FS-1244 | February 2024

Preserve

America 

Section 3 Report

Presented to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 

in Fulfillment of Section 3 of Executive Order No. 13287
Cover photo: Students from Historically Black Colleges and 

Universities (HBCUs) learn about preserving historic sites during 

a visit to the Wayne National Forest in Ohio as part of the Cultural 

Heritage in the Forest educational program. Forest Service 

archaeologists Margaret Hangan and Andy Tremayne led the 

discussion at Tinker’s Cave, a rock shelter where notorious horse 

thief Shep Tinker hid his stolen mounts during the mid-1800s. USDA 

Forest Service photo by Kelly Miller.

Executive Order (E.O.) 13287, “Preserve America,” reinforces the role of 

Federal agencies as stewards of their historic properties and underscores 

the importance of agency efforts to inventory, protect, and manage these 

properties. Every 3 years, under Section 3 of E.O. 13287, Federal agencies 

are to prepare a report on their progress identifying, protecting, and 

managing historic properties for the public. Each agency submits their 

report to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The ACHP 

incorporates data received by Federal agencies into a final report for the 

President on the state of the Federal Government’s cultural resources and 

their contribution to local economic development. This report compiles 

stories from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service press 

releases and articles highlighting Heritage Program accomplishments 

between 2021 and 2023.
Contents

1 Integration of Historic Properties and Climate Change

1 Six Rivers National Forest: The Meaning of Fire: Preserving Cultural 

Heritage Through Traditional Ecological Knowledge

1 Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests: Restoring Buckhorn Work 

Center After Fires, Vandalism

2 Northern Region: Identifying and Managing Historic Properties 

Vulnerable to Climate Change Impacts

4 Contribution of Heritage to Local Economies

4 Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests: Restoring Corral Park Cabin

5 Digital Information Sharing

5 Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest: Reflecting and Learning at 

the Mann Gulch Wildfire Historic District Solar Kiosk 

6 Partnerships

6 Superior National Forest: Creating New Opportunities Through a 

Section 111 Lease of Halfway Ranger Station 

6 George Washington and Jefferson National Forests: Restoring Access 

to Green Pastures Recreation Area Through a Section 111 Lease 

7 Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest: Engaging Students in 

Cultural Preservation

7 Supporting Partnerships With the Great American Outdoors Act

9 Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests: Restoring Hessie Cabin

10 Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche 

National Grasslands: Restoring Manitou Lake Pavilion

13 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

13 Apalachicola National Forest: Collaborating to Tell the Story of 

Merikins 

14 National Forests and Grasslands in Texas: Connecting Tribal Teens to 

the Forest Service Through Hands-On Experience 

15 Chippewa National Forest: Documenting Fire History on Star Island 

(Windigoominis)

16 Launching the Cultural Heritage in the Forest Educational Program

17 Suppressing Fire While Protecting History 

19 Program Alternatives

19 Advancing Projects While Considering Historic Properties With the 

Phasing National Programmatic Agreement (NPA)
1

Integration of 

Historic Properties 

and Climate Change

In the past 3 years, the U.S. Department 

of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service has 

increasingly integrated historic preservation and 

sustainability/climate resiliency goals in project 

planning. 

Six Rivers National Forest: The Meaning 

of Fire: Preserving Cultural Heritage 

Through Traditional Ecological 

Knowledge

In the Klamath River Basin in northern 

California, the Karuk Tribe developed rich 

traditions using fire to care for the land by 

regulating vegetation growth and composition, 

a practice sometimes referred to as “cultural 

burning.” However, the cultural importance of 

fire wasn’t always appreciated. Early settlers 

outlawed Tribal burning practices, leading to 

fire exclusion policies that contributed to recent 

intense wildfire behavior. 

The Forest Service now recognizes the 

importance of cultural burning to moderate 

wildfire intensity and reduce community risks 

that have increased due to climate change 

and decades of fire suppression and exclusion. 

Some national forests are looking to incorporate 

Traditional Ecological Knowledge in their 

prescribed fire methods. In some locations, the 

Forest Service and Tribal firefighters are working 

together to implement prescribed/cultural 

burning practices. Beau Goodwin, a member of 

the Karuk Tribe and a Forest Service employee, 

has observed a positive shift in the past 5 years, 

with Tribes now playing a significant role in 

managing their ancestral territory. 

Goodwin’s unique position illustrates how 

intimate knowledge of landscape and cultural 

places can benefit both Tribes and the Forest 

Service. Together, this expertise is crucial 

during large-scale fires to protect valuable 

cultural resources and inform tactics such as 

fuel breaks and retardant drops. For example, 

the Six Rivers National Forest now collaborates 

with Tribal basket weavers, actively seeking 

their input on burning practices to ensure the 

continued availability of quality materials. 

