This project will also provide funds for tribal resource specialists, elders, and members to visit BLM lands to engage in nepa planning, project implementation, and reconnection with the landscape

This Cooperative Agreement award from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) under the Good Neighbor Authority (CFDA 15.015) provides $948,858.31 to the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) to support ecosystem restoration, forest management, and watershed conservation projects on federal lands.

Key activities under this award include funding for tribal resource specialists, elders, and members to engage in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) planning and project implementation on BLM lands. It will also support CSKT's efforts to grow native edible and medicinal plants in its nursery, which are critical for restoration and incorporating tribal values on publicly managed lands. The overall goal is to build communication, trust, and understanding between CSKT and BLM to improve the management of forests, rangelands, and watersheds on these co-stewarded landscapes. The award period runs from December 31, 2024 to December 30, 2029.

BLM funding for this project would also help cskt prioritize growing edible and medicinal native plants in its nursery. These plants, rapidly disappearing from western montana, are key component of restoration and incorporating tribal values onto publicly managed land. This project aims to build the foundation of communication, trust, and understanding between cskt and BLM, which will in turn inform and improve the management of forest, rangeland, and watershed health on these CO-stewarded landscapes.