New NPS, FWS Policies Aim to Strengthen Tribal Co-Stewardship of Public Lands
The Department of the Interior (DOI) released new agency guidance this month aimed at strengthening the role of tribes in federal land management and improving federal stewardship. The National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) have adopted new policies establishing how each will facilitate and support agreements with Tribes to collaborate on federal lands and waters.
The guidance will complement directives issued by DOI and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the 2021 White House Tribal Nations Summit on strengthening co-stewardship efforts. According to NPS, co-stewardship involves formal co-management (through legal authority), collaborative and cooperative management (via agreements), and self-governance agreements (which include funding agreements).
“This policy reaffirms the BLM’s commitment to our important work with Tribes in management of the public lands, which are the ancestral homelands of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes,” said Tracy Stone-Manning, BLM Director. “As the country’s largest land manager, it is critical that the BLM respect the nation-to-nation relationship that exists with American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes.”
Under the guidance, the bureaus will undertake the following actions:
Ensure that all decisions include consideration of how to safeguard the interests of Indian Tribes;
Enter into co-stewardship agreements when appropriate;
Identify and support opportunities to consolidate Tribal homelands and empower Tribal stewardship;
Perform a legal review of treaty responsibilities and authorities; and
Issue a report on compliance with the DOI and USDA directives.
The actions support an “all-of-government approach to inclusive and equitable federal land management,” according to the NPS press statement in support of the guidance.
“All national parks are located on Indigenous ancestral lands and this policy will help ensure Tribal governments have an equal voice in the planning and management of them,” explained Chuck Sams, NPS Director. “I have been an advocate for co-stewardship of federal lands for more than 27 years and I am pleased to see a national emphasis placed on this necessary work.”
At FWS, guidance is designed to provide flexibility when engaging with regional and local variations in history, knowledge systems, ways of knowing, applicable laws, treaties, and Service-Tribal relationships.
“The Service recognizes the need for strong, healthy communication and relationships with Tribal governments and communities so we can work together to improve and enhance our conservation mission. Service employees in every program and at every level who have official duties that may affect Tribal interests should coordinate at the earliest phases of work,” concluded Martha Williams, FWS Director.