Establish a tribal collaborative landscape management program with pilot projects.
1. Leadership between DOI and USFS to determine funding allocation. Pursue permanent authorization to enable transfer of funds from all Federal sources to DOI to compact OR 638 contract programmatic actions and activities (consultation, partnership collaboration, implementation, research, monitoring and adaptation) through the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act.
2. Recommend to leadership in DOI, EPA, and USDA to set aside program funds for Tribes to assist in planning and to implement collaborative Tribal network programs and projects across multi-juridictional landscapes.
3. Modify the regulations to enable the transfer of non-recurring funds to compacts to invest in collaborative training and supplemental project activities.
4. Establish pilot projects throughout the Western region to develop unique collaborative agreements, MOAs and MOUs, charter(s) and/or local operation plans(s) between agencies, Tribes, states and other partners. Maximize integration across all three goals of the Cohesive Strategy, define roles, responsibilities and collaborative budgetary needs. Select pilot projects based on where one or more agreement is already in place to expedite pilot planning and implementation.
5. Recommend Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) participation in collaborative groups with an interest in enabling alpha testing of Western Regional Air Partnership Guidance on categorizing natural vs. anthropogenic emission sources relating to Native American Cultural Burns, and assist in coordinating Performance Partnership Grants and/or General Assistance Program funding for pilot actions and activities.
6. Develop guidance on categorizing natural vs. anthropogenic emission sources relating to Native American Cultural Burns, prescribed fire and wildfire management, and assist in coordinating Performance Partnership Grants and/or General Assistance Program funding to support pilot actions and activities, and help facilitate climate adaption associated programmatic capacity building.
7. Use locally relevant combinations of compacts, MOAs and MOUs, contracts, grants, and/or agreements to align partnership program of work, and facilitate expediency and flexibility in using funds efficiently and effectively in a collaborative and mutually beneficial manner.
Mid Term (2-4 years)
Other collaborators: DOI, all stakeholders, Self-Governance Advisory Committee Tribes, DOI, USFS, and other federal agencies need to participate as key partners, especially related to compact funding. EPA needs to be intimately involved in the alpha testing. Evaluate pilots in five years. If proven beneficial, expand program beyond pilots.