Such collaborative efforts represent a growing 

common ground between the Forest Service and 

Tribes, driven by a shared interest in protecting 

the land and preserving cultural heritage.

Source: “The Meaning of Fire” by Andrew Avitt 

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/meaning-fire)

Arapaho and Roosevelt National 

Forests: Restoring Buckhorn Work 

Center After Fires, Vandalism

The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed 

the Buckhorn Work Center on the Roosevelt 

National Forest as part of the New Deal during 

the Great Depression. Completed in 1941, 

the work center complex originally included 

the primary ranger dwelling, assistant ranger 

dwelling, office, and garage, and was designed 

to be off grid with the use of wind turbines 

for energy. Since its inception, it has been 

significantly tied to early Forest Service 

conservation efforts. Recently, the Arapaho and 

Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National 

Grassland have been working to preserve and 

continue the tradition of using sustainable 

energy at the work center following effects from 

the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire—the largest wildfire 

in Colorado’s history.

The property is listed on the National Register 

of Historic Places and has been approved for 

the Recreation Rental Program. The program 

is under the Federal Lands Recreation 

Enhancement Act (FLREA), which allows the 

Forest Service and other agencies to retain 

recreation fee revenues to supplement 

appropriations and other funding sources 

to repair, improve, operate, and maintain 

recreation sites and other areas to quality 

standards (including elimination of recreation 

deferred maintenance), and to enhance the 

delivery of recreation services to quality 

standards. The Forest Service has been 

successful in converting many historic cabins 

and fire lookout towers into overnight recreation 

rentals through FLREA. 

The Buckhorn Work Center will also house crews 

working to reduce wildfire risk as part of the 
2

Forest Service’s investments in “Confronting 

the Wildfire Crisis” (Wildfire Crisis Strategy; 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/

wildfire-crisis) and postfire recovery efforts. 

Having an established and sustainable housing 

option at the Buckhorn Work Center for both 

the public and Forest Service employees plays a 

crucial role in recouping costs of national forest 

operations and contributing to climate resiliency 

goals. The work doesn’t stop here: The Arapaho 

and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee 

National Grassland are also looking to install an 

off-grid solar system to power the facilities and 

restore the historic structures for seasonal use.

Restoration of the Buckhorn Work Center 

has been underway for many years involving 

multiple partnerships, forestwide efforts, 

and community investments. Various 

organizations including the National Renewable 

Energy Laboratory, Forest Service Office of 

Sustainability and Climate Change, Colorado 

State Historical Fund, Colorado Preservation, 

Inc., and HistoriCorps, as well as local 

businesses and community members, have 

contributed time and assistance to the Arapaho 

and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee 

National Grassland to make the Buckhorn Work 

Center a sustainable facility for years to come. 

This coordination signifies a commitment to 

integrating historic properties with modern, 

sustainable energy solutions and climate change 

initiatives.

Source: “Buckhorn Ranger Station Historic 

District” by History Colorado (https://www.

historycolorado.org/location/buckhorn-rangerstation-historic-district)

Northern Region: Identifying and 

Managing Historic Properties 

Vulnerable to Climate Change Impacts

Unusual flooding, larger and more frequent 

wildfires, expansive drought, and heat waves 

in the United States may be short-lived events, 

but their severity can cause great physical 

damage to historic properties on Federal lands. 

Moreover, historic properties are nonrenewable 

and, in many cases, their significance is based 

on their existing location. In this regard, they are 

particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate 

change because they cannot adapt, they are 

irreplaceable, and significant site context and 

integrity are lost if they are altered or moved. 

Responding to the threat from climate change 

impacts will demand additional resources that 

will likely exceed current capacity.

To best prepare for these impacts, the Forest 

Service Northern Region (Region 1) Heritage 

Program is developing a management plan 

based on a risk assessment strategy that will 

identify and prioritize historic properties with 

highest exposure and risk to climate change 

impacts for adaptation measures designed to 

reduce these impacts. This proactive strategy 

The ranger dwelling is part of the original complex at the Buckhorn Work Center. USDA 

Forest Service photo by Lawrence Fullenkamp. 
3

provides Heritage Program managers with 

time to strategically implement adaptation 

measures for potential or existing historic 

properties, with the benefits often exceeding 

their costs as well as enabling the Forest 

Service to meet long-term stewardship 

responsibilities under Federal law. 

The Northern Region, which includes north 

Idaho, Montana, and a sliver of northeastern 

Washington, plans to follow the framework 

described in Clark et al. (2022)1 for identifying 

level of exposure and risk of historic properties 

and then implementing various adaptation 

measures:

1. Use existing resources to identify the 

likelihood of a hazard occurring. 

