Durglo: The TFPA has been available since 2004. Not until the last few years used with limited success. The act allows tribes to propose projects on ad- jacent federal lands that would protect their rights, lands, and resources, by re- ducing threats from wildfire, insects, and disease from nearby lands that would then reduce the potential of wildfire crossing onto tribal trust lands. The ITC was very instrumental in drafting the legislation after some fires in 2002 completely devastated tribal communities in Southern California. So basically, the legislation provides the authorization to propose projects. It did not, until recently, come with funding. Over the last couple of years, we have seen more proposals being negotiated between tribes and their Forest Service neighbors that cover thousands of acres. Approval of the 2018 Farm Bill provides two amendments to the TFPA, one pro- vides a more efficient response timeline and the other allows the TFPA proposal to be administered using the Indian Self Determination and Education Assistance Act (PL-93-638) authority. Just to mention, in late 2018, the ITC prepared a report titled, ‘Cross Bound- ary Collaboration Between Tribes and the United States Forest Service- Success Stories from Forest Systems Using the Tribal Forest Protection Act. You can find it on the ITC website under the Issues and Projects tab. Under Issues with the Tribal Forest Protection Act link. The ITC website houses a lot of resources for tribes and federal partners to use when developing TFPA projects. EVERGREEN: What have we missed here as it concerns Indigenous fire? Durglo: Nothing comes to mind but, more broadly, I think it’s important for those who will read your report and IFMAT IV to under- stand that, while smaller tribes are more de- pendent on BIA services and funding, every tribe in looking for new partners who can help them reach their cultural and natural resourced based goals – the Forest Service, NGO’s and organizations that do the kind of forestry educational you are doing.
Tribes strive for thinnings like this one in eastern Washington. Tree density has been reduced and there is little woody debris on the ground to sustain a wildfire.
Durglo: The Fire on the Land Project was a direct response of approval of our Forest Management Planning efforts, the infu- sion of fuels funding coming out of the National Fire Plan through the Depart- ment of the Interior in 2000. It was done to capture the CSKT history and world- view about our relationship with fire. As noted in the collection, and in the story of Beaver Steals Fire, the CSKT cultural relationship with fire is very important. It was mainly done for us as indigenous people to capture our stories, also recognizing that we are losing our elders and knowledge keepers. The material is available on the CSKT. org website under the Natural Resources tab and/or by contacting the CSKT Divi- sion of Fire at 406-676-2550. Ask for Ron Swaney, our Division of Fire Manager. Evergreen: Am I correct in assuming that your use of Indigenous fire in CSKT for- ests is often accompanied by removing some trees and holding others to grow larger in the years to come?
Durglo: You are correct. Fire is not ap- plied on the lands until the sites are pre- pared to a condition that would accept fire to meet tribal objectives. Evergreen: How much thinning and/ or burning do you do annually on CSKT land? Durglo: CSKT Division of Fire staff tell me that on average, they treat between 1,500 and 2,000 acres of thinning, piling and about 3,000 acres per year in burning. Burning includes pile burning and under burning. These acres do not include silvi- cultural treatments done by the Division of Forestry implementing timber sales. Evergreen: Recently enacted federal leg- islation, beginning with the 2004 Tribal Forest Protection Act, gives tribes the au- thority to do cross-boundary forestry work to protect tribal forests and grasslands from insects, diseases and wildfires that often begin on adjacent federal land. How does this work, what additional authorities has Congress granted more recently and what successes can you report?
FireAdapted Communities
Returning Fire
Evergreen
20
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator