Project Grant 20236701240063

THE WIDESPREAD IMPACTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE ON FOREST AGROECOSYSTEMS REQUIRES COLLABORATIVE SOLUTIONS THAT ENGAGE COMMUNITIES IN SHARED STEWARDSHIP OF CULTURALLY AND ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT FORESTS THAT SUSTAIN MULTIPLE VALUES. THIS STUDY FOCUSES ON A COMMUNITY-BASED, COLLABORATIVE NATURAL RESOURCE PLANNING EFFORT TO DEVELOP A MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK TO SUSTAIN INDIGENOUS CULTURAL VALUES, IMPROVE ECOSYSTEM HEALTH, AND INCREASE FOREST RESILIENCE TO DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE IN DRYLAND FORESTS OF CALIFORNIA'S EASTERN SIERRA NEVADA. THIS POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH PROJECT DEVELOPS THE SOCIAL SCIENCE COMPONENTS OF THIS INTERDISCIPLINARY PLANNING EFFORT TO IMPROVE FOREST HEALTH AND SUPPORT CULTURAL REVITALIZATION THROUGH ADAPTIVELY MANAGED AGROECOSYSTEMS. IT INVESTIGATES THE SOCIAL DIMENSIONS AND INSTITUTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY PLANNING FOR INDIGENOUS CO-STEWARDSHIP OF A CALIFORNIA FOREST AGROECOSYSTEM WITH TWO TRIBAL NATIONS AND LAND MANAGERS FROM THE USDA FOREST SERVICE. DEPLOYING A SUITE OF SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE METHODS, INCLUDING SURVEYS, FOCUS GROUPS, INTERVIEWS, PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION, AND CASE COMPARISON ANALYSIS, THE PROJECT EXAMINES THE KEY ATTITUDINAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS SHAPING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE BETWEEN PUBLIC AGENCIES AND TRIBAL NATIONS. THE NOVEL MIXED-METHOD RESEARCH DESIGN COMBINING A QUASI-EXPERIMENT WITH IN-DEPTH ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS WILL GENERATE IMPORTANT FINDINGS ON BEST PRACTICES FOR INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE WITH NATIVE NATIONS. THIS PROPOSAL SUPPORTS FIELDWORK, DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS, ACQUISITION OF NEW RESEARCH SKILLS, AND INTENSIVE MENTORING TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT DIRECTOR'S CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THE AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES. PROJECT OUTPUTS INCLUDE PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR TRIBAL PARTNERS, CAREER DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PD, AND A POLICY REPORT ON EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL DESIGN FOR PUBLIC AGENCY COLLABORATION WITH TRIBES. KNOWLEDGE FROM THIS STUDY IS POISED TO INFORM BEST PRACTICES FOR EFFECTIVE COLLABORATIVE STEWARDSHIP OF FORESTS ACROSS SCIENTIFIC AND INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE FOREST RESILIENCE AND PROVISION OF MULTIPLE ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES WHILE SUPPORTING THE CULTURAL PRACTICES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF TRIBAL NATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES.