Co-stewardship refers to agreements established between Tribal Nations and federal agencies that commit to using a shared approach in making decisions that impact federal lands. Co-management refers to agreements that rely on collaboration between federal agencies and local resource users to determine how sites are managed.
As tribes enter into co-stewardship and co-management agreements with federal entities, it is increasingly important for these agreements to be centered on Tribal Sovereignty, values, and interests. Investment in capacity-building and project implementation is also needed for long-term sustainability and success.
To support this growing field of work, First Nations is developing a national platform for tribal co-stewardship and co-management resources that builds upon past experiences, best practices, and models to inspire innovation for future opportunities. The platform offers a variety of resources to support tribes through the various stages of co-stewardship and co-management — from negotiations, planning, and implementation, to monitoring — by providing grants, technical assistance, peer-networking opportunities, trainings, webinars, and publications.
Grants and Technical Assistance
To support tribal co-management and co-stewardship planning, First Nations provided grants, along with technical assistance, to tribes entering into co-stewardship or co-management agreements with a federal agency for the purpose of land stewardship. Through a competitive RFP process First Nations awarded multiple grants to tribes over seven months to support co-management and co-stewardship planning.
This work is supported in part by the Doris Duke Foundation, whose mission is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties.