2. Assess the level of exposure of the historic 

property to the hazard, with historic 

properties located in areas of highest 

likelihood of the hazard having the highest 

exposure. 

3. Assess the vulnerability of the historic 

property to the hazard. 

4. Identify those historic properties with 

the highest exposure and vulnerability as 

having the highest risk to the hazard. 

5. Consider cultural, scientific, or architectural 

significance of the historic property 

in addition to the level of risk before 

prioritizing for adaptation. 

6. Implement adaptation measures that 

reduce risk by reducing exposure and 

vulnerability. 

7. Reevaluate adaptation measures through 

iterative risk management that involves 

an ongoing process of assessment, action, 

monitoring, and reassessment as new 

information on wildfire risk becomes 

available. 

These efforts align with the Forest Service’s 

Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Exposure and risk 

of historic properties to wildfire can be 

1 Clark, J.; Littell, J.S.; Alder, J.R.; Teats, N. 2022. Exposure of cultural resources to 21st-century 

climate change: towards a risk management plan. Climate Risk Management. 35: 100385. https://doi.

org/10.1016/j.crm.2021.100385.

determined using data on wildfire likelihood 

that have been developed by the Rocky 

Mountain Research Station’s Missoula Fire 

Sciences Laboratory (www.wildfirerisk.org). 

Climate models that show how hazards will 

change this century can help identify where 

the greatest increase in hazards will occur and 

assist with planning. As an example, the map 

below shows areas in red where a climate 

model predicts areas on the ground that have 

the greatest probability of wildfires over the 

next couple of decades compared to today; 

these are called “hazard hotspots.” Identifying 

historic properties that overlay these hazard 

hotspots and then evaluating which are most 

highly valued or vulnerable to wildfire can 

reveal the historic properties most at risk. 

Through this risk assessment process, Heritage 

Program specialists can be more proactive 

about prioritizing at-risk historic properties for 

management and adaptation. Forests can then 

take steps to reduce the risk of potential future 

hazards on historic properties by incorporating 

the work into existing planning, which can 

be more cost effective than waiting until the 

hazard occurs or risking loss of the property 

entirely. 

A map showing areas with a high probability 

of wildfire on national forests in northern 

Idaho and Montana (Clark et al. 2022); red 

areas show where historic properties have the 

greatest vulnerability. 
4

Contribution of 

Heritage to Local 

Economies

In the past 3 years, the Forest Service has 

continued to manage historic properties in ways 

that contribute to local communities and their 

economies.

Arapaho and Roosevelt National 

Forests: Restoring Corral Park Cabin

The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and 

Pawnee National Grassland, located in northcentral Colorado and covering 1.6 million acres, 

rank among the top five most visited national 

forests in the United States. The land’s history 

is demonstrated by many infrastructure assets 

over 50 years old, reflecting both a rich heritage 

and extensive deferred maintenance needs. 

One such asset is the Corral Park Cabin, initially 

constructed in 1916 by early range permittees 

who ran cattle in the area. A new cabin built in 

1951 replaced the original but retained historic 

windows etched with the builder’s name. Over 

the years, the cabin fell into disrepair, but 

various restorations and enhancements by 

partners such as HistoriCorps, volunteers, Forest 

Service staff, and contractors have preserved 

this historic structure for decades of future use.

The Corral Park Cabin was identified as 

a potential operations and overnight 

headquarters for the Poudre Headwaters 

Project, a significant conservation effort by 

the Forest Service to restore native greenback 

cutthroat trout habitat. Given its high elevation 

and remote backcountry location, the cabin 

has been vital in providing a place to rest and 

prepare for conservation work. It has hosted 

Forest Service staff, Trout Unlimited volunteers, 

and college students, contributing to shared 

stewardship and greenback cutthroat trout 

conservation. This ongoing involvement 

in conservation emphasizes the cabin’s 

contribution to ecological sustainability and the 

local economy.

Going forward, the Corral Park Cabin will 

continue to be a focal point for organizing 

project operations and hosting overnight 

stays, strengthening its role in both heritage 

preservation and local economic development. 

Additionally, the cabin is part of a current fee 

proposal to add it to the Recreation Rental 

Program along with seven other cabins on 

the Canyon Lakes Ranger District. By turning 

historic structures into rental opportunities, the 

Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and 

Pawnee National Grassland enhance tourism 

appeal, support community engagement, and 

provide a sustainable source of revenue, further 

emphasizing the vital role of heritage in local 

economies.

Source: “Corral Park Cabin Restoration” 

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r2/

home/?cid=fseprd1086450) 

A HistoriCorps volunteer glazes windows as part of the restoration of Corral Park Cabin. 

USDA Forest Service photo by Erica Bradley.
5

Digital Information 

Sharing

In the past 3 years, the Forest Service has 

continued to integrate digital information 

management into the management of historic 

properties.

