In a nutshell: This presentation offers information on the history and basics and presenter experience with two cross-boundary agreement tools available to Federally Registered Native American Tribes, the Tribal Forest Protection Act and 638 Authority. This sets the stage for a workshop on the same topic at the October 2024 Arizona Tribal Fire and Climate Resilience Summit.
Recorded On: July 31, 2024
Description: With hundreds of Native American Tribes across the United States, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy to address each Tribe’s challenges or capitalize on their unique opportunities. This has led Native advocates and Tribal leaders to push for federal policies that enable Tribal control over programs and services within their own communities.
The 2004 Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) and Public Law No. 93-638, 88 Statute 2203 (often referred to as 638 authority) were passed in response to this push. TFPA provides a mechanism for mutually beneficial cross-boundary work to improve protection of tribal trust lands and communities at risk of disturbances such as catastrophic fires, insects, and disease, restore lands administrated by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, and restore trust assets. 638 Authority is a legal tool for Tribal self-determination that gives Tribes the authority to assume responsibility of federal programs using contracts and agreements by entering into Self-Determination contracts with federal agencies, primarily the Bureau of Indian Affairs. These are often referred to as 638 contracts.
While these cross-boundary agreement tools have expanded opportunities for Federal-Tribal collaboration, the steps necessary to implement agreements and secure funding are not well understood. This webinar from the Southwest Fire Science Consortium and Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals will provide a primer on the basics of TFPA and 638 Authority, including how to use these tools to initiate project proposals. This presentation will set the stage for a workshop on the same topic during the October 2024 Arizona Tribal Fire and Forestry Summit. Learn more here:https://www.swfireconsortium.org/2024/04/12/2024-az-tribal-summit/
Presenters: Jonathon Martin, Director of the Native American Forest and Rangeland Management Program at the Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University (NAU); Lindsey Quam, Deputy State Forester and Tribal Liaison at New Mexico Forestry Division.
Resources:
- Federal Wildland Fire Commission Report (2023)
- Indian Forest Management Assessment Report, IV
- Intertribal Timber Council website
- Forest Service Handbook, 2409.19, Chapter 60, Stewardship Contracting
- White paper by Jon Martin, “Implications for Tribal Forest Management Under New Federal Directions”
- Ecological Restoration Institute website
This webinar is co-hosted by the Arizona Wildfire Initiative and the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
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