Sponsors (7)
The bill significantly expands Tribal roles, funding, and culturally informed stewardship of Federal lands—potentially improving environmental outcomes and speeding local restoration—while creating new costs, liability and coordination challenges, and some oversight and funding uncertainties.
Indigenous tribal communities will gain formal co-management and increased decision-making authority over Federal lands historically or culturally related to them, expanding tribal control over land use and stewardship.
Tribes may receive up to $50 million in appropriations (FY2026–2030) to carry out Forest Service activities, providing targeted funding for restoration, planning, and services in tribal and rural communities.
Federal land stewardship and ecological outcomes (forests, watersheds, restoration projects) are likely to improve because DOI and Forest Service activities will better integrate Indigenous knowledge, culturally appropriate practices, and local insights.
Federal agencies and taxpayers may face meaningful new costs and staff burdens to develop, adopt, and administer co-management plans, deliver training, and implement agreements, which could strain budgets and slow other projects.
Shifting functions, establishing new co-management arrangements, and mandating timelines could create coordination problems and legal conflicts with existing land management plans and permits, leading to disputes, delays, and administrative complexity.
Treating Tribal employees as federal employees for FTCA purposes could increase federal tort liability and legal costs, exposing taxpayers to higher litigation risk.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Directs federal land agencies to create Tribal Co-Management Plans, requires DOI staff training on Indigenous knowledge and tribal history, and authorizes Forest Service agreements with Tribes to carry out NFS activities.
Introduced May 15, 2025 by Jared Huffman · Last progress May 15, 2025
Requires several federal land management agencies to create Tribal Co-Management Plans in coordination with Tribes and the Department of the Interior’s Tribal Advisory Committee, and directs the Interior to train staff to use Indigenous knowledge and understand tribal histories and the federal trust relationship. It also lets the Forest Service enter into agreements with Tribes to carry out specified National Forest System activities (planning, restoration, research, heritage and recreation services), with a requirement to complete at least five such agreements within four years.