Q&A with Serra Hoagland
Ph.D. candidate
Northern Arizona University School of Forestry
For many years it has been recognized that thinning operations in southwestern forests may
dramatically reduce the risk of high-severity wildfire. However, active forest management is often
perceived as being detrimental to wildlife species and their associated habitats. Serra Hoagland, Ph.D.
candidate in the School of Forestry at Northern Arizona University, conducted research that uncovered
this isn’t always the case. She shares her insights for the Sustainability 360 Native American series.
1. You won an award for sharing your research on “Owls, Treatments and Tribes.” Tell us about what
you found.
For my Ph.D. dissertation, I am studying the impact of forest treatments on Mexican spotted owls, a
species that is threatened throughout the Southwestern United States by the risk of high-severity
wildfire. For the past 25-years or so, we have been afraid of thinning forests in this region, partially
out of concern that we would negatively impact the nesting sites of these owls. What we are
learning now is that thinning may actually be beneficial to the Mexican spotted owl. Treatments
allow increased understory production, which may be beneficial to the rodent populations these
owls eat. It also greatly reduces the risk of complete structural change due to high-severity wildfire,
which is beneficial for owls and people alike!
I discovered the critical importance of this topic in 2013 when I traveled with a research group to 20
different forests managed by Native American tribes to help develop the IFMAT report, a national
assessment of tribal forests completed every 10 years. In short, we learned that Native American
forest management practices are a smart model for environmental sustainability.
2. What makes Native American forest management practices a good model for environmental
sustainability?
Compared to other land management agencies that have employed fire suppression and little active
management, tribes have continued to maintain their forests with active management throughout
the past decades. As a result, tribal forests are more representative of historical forest conditions,
meaning they are less dense, less at risk for wildfire and much more resilient overall.
Of course, we do need to recognize that tribes can be more proactive and experimental in their
forest management due to their sovereign nature. For example, the Mescalero Apache Indian
Reservation in South Central New Mexico proactively implemented single tree selections and other
types of uneven-aged forest treatments in the vicinity of Mexican spotted owl nesting habitat, which
is something that can’t always be replicated in other Western forests due to the large number of
stakeholders involved.
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What we can learn from Native American forest management is the tribes’ dedication to the triple
bottom line. They balance the social, economic and environmental needs – the baseline for
sustainability.
3. What about funding for forest management? Is it the same for tribal forests?
No – not at all. That’s what is so amazing about what Native American tribes have been able to
accomplish. Tribes receive $2.80 per acre, compared to the U.S. Forest Service which receives on
average about $8.57 per acre to manage their forested lands. Tribal forests receive about one third
of the funding U.S. forests receive. It’s just another reason we should be looking at their model and
learning how we can replicate it on a larger scale. Imagine how effective we could be if we started
employing some of these effective Native American forest management practices nationwide.
4. What other challenges are Native Americans facing when it comes to forest management and
funding for environmental programs?
One of the biggest issues that Native Americans face is the lack of understanding (and the risk of
losing) traditional knowledge and their ancient cultural practices. Tribes have communicated
through oral teachings, stories and prayers for centuries about the proper way to live on the land.
Elders don’t necessarily have PhDs, yet they have an intimate knowledge and understanding about
the environment, combined with hands-on training gained from their tribal leaders and elders that
has been passed down for generations.
Unfortunately, along with the pressure to validate traditional knowledge in the U.S., we’re also
seeing tribes struggle with losing traditional knowledge and native languages altogether. The reality
is that in order to solve some of our most complex environmental problems, we are going to have to
combine the wisdom of indigenous communities with Western science, in order to come up with a
system that is best for our forests overall.
5. How do Native Americans view their forests differently?
Native American people rely on their forests for their livelihood; as well as, cultural and spiritual
values. They are obligated to care for the land in a sustainable manner to provide for future
generations because that is how it was given to them. As tribal elders have told me many times in
the past, it is our responsibility to take care of the forests and all the creatures within. This research
is allowing us to do just that.
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