Tribal Relations
Tribal Relations focuses on improving relations between American Indian tribes and the USDA Forest Service. The Forest Service recognizes American Indians as people with distinct cultures and traditional values with a unique legal and political relationship with the government of the United States as defined by history, treaties, statutes, executive orders, policies, court decisions, and the United States Constitution.
The Forest Service and tribes share the value of restoring, sustaining, and enhancing the nation’s forests and grasslands, providing, and sustaining benefits to the American people. In many cases, Indian tribes continue their traditional uses of the nation’s forests and grasslands to sustain their cultural identity and continuity, and for economic development. The Forest Service seeks opportunities for tribes to:
- Coordinate land and resource management plans, appropriate study plans, and actions with tribal land and resource management plans.
- Assist tribal members in obtaining ceremonial and medicinal plants, animals, and the use of specific geographic places.
- Protect tribal cultural and historical information.
- Provide research, transfer of technology, and technical assistance, where mutually agreed to and authorized by law.
- Seek traditional ecological knowledge that may be relevant to the management of natural and cultural resources.
- Ensure that consultation takes place during the formulation and implementation of policies that may have tribal implications.
- Ensure government-to-government relationships with Tribes are established.
Six Rivers National Forest maintains relationships with several tribal entities including:
- Bear River Band of Rohnerville Rancheria
- Big Lagoon Rancheria
- Blue Lake Rancheria
- Eel River Wailaki
- Elk Valley Rancheria
- Hoopa Valley Tribe
- Karuk Tribe
- Lassic Band of Wylacki-Wintoon Family Group, Inc.
- Resighini Rancheria
- Round Valley Indian Tribes
- Tolowa Dee-Ni’ Nation
- Trinidad Rancheria
- Tsnungwe Council
- Wiyot Tribe
- Yurok Tribe