crs_reports: R48934

Congressional Research Service reports with summaries, authors, and topic classifications.

Data license: Public Domain (U.S. Government data) · Data source: Federal Register API & Regulations.gov API

This data as json

id title publish_date update_date status content_type authors topics summary pdf_url html_url
R48934 Introduction to Tribal Forestry 2026-05-04T04:00:00Z 2026-05-06T16:23:03Z Active Reports Mariel J. Murray, Anne A. Riddle Native American Lands & Resources, Federal Land Management The United States and federally recognized Tribes (“Tribes”) have a unique relationship that affects federal policies regarding forestry on tribal lands. In particular, the United States has a federal trust responsibility, which is a legal obligation under which the United States, through treaties, acts of Congress, and court decisions, “has charged itself with moral obligations of the highest responsibility and trust” toward Tribes and tribal citizens. This responsibility can include federal obligations to protect tribal trust assets, which are tribal trust lands, natural resources, trust funds, or other assets held by the federal government in trust for Tribes and tribal citizens. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) within the Department of the Interior (DOI) is the lead agency charged with managing tribal trust assets, including tribal forests. Forested tribal lands can be described in different ways. For consistency throughout this report, CRS primarily uses the term Indian forest land as defined by the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act (NIFRMA). NIFRMA defines the term Indian forest land as including tribal trust or restricted fee lands that are commercial and noncommercial timberland and woodland, and are “considered chiefly valuable for the production of forest products or to maintain watershed or other land values enhanced by a forest cover.” These include lands both within and outside of tribal reservation boundaries. According to the most recent periodic assessment of tribal forests and forest management in the United States, as of 2019, there were 19.4 million acres of tribal forest. Tribal forest acres are highly concentrated within a few states, and with a few Tribes. For example, 5.4 million acres (28%) of tribal forests belong to a single Tribe, the Navajo Nation, Arizona, New Mexico & Utah. Accordingly, 8.4 million acres (43%) of tribal forests are located in Arizona and New Mexico, including Navajo forests and forests belonging to other Tribes. Overall, almost all tribal forest acreage (17.8 million acres, or 92%) is located in the western United States and Alaska. Congress has acknowledged the federal trust responsibility toward forest management on Indian forest lands, and federal law provides the overall framework. Congress continues to debate the appropriate management of these lands, including how to manage wildfire on these lands, and whether to fund tribal forestry activities on these lands, and if so at what level. Like other federal forests, it may be challenging for Congress to balance diverse interests—including economic, social, and cultural interests—concerning the management and use of these lands. Other federal authorities govern whether, and how, Tribes may manage their forest lands and associated programs, activities, and revenues. In this context, Congress may deliberate federal oversight of forestry on tribal lands and evaluate tribal self-determination considerations. In addition, Congress may debate the appropriate federal role in supporting forest management on lands associated with other Indigenous entities in the United States, such as Native Hawaiians and Alaska Native Corporations. Another consideration is the degree to which Tribes may engage in the management (or co-management) of federal forests near tribal lands. This issue particularly concerns forests to which a Tribe has a historical tie, or forests that are geographically near tribal forest and therefore may share certain management issues or needs. During the 119th Congress, Congress has considered amending existing authorities, or establishing new authorities, to facilitate more federal-tribal co-management of forested federal lands. https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48934/R48934.3.pdf https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/HTML/R48934.html

Links from other tables