CALIFORNIA — The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has allocated nearly $4.7 million through its Tribal Wildfire Resilience Program to bolster wildfire resilience projects across tribal, federal and private lands. The funding will aid six tribes and tribal non-profits in implementing initiatives focused on cultural fire practices, workforce training, fuels reduction, reforestation and land stewardship.
The grants aim to enhance wildfire safety and resilience for tribal communities while promoting the use of Traditional Ecological Knowledge to manage ancestral lands. Four of the awarded projects will focus on workforce development and cultural land management, including cultural burning to restore habitats and increase community resilience. Two additional planning projects will encourage regional collaboration and knowledge transfer of Indigenous fire-adaptive stewardship practices.
“These funds provide an opportunity to support tribes in the stewardship of their land, revitalization of cultural practices, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in their communities,” said Cal Fire Natural Resource Management Deputy Director Eric Huff. “By funding these efforts, we are committing to our partnership with tribes on the state’s wildfire resilience goals.”…