Nespelem, WA – On January 6th, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation had the pleasure of hosting several leaders from the United States Forest Service for a tour of the Moses Meadows and Coyote Creek areas.
Joining the tour were:
• Tom Schultz, Chief, USDA Forest Service
• Jacqueline Buchanan, Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region
• Josh White, Forest Supervisor, Colville National Forest
• Tara Umphries, Forest Supervisor, Okanogan‐Wenatchee National Forest
• Reed Robinson, Director, Forest Service Tribal Relations
Chairman Erickson and Council Member Pat Tonasket joined Tribal staff in guiding the visit as we toured the area. During the tour, our team shared the Tribe’s approach to forest management and the work that is currently underway building healthier, more fire‐resilient forests. We also discussed future plans and the importance of collaborative efforts to achieve both tribal and Forest Service goals across shared landscapes.
To close the tour, USFS leadership met with our Council to continue conversations around shared stewardship, the Tribal Forest Protection Act, and the Good Neighbor Authority, all essential tools for strengthening partnerships between the Tribe and the U.S. Forest Service on lands bordering the Reservation.
We would like to thank the U.S. Forest Service leadership for spending the day with us and taking the time to see the work happening on the ground.