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest: 

Reflecting and Learning at the Mann 

Gulch Wildfire Historic District Solar 

Kiosk 

On August 5, 1949, the devastating wildfire in 

the Gates of the Mountains Wild Area in Montana 

led to the tragic loss of 16 firefighters. The 

repercussions of the Mann Gulch Fire were not 

only felt in the Northern Rocky Mountain region 

but also catalyzed nationwide improvements in 

firefighting. The tragedy led to a reevaluation 

of Forest Service firefighting strategies and 

resulted in extensive changes, including more 

intensive training, improved safety procedures, 

better equipment, and systematic consideration 

of fire behavior in wildland firefighting. 

The Mann Gulch Wildfire Historic District, 

associated with this event, was listed on the 

National Register of Historic Places in 1999. 

In preparation for the 75th anniversary of the 

Mann Gulch tragedy, the Helena-Lewis and 

Clark National Forest is embracing technology 

to enhance public access to information related 

to this historic event. Following the purchase 

of a solar-powered kiosk and the development 

of a website, visitors to Mann Gulch will be able 

to download historical information, even in 

the absence of cellular service. This innovative 

digital kiosk functions as a one-way, multimedia 

delivery system, using a solar-powered router 

to deliver content to visitors’ smart devices 

without requiring an internet connection. By 

implementing this self-contained system, the 

Forest Service will have broadened heritage 

tourism in the area and leveraged modern 

technology to ensure public accessibility to 

significant historic sites.

Source: Arian Randall, Deputy Forest 

Archaeologist, Helena-Lewis and Clark National 

Forest, arian.randall@usda.gov 

The home page on the Mann Gulch solarpowered digital kiosk invites visitors to 

wirelessly download multimedia content to their 

smart devices.

An example of a solar power source similar to what will be installed at Mann Gulch. USDA Forest 

Service photos by Chrysann Jaeger.
6

Partnerships

In the past 3 years, the Forest Service has 

continued to employ partnerships in the 

identification and management of historic 

properties. 

Superior National Forest: Creating New 

Opportunities Through a Section 111 

Lease of Halfway Ranger Station 

In 2021, the Forest Service entered a lease 

agreement with Northern Bedrock Historic 

Preservation Corps (NBHPC) for Halfway Ranger 

Station, also referred to as Kawishiwi Field 

Laboratory or K-lab, a listed historic district 

on the National Register of Historic Places 

since 2012. Modeled after camping-based 

conservation corps, NBHPC is a one-of-a-kind 

statewide program with a mission to develop 

enduring workforce and life skills through 

service learning in historic preservation and 

community stewardship. 

The Forest Service’s 50-year lease, which falls 

under Section 111 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, allows NBHPC 

to establish a formal base of operations, 

facilitate long-term investments, and create 

a preservation training center at the Halfway 

Ranger Station Historic District near Ely, MN. 

Increased activity and public engagement 

at this historic property will benefit the local 

communities and the rural economy. The lease 

opportunity will also provide experiential 

training opportunities for partners and the next 

generation of preservation professionals alike. 

George Washington and Jefferson 

National Forests: Restoring Access 

to Green Pastures Recreation Area 

Through a Section 111 Lease 

Green Pastures Recreation Area, established in 

1936 on the George Washington and Jefferson 

National Forests and later renamed “Longdale 

Recreation Area,” holds historical significance as 

a recreation space for African Americans during 

the segregation era. President Franklin D. 

Roosevelt directed the Forest Service to 

designate this site in response to a request from 

the National Association for the Advancement of 

Colored People (NAACP). Popular among African 

American communities, the recreation area was 

equipped with various amenities and served as 

a communal area. After the Civil Rights Act of 

1964 outlawed segregation, the recreation area 

continued to function as a public site until it 

closed in 2017. Local efforts from community 

preservation groups, such as the Alleghany 

Historical Society, aimed to restore and preserve 

this culturally significant place leading to it 

being listed as one of Virginia’s Most Endangered 

Historic Places in 2018.

In September 2021, USDA and the 

Commonwealth of Virginia signed a historic 

Shared Stewardship Agreement, marking a 

significant step towards the reopening of the 

Longdale Recreation Area under its historic 

The Halfway Ranger Station, listed on the 

National Register of Historic Places, will serve as 

a base of operations for the Northern Bedrock 

Historic Preservation Corps. USDA Forest Service 

photo by Doug Stephens. 

After World War II, Green Pastures Recreation 

Area was restored and reopened as an integrated 

public site. In 1963, it was renamed “Longdale 

Recreation Area” after the surrounding 

community. USDA Forest Service photo by 

Jennifer Queen.
7

name, Green Pastures. The Commonwealth 

of Virginia also announced plans to work with 

the Forest Service to restore and reopen the 

area as an outpost of Douthat State Park. 

