Fish, wildlife, range, and water are as important to tribes, so these programs must be integrated into each, and every forest management action assessed and implemented. Recreational, cultural and aesthetics are also valuable components. The ability to hunt and gather are integral parts of not only the survival of the culture of tribe, but the subsistence life of tribal members. Issues and Opportunities for Tribal Forests Many issues and opportunities face the tribes and the future of their forests. The following issues make the management of forests complex. ■ Climate change causing extreme weather conditions and difficulties in regenerating native species with uncertainty about future climate conditions. ■ Wildfire and other catastrophic events that are causing unprecedented destruction at a scale and severity uncharacteristic of historic disturbance regimes. ■ Staffing and funding issues make it challenging to maintain allowable harvest from tribal forests losing tribal income from forests and the economic activity and services it provides. ■ Lingering effects of the changes in federal harvest policies in the 1990’s that led to many mill closures, continues to affect programs which contribute to the continuing inability to offer the entire annual
A regeneration harvest unit for the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde in western Oregon. PHOTO CREDIT: TIM VREDENBURG
both within the BIA and within the US Forest Service, many landscape treatments can be implemented. This will protect tribal lands from within and from the outside. It will also provide tribes with opportunities to influence management on adjacent federal lands where many have treaty or reserved rights. ■ Identify new visions for use of the tribal forests. These issues and opportunities, along with many more, will be discussed in detail throughout the assessment.
access to milling infrastructure, particularly in the drier forests of the Inland West and Southwest. But many opportunities also exist. ■ Carbon sequestration is gaining popularity across the country and a few tribes have embraced it and found it to be successful. With an estimated 138 million tons of carbon on tribal commercial forest lands, there are many opportunities. ■ Tribes are finding that integrating their programs with local National Forest lands through the various authorities
26 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
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