The Siuslaw National Forest and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians have signed an agreement giving the tribe a larger voice in the management of the federal forest.
The two entities this week said the agreement emphasizes the shared goals of the tribe and the Forest Service regarding the use and management of natural and cultural resources on the forest, while acknowledging the management expertise of the tribe. The agreement addresses the need for proactive stewardship to promote the ecological health, diversity, and resiliency of the forest, the agency said in a news release.
The Siuslaw National Forest covers 630,000 acres from Tillamook in the north to Coos Bay in the south, has its headquarters in Corvallis and ranger districts in Waldport and Hebo and the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area in Reedsport.
“The lands that we now know as the Siuslaw National Forest have been stewarded by Tribal People since time immemorial,” said Brad Kneaper, tribal chairman said in the release. “For thousands of years we practiced a holistic approach to stewardship that provided for clean air and water, resilient and diverse forests, robust salmon runs, bountiful deer and elk, and an abundance of the plants that we used for food and medicine. We stewarded a forest that provided for the local human community, and also provided for all of our plant and animal relatives with whom we share these lands. This agreement will allow us to begin returning some of these stewardship practices to the landscape.”
Siuslaw National Forest Supervisor Rebecca Brooke said the agreement establishes an intergovernmental relationship to provide opportunities for increased tribal involvement in the planning and implementation of “sustainable forest stewardship activities.”
Brooke said that includes “improving and protecting the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems; promoting cultural resources of importance to tribal people; providing a diversity of habitat for fish and wildlife species; protecting air and water quality; and providing economic opportunities for local communities.”
