Page 149 - Mapping the Nation: Taking Climate Action

Tribe Maps Where to Burn to Restore Northern California Forest to Balance Much of the land that makes up the Klamath and Six Rivers national forests has been home to the Karuk Tribe since time immemorial. For decades, they have advocated for the return of their ancient burning practices to manage their land. And now, there is a pilot project under way to use fire to reshape damaged ecosystems. For the tribe, there's hope that the change in policy will restore the traditional Karuk lifestyle in the way fire restores their forests. "The Karuk people evolved with the landscape, with the native plants and animals that share our homelands continuing to be a part of our daily lives for our well- being and survival," said Analisa Tripp, manager of the Collaborative Stewardship Program for the Karuk Tribe Department of Natural Resources. "The practice of burning the brush every year meant we could rely on acorn groves for food and cultural materials." The tribe is part of a group of stakeholders called the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership that has put together a detailed restoration plan using a GIS to analyze and prioritize the actions needed to return the land to balance. Returning Fire to the Landscape A growing number of extreme fires have recently impacted the area. In 2021, the fire season stretched from mid-May through October, the longest on record, and in 2020, the Slater and Devil Fires burned 166,127 acres. According to a new study, there were far more fire-resistant hardwoods when the Karuk Tribe tended the forest. The researchers consulted the tribe about their oral history and cataloged scientific evidence of past fires. They found that 148 Wildfire