Lessons from a Programmatic Agreement and Heritage-Based Consultations between Tribes and the National Forests of Arkansas and Oklahoma

Abstract

Native American consultation and collaboration have become integral parts of national forest management, but the number of applicable laws, regulations, rules, and policies can make this process a daunting one. Over the years, a series of programmatic agreements (PAs) have been developed by the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests (OSFONF) to help with heritage resource management. These PAs have been continuously revised and improved, culminating in a document developed with the cooperation of more than a dozen tribes, state agencies, and the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. Important lessons for managers can be gleaned from the 2006 OSFONF PA and related consultations. For example, in addition to providing a collaborative framework that streamlines OSFONF management, the PA facilitates other actions by identifying undertakings exempted from the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) compliance process. Beyond their operational utility, PAs can build trust and enduring relationships with tribal stakeholders, both of which are vital to further collaboration. Improved relationships benefit participants with expanded training opportunities and logistical support for shared understandings of patrimonial areas and traditional ecological knowledge. PAs can also serve as models for nonfederal landowners, helping them meet forest sustainability requirements and reach out to Native Americans with ancestral ties to the land.

Listening to Indigenous Voices, Interests, and Priorities That Would Inform Tribal Co-Management of Natural Resources on a California State University Forest

“…Early stages in ACM are defined by the transition from stakeholders acting independently to entering dialogue and initiating learning processes [28,37]. Working to ensure positive experiences at this formative stage of the partnership can yield financial and social dividends in the future [67].…”

Facilitating Prescribed Fire in Northern California through Indigenous Governance and Interagency Partnerships

“…With Indigenous worldviews at their foundation, American Indian political movements have successfully changed law and policy to support self-governance, and have pressured colonial governments to uphold Tribal sovereignty [66][67][68]. This has given Tribes opportunities to insert and integrate their cultural objectives into forest and fire management [27,[69][70][71][72]. While efforts to reduce fuels and re-introduce cultural and prescribed fire have facilitated community and Indigenous engagement in decision-making and planning [27,[73][74][75][76], state agencies retain considerable regulatory power, which may undermine these efforts to decentralize fire planning and restore fire to the landscape [77].…”