Tribal Relations
Highlights
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Action Plan
Strengthening Tribal Consultation and Nation-to-Nation Relationships.
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Tribal Relations App
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JSO 3403
Resources for Implementation
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Sacred Sites
Best Practices Guide
Updates
Consultation Invitation - Proposed National Policy: Renewable Energy Directive
The notification of the opportunity to consult was distributed on May 22, 2024. A Tribal Forum was hosted on November 2, 2023.
Tribal Forum - Proposed National Policy: Tribal Relations Directives & Proposed Document Update: Research and Development Tribal Engagement Roadmap
Please join the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service for a Tribal Forum on the Tribal Relations Directives, and revisions to the Research & Development Tribal Engagement Roadmap on May 9, 2024 at 2:00 PM ET. For more information, please see the national policy and document background and register for the Tribal Forum.
Apply for Landowner Assistance for Access to Emerging Markets for Climate Mitigation and Forest Resilience
The Forest Service is making at least $20 million from the Inflation Reduction Act available to federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native corporations and villages to help recipients overcome barriers to accessing emerging private markets for forest resilience or climate mitigation. The application package is available on Grants.gov under opportunity listing #USDA-FS-2024-IRA-FLS-02.
Eligible applicants are federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native corporations and villages, and Tribal organizations. Eligible applicants may each submit one proposal requesting up to $2 million. Proposals are due by August 21, 2024. For more information, including a pre-recorded application assistance webinar and a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) document, please visit the Grants.gov listing. Interested applicants can also email the Forest Landowner Support team at sm.fs.landownerira@usda.gov with questions.
Annual Report on Tribal Co-Stewardship Now Available
At the White House Tribal Nations Summit, USDA joins with leaders from across the federal government to reaffirm a shared commitment to honoring the federal government’s treaty and trust responsibilities to protect Tribal sovereignty and revitalize Tribal communities. The Forest Service is highlighting important advancements in nation-to-nation relationships with Tribes, including 120 co-stewardship agreements and more than $68 million in investments in Tribal communities. The Forest Service is advancing co-stewardship of Tribal ancestral lands and engaging Tribes early and meaningfully in the decision-making process. Read the USDA Report on Joint Secretarial Order 3403 (PDF, 948 KB).
Apply for Landowner Assistance for Participation in Climate Markets
The Forest Service is making funding from the Inflation Reduction Act available to help underserved and small acreage forest landowners connect to emerging climate markets. Eligible entities include Tribal governments and organizations, states, local governments, public and private non-profits, and for-profit entities.
Emerging climate markets are creating economic incentives to keep forests healthy and productive through reforestation, thinning overgrown forests, and more. However, high acreage requirements and prohibitive start-up costs have caused many small-acreage and underserved private forest owners to be left behind. The investments being announced today will expand access to markets that were previously out-of-reach, allowing underserved and small-acreage forest landowners to be a larger part of the climate solution while also supporting rural economies and healthy forests.
More information and applications are available at the Forest Landowner Assistance webpage.
Proposed National Policies: Tribal Relations Directives
The notification of the opportunity to consult was distributed to Tribal and Corporation leaders on July 31, 2023. The agency requests input on the Tribal Relations directives throughout the duration of the revision process. The target publication date is November 2024.
The Forest Service Office of Tribal Relations will host multiple opportunities for collaboration and consultation throughout the revision process to incorporate Tribal government and Alaska Native
corporation perspectives.
For more information, please visit the National Consultation Schedule.
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The Forest Service consults with Tribal Nations on policies that may affect Tribes. Office of Tribal Relations maintains a schedule for national-level consultation.
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Forest Service strives to increase benefit for Tribes from Agency programs. The Agency also benefits from Tribal input, especially Indigenous knowledge.
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Federal land managing agencies hold in public trust a great diversity of landscapes and sites, including many culturally important sites held sacred by Tribal Nations.
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Forest Service guide for reburials of human remains and cultural items, temporary closure and forest products for traditional and cultural use, and prohibition on information disclosure.
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The Forest Service Research and Development Tribal Engagement Roadmap aims Tribal Nations to guide development of ethical and significant research partnerships with Tribal Nations.
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The Dibaginjigaadeg Anishinaabe Ezhitwaad: A Tribal Climate Adaptation Menu is an extensive collection of climate change adaptation actions for natural resource management.