ERI’s Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program has been busy this year partnering with tribal natural resource management programs, organizations, and federal and state agencies to facilitate restorative management of tribal forests and rangelands. Some highlights include:
- Meetings with Navajo Chapter officials, Hopi non-profit organizations, and Hopi community service advocates to gather information for the Wood for Life needs assessment, which evaluates the local tribes’ firewood needs and distribution capacities.
- The development of a publication that will explore: 1) the Wood for Life partnership as a local case study of Indigenous forest biomass utilization; 2) trends in Indigenous forest biomass utilization in the US and Canada through a systematic review; and 3) recommendations for further development of Indigenous forest biomass partnerships.
- Serving on the planning committee for the Southwest Climate Adaptation Center’s “Fire and Climate Change Webinar Series.” Four webinars took place in May 2023. Topics discussed included an introduction to the intersection of fire and climate change, Indigenous fire perspectives, and Indigenous fire practices.
- Discussions with the Forest Service about integrating cultural burning practices to the proposed expansion of the Prescribed Fire Training Center (PFTC) to western states.
- A presentation on the Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) and 638 Authorities at the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes’ Cross-Boundary Landscape Restoration Workshop: Adapting to a Climate-Altered West.
- Serving on a panel that presented details on 638 Authorities and the TFPA to Forest Service staff during a national retreat for the agency’s Forest Management, Range Management and Vegetation Ecology management staff.
