Wy’east Tribal Resources Restoration Act

Yesterday, Wed., Nov. 15, 2023, Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Senator Ron Wyden, along with Senator Jeff Merkley, reintroduced the Wy’east Tribal Resources Restoration Act.

The legislation directs the U.S. Forest Service to partner with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs to develop a co-management plan for agreed-upon Treaty Resource Emphasis Zones. The legislation would establish one of the first placed-based co-management strategies in the nation.

This legislation was introduced last Congress, and it had a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The Act requires implementation of the Cultural Foods Obligations, which were included in the Public Lands Management Act of 2009 but have never been implemented.

The effort will Integrate traditional ecological knowledge as an important part of the best available scientific information used in forest and resource management areas within the Zone.

According to Warm Springs Tribal Council Chairman Jonathan Smith the “result will improve forest and wildlife health for the benefit of all Oregonians.”

You can learn more about the Act HERE