#United States #Washington #Cody Desautel #Intertribal Timber Council #Tribal Forestry

Advocacy for Tribal Self-Determination in Congress

Cody Desautel, the President of the Intertribal Timber Council (ITC), and Executive Director of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, is set to testify before two important Congressional subcommittees next week. His testimony focuses on advocating for increased federal funding for tribal forestry initiatives and fair compensation for tribal wildland firefighters.

Key Dates and Discussions

On February 25, 2025, Desautel will address the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs during a hearing titled “Federal Indian Trust Asset Management: Progress Made but Improvement Needed.” His testimony is expected to highlight the critical need for Congress to enhance the Indian Trust Asset Reform Act (ITARA), aimed at dismantling bureaucratic barriers that currently restrict tribal self-governance over forest resources.

Following this, on February 27, 2025, he will present before the House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. He will be focusing on the fiscal year 2026 appropriations regarding the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Department of the Interior's Wildland Fire Management. His statements will reveal the significant discrepancies in funding that leave tribal forestry programs and firefighting services under-resourced compared to their federal counterparts.

Critical Issues Highlighted

Desautel’s testimony aims to draw attention to several alarming issues affecting tribal forestry operations:
1. Chronic Underfunding of Tribal Forestry: Tribes are responsible for 80% of timber harvested from lands managed by the Interior Department, yet they receive significantly less funding. Currently, tribal forestry programs obtain four times less funding per acre than the U.S. Forest Service and an astonishing 14 times less than the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forests.

2. Lost Revenue Estimated at $400 Million: Due to prolonged federal neglect from 2010 to 2019, tribal timber operations have estimated losses of $400 million in revenue, which has substantial implications for tribal job creation, economies, and essential government services provided to their communities.

3. Pay Disparities for Tribal Wildland Firefighters: Despite facing the same wildfire threats and challenges, tribal wildland firefighters are compensated less than their federal counterparts, resulting in difficulties with recruitment and retention. Desautel strongly advocates for rectifying this pay inequality.

4. Empowering Tribal Land Management through ITARA: Originally, ITARA was enacted to empower tribes with enhanced control over their trust lands. However, the implementation has stagnated. Desautel is pushing for a permanent extension and full enactment of ITARA to alleviate these constraints.

Call to Action

Desautel emphasizes the essential role that forests and land play for tribal economies, cultural practices, and environmental health. He states, “Our forests and lands are critical to our economies, cultural traditions, and environmental health, yet tribal forestry remains severely underfunded. Congress must act now to ensure equitable funding, expand tribal self-governance, and address the long-standing disparities that are holding back our communities.”

Conclusion

Cody Desautel’s impending testimony represents a vital moment for advocating tribal self-determination and equity in resource management. As the hearings approach, the attention to these issues provides an opportunity for systemic change that could greatly benefit tribal communities across the nation.