This partnership agreement demonstrated a 

commitment to preserving the historic and 

cultural value of the site.

As part of the partnership agreement, the 

Forest Service and Virginia Department of 

Conservation and Recreation (DCR) entered 

into a 30-year Section 111 lease for the Green 

Pastures Recreation Area. Under the agreement, 

the DCR will preserve, maintain, and operate 

133 acres as a satellite of Douthat State Park. 

Restoration work is underway, with plans to 

provide opportunities once again for visitors 

to connect with the outdoors while learning 

about the park’s significant role in history. Both 

agencies are committed to interpreting the 

complicated history of segregation in the South 

and the impact on Virginia State Parks, reflecting 

the mission to protect and restore natural and 

cultural treasures.

Source: “The Segregationist Past of the 

‘Green Pastures’ Recreation Site” by Jennifer 

Queen (https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/

segregationist-past-green-pastures-recreationsite) 

Helena-Lewis and Clark National 

Forest: Engaging Students in Cultural 

Preservation

In 2021, the Helena-Lewis and Clark National 

Forest collaborated with Preserve Montana 

to launch a pilot project aimed at engaging 

young people in historic preservation. This 

initiative focused on several core objectives: 

engaging youth in cultural resources, training 

new professionals in heritage stewardship, 

strengthening partnerships, addressing cultural 

needs in accordance with Sections 106 and 110 

of the National Historic Preservation Act, and 

contributing to the Heritage Program’s Managed 

to Standard performance measures. Funding for 

this 2-year program was a $39,860 grant from 

the Missouri River Resource Advisory Committee 

for a Title II project (i.e., a project on Federal 

lands) through the Secure Rural Schools and 

Community Self-Determination Act. In 2022, the 

Students in Cultural Preservation pilot project 

took place over 9 weeks. A Ph.D. student and 

a field instructor conducted archaeological 

fieldwork and historical research across the 

Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. 

Specific tasks included monitoring sites near 

the Trout Creek area, performing archaeological 

site surveys, excavating a known site for soil 

samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) testing, 

investigating stone alignments in the Big Belt 

Mountains, and researching content for the 

Explore Montana App (a virtual map of historic 

sites) in partnership with Preserve Montana.

In 2023, the program continued with two college 

students, a field instructor, and a Preserve 

Montana employee working for 5 weeks on 

the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. 

Activities included test excavations at cultural 

sites, performing archaeological site surveys, 

attempting to relocate resources recorded in 

the 1970s, and analyzing artifacts recovered 

from a wildfire site. The success of the pilot 

project was made possible through the Missouri 

River Resource Advisory Committee grant and 

partnership with Preserve Montana, providing 

college students the chance to learn about 

cultural resource management and preservation 

efforts. 

Supporting Partnerships With the Great 

American Outdoors Act

Enacted into law on August 4, 2020, the Great 

American Outdoors Act (GAOA) continues to 

provide new opportunities for the Forest Service 

to deliver benefits to the American public 

through major investments in infrastructure, 

recreation facilities, public lands access, and 

land and water conservation. Between 2021 

and 2023, the Forest Service leveraged GAOA 

funds towards fostering collaboration and 

partnerships in restoring and maintaining 

recreational historic properties. 

With assistance from the Forest Service Heritage 

Program and GAOA funding, a partnership 

formed between HistoriCorps, Forest Service 

Job Corps, and Job Corps Civilian Conservation 

Center students. Through the partnership, 

HistoriCorps facilitated students’ work to 

address critical maintenance needs of historic 
8

properties such as the Tepee Work Center on the 

Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota, 

Santiam Pass Ski Lodge on the Willamette 

National Forest in Oregon, and the International 

Order of Odd Fellows Cabins on the Deschutes 

National Forest in Oregon in the summer of 

2021.

The HistoriCorps’ partnership with the Job 

Corps Program is more than a restoration 

endeavor; it’s a gateway to engaging the 

next generation of stewards. By working on 

these historic sites, students gain handson experience in preservation skills and 

exposure to Forest Service lands, many for the 

first time. Participants not only learn about 

historic recreational facilities on public lands 

but also earn a Historic Preservation Training 

The district ranger residence at the Tepee Work 

Center on the Black Hills National Forest is 

shown on June 1, 2021, prior to the restoration 

efforts of HistoriCorps and Boxelder and Pine 

Ridge Job Corps students. USDA Forest Service 

photo by Cris Newton.

