The Tribal Forest Stewardship and Restoration Program continued to advance partnerships, student success, and Wood For Life initiatives this spring. The team wrapped up a third Wood For Life Workshop, celebrated student achievements, and participated in national Tribal forestry conversations at the Intertribal Timber Council symposium.
Wood For Life Workshop (April 2026)
- Regional workshop series — ERI concluded the third Wood For Life Workshop, bringing together more than 60 partners from Navajo chapters, Hopi villages, nonprofits, Tribal communities, and nearby national forests to strengthen firewood bank capacity in the Four Corners region.
- Partner collaboration — ERI worked with Southwest Decision Resources, the National Forest Foundation, the Coconino National Forest, and Coalitions and Collaboratives to support Wood For Life’s mission of connecting restoration byproducts to Tribal households that rely on firewood for heat.
- Training & field visits — Day one focused on enterprise development, WFL metrics, and tools like the Tribal Funding Registry and WFL hub site. Day two included field visits to the Telegram restoration area, The Pit processing site, and the Diné Bá’ádeit’į́ wood bank, highlighting restoration operations and wood bank infrastructure.
Student Success
- ITEP intern achievement — ERI’s first Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) intern, Tynya Kee, graduated from NAU and received the School of Forestry’s 2025–2026 Distinguished Senior Award. She created the first story map of northern Arizona’s Wood For Life partnership, illustrating firewood needs and wood bank capacity across the region.
Intertribal Timber Council Symposium
- National Tribal Forestry engagement — Program Director Jon Martin and summer ITEP intern Mina Khatibi attended the 49th annual Intertribal Timber Council symposium (ITC) hosted by the Menominee Nation, hearing directly from Tribal leaders, forestry professionals, researchers, and policymakers.
- Key themes — Sessions explored climate resilience, extreme weather adaptation, youth engagement, Tribal wood markets, self-governance, agreements with the U.S.
