Cow Creek-Umpqua Tribe and U.S. Forest Service Sign New Management Plan Agreement

The U.S. Forest Service and the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians recently signed a new shared stewardship agreement to expand collaborative forest and rangeland restoration across two national forests in Oregon. The agreement strengthens an already productive partnership and supports shared planning and work to reduce wildfire risk, improve forest health, and protect cultural resources.

The agreement includes an initial planning project area of about 155,000 acres on the Umpqua and Rogue River-Siskiyou national forests, located in southern Oregon. Within this landscape, the Forest Service and the tribe will work together to increase the pace and scale of forest management projects that protect people, communities, as well as natural and cultural resources.

This new agreement follows similar agreements with Montana, Idaho, Utah, and Georgia and reflects USDA’s commitment to working with all interested tribes, counties and states to improve forest health and strengthen rural communities.

In commenting on the new agreement, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said, “The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians bring deeply rooted Indigenous land management experience and traditions that focus on caring for the land. In partnership with the tribe, more than 37 miles of fuel breaks were created to protect tribal lands, private property, and National Forest System lands. I look forward to our expanded partnership and our joint efforts to reduce wildfire risk on a landscape scale and create resilient forests that benefit all.”