Findings and Recommendations NTFP1 Finding There is a wide range of NTFP and
Recommendation Assign an NTFP BIA staff member for each region to assist tribes with their NTFP goals. ■ This would support tribal hunting and gathering initiatives and promote health and wellbeing within tribal communities. ■ Include funding for tribal management of NTFP.
values that come from tribal forests that sustain tribal lifeways and traditions. ■ Most commonly identified NTFP include rocks, herbaceous plants, fish and wildlife species, roots, moss, fungi and tree components (bark, sap, leaves/ needles, seeds/nuts) that are harvested by the community for medicinal or subsistence purpose, or to maintain cultural traditions, ceremony and their connection to the land.
NTFP2 Finding
Recommendation Support and invest in research and development opportunities with tribal partners to promote sustainable harvest principles and ‘honorable harvest’ methods among tribal communities. Recommendation Identify and fund an independent team to seek ways that prevent further deterioration of NTFP resources. ■ Coordinate and collaborate with the FAO Indigenous Peoples’ Liaison for North America. ■ Focus on expanding access to NTFP while preventing any further loss. Recommendation Minimize threats to NTFP by supporting language revitalization programs, increased research, and development support around NTFP conservation practices and increase the level of funding and capacity to improve enforcement and monitoring of NTFP on tribal lands.
Sustainable harvest principles are widely utilized to conserve the NTFP resources.
NTFP3 Finding
Access to NTFP has steadily declined and in some cases has disappeared entirely.
NTFP4 Finding
Numerous threats exist to NTFP harvesting. ■ These include loss of language
resulting in loss of traditions around gathering, preparing, and processing NTFP. The NTFP themselves are at risk or are declining in the landscape (e.g., Pinyon IPS impacting tree health and vigor in the southwest). Poaching and enforcement is often limited or underfunded (see A7) and the NTFPs are often not well regulated or monitored. NTFP are a trust responsibility according to NIFRMA Sec 305 (see Appendix i) but they are not considered in the FMP, IRMP, or Climate Adaptation Plans.
NTFP5 Finding
Recommendation IRMPs, FMPs, and Climate Adaptation Plans should be reviewed by tribes to see that these documents adequately define the importance of NTFPs to the tribe and provide direction through standards, silvicultural prescriptions, and management activities for landscape planning and harvest scheduling (see A1, F2).
44 Assessment of Indian Forests and Forest Management in the United States
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