Recommendation 2: Provide adequate and equitable funding for resource management
Problem
Currently, tribal agencies are ineligible for funding under many important federal conservation programs, or do not receive equitable appropriations in comparison to their federal and state counterparts. Although tribal resource managers often demonstrate equivalent or superior capabilities to state or federal agencies, appropriations to tribes are not distributed equitably. Despite this situation, federal agencies see the importance of developing programs to collaborate with tribes; in fact, many are mandated to do so. This creates a double standard, where agencies and tribes are expected to work collaboratively — but with inequitable funding opportunities.
Goal
To establish equitable federal appropriation mechanisms to support tribal management of natural resources at a level that matches the capacity of tribes to steward the West’s natural resources.
Recommendations
- Provide federal funding to tribes for land management and conservation efforts on an equitable basis with federal and state agencies.
- Make tribes eligible for funding under federal conservation programs from which they are currently excluded.
