Sierra Club Welcomes Framework for Tribal Engagement in Land Management #Cooperation #Inclusion

On October 21, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell issued a Secretarial Order encouraging cooperative management between the Department of the Interior and federally-recognized Tribes. The Order seeks to provide opportunities for Native communities to have “meaningful and substantive roles” in the management of culturally important lands.In response Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune issued the following statement.

“We commend the Obama administration for recognizing the importance of tribal engagement in land management. We will continue to stand with indigenous communities in the effort to elevate Native voices. As we’ve seen with the Dakota Access Pipeline, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and grizzly bear management, indigenous voices can not, and must not, be ignored.”

“This is an important step forward by the Obama administration to listen to the Tribes and put their rights and sovereignty ahead of corporate polluters’ plans for our public lands. This framework for meaningful involvement by those who are closely connected to the land is a positive step toward a more inclusive future for public lands. ”