The ERI’s Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program hosted a Tribal Forestry Student Summiton the NAU campus, where 45 tribal forestry students from across the country spent three days attending presentations from nationally recognized leaders in tribal forest management. The summit took place Oct. 12–14, with support from the Intertribal Timber Council, The Nature Conservancy, Salish-Kootenai College, and BIA Fuels Management.
Jon Martin, the director of our Native American program at the ERI, was a driving force for the summit, organizing and coordinating with multiple tribal organizations and tribal forest managers. The summit offered travel vouchers and other benefits for attendees in order to advance workforce development in tribal forest management. Aspiring tribal foresters met with current tribal forest management professionals and heard first-hand of their experiences and on-the-ground knowledge. Several of the presenters were NAU School of Forestry alum who have become leaders in their respective tribal forest management programs. Highlights of the summit included: presentations on women in forestry, the need to honor tribal sovereignty, and a field trip to view recent impacts of wildland fires and forest restoration treatments.
Follow-up reports will deliver the highlights of the summit, feedback from student attendees, and recommendations for future summits. For more information, visit the summit website.