Videographers capture the progress of Boxelder and Pine Ridge Job Corps facilities maintenance, 

painting, and carpentry students as they restore structures at the Tepee Work Center on the Black 

Hills National Forest. The students repaired siding and shutters; removed deteriorated, oil-based 

coatings from the wooden structures; and, to prevent further deterioration, recoated the wood with a 

Heritage Natural Finish. USDA Forest Service photo by Scott Jacobson.
9

Certificate from Bucks Community College. This 

unique blend of construction trade training, 

coursework, and real-world experience sets 

them on a career path in historic preservation, 

strengthening the professional capacity in 

this critical field. This multifaceted approach 

showcases how Forest Service Job Corps 

students contribute to enhancing public 

lands and supporting local economies, while 

simultaneously preserving the Nation’s forests 

and grasslands.

Source: “Partnership Brings History, Tepee 

Work Center Back to Life” (https://www.fs.usda.

gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/sustain/

partnership-brings-history-tepee-work-centerback-life) 

Arapaho and Roosevelt National 

Forests: Restoring Hessie Cabin

In 2021, the Forest Service undertook the 

restoration of the 19th-century Hessie Cabin 

on Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado 

with funding from the GAOA. As part of the 

restoration, Forest Service Archaeologist Dan 

Snyder led a team, including HistoriCorps 

volunteers, in a 2-month project to dismantle 

and rebuild the cabin. Eight volunteers from the 

Mile High Youth Corps joined the project and 

assisted with daubing between the logs. The 

project not only preserved a part of the local 

mining history but also maintained the unique 

character of the landscape.

During the restoration, the team made an 

unexpected discovery beneath the cabin’s 

floorboards: a cache of rough ore, contained 

within a deteriorated dynamite box, presumably 

left by miners in the mid-1800s. Snyder noted 

that the discovery and successful restoration of 

Hessie Cabin has led to increased interest and 

potential collaboration opportunities within the 

community for similar mining cabins. The 

project represents a positive step forward for 

historic preservation and highlights the value of 

partnerships in managing cultural resources.

Source: “Hessie Cabin: Dynamite, Mines and 

Trap Doors” (https://www.fs.usda.gov/insidefs/delivering-mission/sustain/hessie-cabindynamite-mines-and-trap-doors) 

Built in 1874, the Hessie Cabin has been an icon of mining culture, but 150 years of 

sinking floor joists have made it more of a hazard than an accurate representation of the 

area. USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.
10

Pike-San Isabel National Forests and 

Cimarron and Comanche National 

Grasslands: Restoring Manitou Lake 

Pavilion

The Manitou Lake Pavilion, located near 

Woodland Park, CO, has been a place for people 

to gather for picnics for nearly a century. Built 

by the Civilian Conservation Corps and Works 

Progress Administration in 1935, the structure’s 

condition had deteriorated to the point where 

significant repair was needed.

With funding from the GAOA, a partnership 

formed between the Pike-San Isabel National 

Forests, Cimarron National Grassland, 

Comanche National Grassland, and HistoriCorps 

to restore the Manitou Lake Pavilion. The 

restoration work began in July 2022 and 

lasted for 5 weeks, involving the replacement 

of logs, repair of sealant between the logs, 

and installation of hail-resistant shingles. 

The Hessie Cabin restoration is now almost 

complete, awaiting a heating system and plans 

for future use, possibly as an interpretive site. 

USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.

The Hessie Cabin restoration team had no idea they were looking at the remnants of a buried 

dynamite box until they discovered what was inside. USDA Forest Service photo by Daniel Snyder.
11

HistoriCorps provided evaluations, cost 

estimates, and expertise, and coordinated 

volunteer recruitment. Five separate volunteer 

groups participated in the project, following a 

plan to maintain the shelter’s historic character.

The partnership emphasized education, with 

field staff instructing volunteers in a structured 

learning environment. HistoriCorps continues 

to recruit volunteers nationwide for restoration 

projects and collaborates with public land 

managers for various preservation tasks. 

The restored Manitou Lake Pavilion remains 

available for public enjoyment at the Manitou 

Park Recreation Area, reflecting the successful 

partnership’s effort to address maintenance 

needs and preserve the site’s historic 

components.

Source: “HistoriCorps Partnership Helps 

Preserve Colorado History” (https://www.

fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/delivering-mission/deliver/

historicorps-partnership-helps-preservecolorado-history) 

Advancing Tribal Co-Stewardship 

of National Forests Through New 

Agreements 

The Forest Service manages over 193 million 

acres of land and waters containing sacred sites, 

wildlife habitats, and sources of Indigenous food 

and medicine. Many of these lands are located 

where Tribes retain rights to hunt, fish, gather, 

and practice traditional ceremonies based on 

ratified treaties with the Federal Government. 

