Effectiveness of the Federal-Tribal Relationship

This report summarizes the results of a monitoring program designed to evaluate the effects of the implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan implementation on federal-tribal relationships. A total of 76 federally recognized tribes consult with land managers in the Plan area about resources, places of interest, and the quality of the federal-tribal relationship. The views of 15 Plan-area tribes are presented as well as the results of a Plan Review held in 2003 and a Tribal Forum held in 2005. Key topics addressed by tribal monitoring are the conditions and trends of resources protected by treaty or of interest to American Indian tribes, and access to those resources; the condition of and access to sites of religious and cultural heritage; and the quality of the government-to-government relationship. A 14-question interview was used during formal, face- to-face consultations between tribal government representatives and federal agency officials to collect monitoring information.