05/29/2026
*REPOSTING DUE TO NUMBER MISTAKE ON GRAPHIC*
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) has released its new report, Introduction to Tribal Forestry (R48934). While the report recognizes the immense importance of Tribal forestry across more than 19 million acres of Tribal forest lands, it also points to a deeper reality: the federal government continues to fall short of its trust responsibility to Tribal Nations.
When viewed alongside the findings from IFMAT-IV (Fourth Indian Forest Management Assessment Team), the picture becomes even clearer:
🔥 The Funding Gap
Tribes manage forests with only a fraction of the funding provided to the U.S. federal lands. For every dollar spent on federal forest lands, Tribal forests receive roughly 40 cents.
🌲 The Wildfire Crisis
41% of Indian forest lands are classified as having high or very high wildfire hazard potential. Decades of underfunding for hazardous fuels reduction have left Tribes facing growing backlogs in thinning and forest treatment projects.
🌱 The Regeneration Backlog
IFMAT-IV identified a $313 million deficit in reforestation, stewardship, and forest development needs — a gap that continues to grow each year Tribal forestry programs remain underfunded.
The reality is this: Tribal forests are among the most productive and sustainably managed forests in the country, generating more jobs per acre and demonstrating world-class stewardship practices. Yet Tribal Nations continue to face systemic funding inequities.
Tribal forestry is approaching a breaking point.
It’s time to move beyond “introductions” and commit to true budget parity for Tribal Nations.
🔗 Read the CRS Report: https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R48934
🔗 Explore IFMAT-IV Findings:https://online.flippingbook.com/view/719646412/