The Forest Service has signed 11 co-stewardship 

agreements with 13 Tribes, advancing the 

agency’s commitment to protect the Tribal 

interests in lands significant to their culture 

and history. This action is in response to Joint 

Secretarial Order 3403, directing agencies 

under the USDA and the U.S. Department of 

the Interior (DOI) to meet trust obligations 

with federally recognized Tribes. In addition 

to the announced agreements, 60 more are in 

various stages of review, involving 45 Tribes. 

The agreements aim to manage national forests 

and grasslands in a manner that safeguards 

treaty, religious, subsistence, and cultural 

interests. They encompass a wide range of Tribal 

concerns, including forest and watershed health, 

ecosystem restoration, integration of Traditional 

Ecological Knowledge into land management, 

and protection of cultural resources and 

treaty rights. The 11 signed co-stewardship 

agreements represent a snapshot of USDA’s costewardship commitments and include:

• Bears Ears National Monument: USDA and DOI 

signed a landmark joint Intergovernmental 

Cooperative Agreement between the Forest 

Service and the Bureau of Land Management 

and the five member Tribes of the Bears Ears 

Commission: Hopi Tribe, Navajo Nation, Ute 

Mountain Ute Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe of the 

Uintah and Ouray Reservation, and the Pueblo 

of Zuni. The agreement seeks coordination 

on land use planning and implementation, 

development of long-term resource 

management and programmatic goals, 

collaborative and robust outreach to Tribal 

Nations, and more effective mechanisms for 

Tribal Government coordination.

• Tongass National Forest (three agreements): 

The Tongass National Forest in Alaska signed 

three separate co-stewardship agreements 

that include sharing Traditional Ecological 

Knowledge, enabling workforce development, 

and protecting culturally significant places. 

The co-stewardship agreements are with:

o The Hoonah Indian Association for forest 

thinning work that contributes to the longstanding Hoonah Native Forest Partnership.

o The Organized Village of Kake for youth 

stewardship projects that protect burial 

sites while providing training and leadership 

development.

o The Organized Village of Kasaan for a 

framework to sustain culturally critical 

resources and forest products.

• Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest: The 

Nez Perce Tribe and the Nez Perce-Clearwater 

National Forests in Idaho continued their 

long-standing collaboration in fiscal year 

2022 with a Master Participating Agreement 

for stream and floodplain restoration and the 

continuation of interpreting history. The Tribe 

is leading this stream habitat restoration in the 

Crooked River Valley to protect steelhead and 

Chinook salmon.
12

• Sequoia National Forest: The Tule River 

Indian Tribe of California and the Sequoia 

National Forest in California developed 

a co-stewardship memorandum of 

understanding to establish a framework to 

better protect ceremonial and traditional 

activities and food sovereignty, as well 

as to preserve and integrate Traditional 

Ecological Knowledge into Forest Service 

land management decisions. The agreement 

provides an opportunity to learn from the 

Tribe and understand their thousands of 

years’ worth of knowledge, perspective, 

and land management values while sharing 

implementation responsibilities.

• The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests 

(two agreements): The Nantahala and Pisgah 

National Forests in North Carolina and the 

Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians entered 

into an historic Tribal Forest Protection 

Act agreement—the first ever signed in the 

Forest Service’s Southern Region. Coupled 

with the signed Good Neighbor Agreement, 

the collective work integrates cultural and 

Traditional Ecological Knowledge with 

silviculture and fire management to inform 

best management practices for basket-quality 

white oak trees and other culturally important 

forest products. This work also reduces fire 

risk, restores oak forests, improves wildlife 

habitat, creates early successional habitat, 

promotes cultural tourism and recreation, and 

reduces risk to Tribal trust lands.

• Six Rivers National Forest: The Karuk Tribe, the 

Six Rivers National Forest in California, and 

other partners built on previous relationships 

to supplement a Master Stewardship 

Agreement for the Western Klamath 

Restoration Partnership Planning Area. This 

agreement addresses fuels reduction and 

forest health through collaboration and 

project monitoring, including strategic wildfire 

control features, integrated landscape-scale 

fuels reduction, and restorative prescribed fire 

treatments in the Tribal community of Orleans. 

The planning area provides critical cultural, 

ecological, social, and economic resources 

that are essential for sustaining communities 

and ecosystems.

• Umpqua National Forest (two agreements): 

The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of 

Indians and the Umpqua National Forest in 

Oregon signed one of the largest Forest Service 

Tribal Forest Protection Act proposals and 

the largest Forest Service self-determination 

agreements to date. The work will create 

shaded fuels breaks over 37 miles of 

strategically important areas of national forest 

that border Tribal lands, the wildland-urban 

interface, and private property. This work will 

simultaneously reduce fuel concentrations 

enough to enable firefighters to use treatment 

areas as potential control lines in the event 

of future wildfires. The work also is expected 

to reduce the severity and intensity of fire 

through the treated areas.

