Trust for Public Land on Interior Department Guidance to Strengthen Tribal Co-Stewardship of Public Lands and Waters

Statement from Diane Regas, president and CEO of Trust for Public Land on the Department of Interior’s guidance to strengthen co-management and land stewardship with Tribal communities:

“We recognize and value the centuries of traditional ecological knowledge that Tribes bring to land co-management or project collaboration.  We commit to continuing to work closely with our Tribal Nation partners to integrate that knowledge into federal land management decisions, and to work to permanently protect culturally significant sites. That’s why it is so important that we consistently incorporate Tribal stewardship and knowledge into our public lands, which is not only a benefit to all, but is the right thing to do. I’m so pleased that Secretary Haaland and the Interior Department are making these important changes, and I look forward to supporting more efforts to see more public land managed and owned by Tribal nations and Indigenous peoples.”

For more than 40 years, Trust for Public Land has worked closely with Tribal communities to conserve land, honoring Tribal sovereignty, and supporting the priorities of our Tribal partners.  Today, we are committed to strengthening our partnerships with Tribal communities and working to support a greater role for Tribes in federal land management.”

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