Supporting Recommendations
other acceptable processes for log sales. The BIA needs to improve communications to provide other current options for log sales. ■ More systematic technical and academic access is needed to support tribal climate change planning. Conclusions Management of Indian forest lands presents many opportunities for examples of stewardship of the land and protection of natural resources in perpetuity. Many challenges exist, but more flexibility in management approaches is still possible on Indian forest lands compared to most federal forest lands. Therefore, Indian forests and forestry are a natural laboratory for continuous improvement in forest management goals and techniques. The holistic Indian view, as opposed to the segmented, zoned resource view now applied on federal forests presents a way to the future of all forest management. Immediate attention to the funding and other constraints on Indian forestry must be rapidly removed to augment this future. Action Steps ■ Increase baseline funding to parity and bring recurring allocations to the level indicated by inflation. ■ Remedy the deficits in funding and on the ground in-forest density management, hazardous fuel reduction, forest protection from insects and disease and change the rules of fire attack with binding tribal input. ■ Vastly increase funding for infrastructure including roads and other physical facilities. ■ Ensure that tribes are able to adequately fund and recruit professional staff for forestry functions. IFMAT Participants Tribes, BIA, Core Team, Technical Specialists, Student Participants
Major Findings 1. There is a unique tribal
■ Consider coordinated development of annual plans on each reservation for integrating all forest management activities and hazardous fuel reduction activities. ■ Cooperative agency training for the managed fire program should be implemented like TNC Indigenous burning network. Cooperative burn plans need to be developed so multiple agencies can participate in prescribed burn projects. ■ To increase efficiency, evaluate creating a forest protection unit that includes fire, insect, and disease management programs. ■ Provide NTFP support for each region to provide technical assistance to tribes to fulfill their NTFP goals. This would support tribal hunting and gathering initiatives and promote health and wellbeing within tribal communities. ■ The BIA should identify an independent audit process to evaluate fair market value for forest products. ■ BIA/Tribes need to explore other revenue options such as carbon, biofuels, biomass use, water, wildlife, recreation, or other natural resource uses. ■ Given the recent encouraged shift towards self-governance by many tribes, IFMAT IV recommends a review of the current applicability of NIFRMA. Recipients of the report would include ITC and Congress. ■ BIA, in coordination with the ITC, should develop a table of authorities for self-governance tribes, compact, PL 93-638, direct services. This should include the allottees. Modification of CFRs should be based on the findings from this table. ■ BIA forestry regulations and policy restricting delivered log sales need to be reviewed and reforms implemented to facilitate timely creation of forestry enterprises or
vision of forest management including a focus on stewardship and non-timber forest products (NTFP) as self-governance (SG) increases, yet the Secretary’s trust responsibility remains and is vaguely defined. 2. Limited funding to support tribal forest management, particularly professional staff capacity. 3. Challenges continue to exist for forest protection, forest health and planning. 4. Limited funding to support
comparable salaries and benefits for tribal forest management.
5. Roads, facilities, and
enforcement on tribal forests are in dire state. 6. Cross-cultural relationship building and landscape- scale management projects need to be funded and implemented. 7. There is a need for policy reform and increased education regarding available pathways to self- governance to fulfill the trust responsibility. 8. Many other challenges exist for tribal forests. Major Recommendations 1. Achieve funding parity with comparable federal forests. 2. Define the governance structure of tribal forestry for the future. 3. Address immediate threats to tribal forests.
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