In fiscal year 2022, the Forest Service invested 

nearly $20 million in co-stewardship. Forest 

Service Chief Randy Moore has emphasized 

the agency’s dedication to building trust and 

upholding treaty responsibilities with federally 

recognized Tribes through concrete actions. The 

Forest Service acknowledges its unique role at 

this moment in history to enhance relationships 

with Tribal Nations across the country, 

expressing a commitment to continuous 

progress in embedding these values within the 

organizational culture.

Source: “USDA Forest Service Signs 11 New 

Agreements to Advance Tribal Co-Stewardship 

of National Forests” (https://www.fs.usda.gov/

news/releases/new-agreements-advance-tribalco-stewardship)
13

Diversity, Equity, 

Inclusion, and 

Accessibility

Apalachicola National Forest: 

Collaborating to Tell the Story of 

Merikins 

While assessing the aftermath of 2018’s 

Hurricane Michael, personnel on the 

Apalachicola National Forest in Florida 

discovered a unique and powerful thread of 

American history: a site connected to the 

Merikins community in Southern Trinidad, 

founded by people who had escaped American 

enslavement and fought for the British during 

the War of 1812. The Forest Service, in 

partnership with Trinidad and Tobago’s 

Government, is exploring this site, emphasizing 

the importance of preserving diverse cultural 

heritage. Modern advances in the use of radar 

technology permit imaging of artifacts still in the 

ground, allowing archeologists from the Forest 

Service, DOI National Park Service, and 

universities to better tell the story of the 

Merikins living in the shadow of slavery in the 

early 1800s. Findings reveal a rich history that 

intertwines Caribbean, African, American, and 

British cultural influences.

The project not only focuses on archaeological 

discovery but also on ensuring equity and access 

by involving local and traditionally underserved 

communities in the process. Collaboration with 

local experts and community members helps in 

uncovering the site’s history and interpretating 

these historic artifacts in an authentic and 

inclusive manner. The engagement emphasizes 

the shared ownership of cultural heritage and 

the consideration of different perspectives.

Akilah Jaramogi, Merikin descendant and Chief Executive Officer of the Merikin Heritage Foundation 

in Trinidad, honors her ancestors and those who lost their lives at the Apalachicola River by intoning 

their names and acknowledging their struggles while throwing cowrie shells into the water at the 

Prospect Bluff archaeological site. USDA Forest Service photo.
14

The commitment to involve the local 

communities in the archaeological activities 

symbolizes a larger effort towards inclusiveness 

and recognition of the cultural importance of the 

Merikins community. By connecting the past 

with the present and involving those directly 

linked to the history, the project fosters a deeper 

connection to a shared cultural legacy. This 

approach showcases a model for other cultural 

preservation efforts, emphasizing the core 

values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and 

accessibility and the importance of engaging 

with underserved communities.

Source: “Musket Balls and Merikins” by 

Meredith Hollowell (https://www.fs.usda.gov/

features/musket-balls-and-merikins) 

National Forests and Grasslands in 

Texas: Connecting Tribal Teens to 

the Forest Service Through Hands-On 

Experience 

The Tribal Youth Conservation Corps, in 

partnership with the National Forests and 

Grasslands in Texas and American Youthworks, 

provides educational opportunities and handson work experience to young Tribal members, 

ages 16–18. Launched in 2022, the program 

emphasizes learning about various forestry 

disciplines such as fire management, wildlife, 

timber, and recreation management, while 

also connecting participants with the natural 

resources that have sustained their Tribal 

traditions and beliefs. Krista Langley, a citizen 

of the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and 

Forest Service regional volunteer specialist, has 

been instrumental in fostering this partnership, 

aiming to inspire future stewards of public lands 

and those who will manage these valuable 

resources.

A significant aspect of Tribal Youth Conservation 

Corps is its focus on strengthening the 

connection between the Forest Service and the 

Tribe, as well as promoting cultural relevance. 

The teenagers involved in the program have the 

opportunity to learn about the restoration of 

longleaf pine, a culturally significant tree to the 

Alabama-Coushatta people. They gain skills, 

such as using an increment borer to determine a 

tree’s age, and apply forestry practices that can 

be shared with their Tribal communities. This 

experience builds a deeper connection to the 

land, broadens awareness of what the Forest 

Service does, and could also encourage some 

participants to pursue an education or career in 

forestry.

The program also focuses on trail maintenance 

and recreation site refurbishments that benefit 

visitors, improve visitor safety, increase 

visitation to recreation sites, and bolster local 

economies near the national forests. Kimpton 

Archeologists Jeffrey Shanks (National Park 

Service) and Dawn Lawrence (Forest Service) 

discuss the Prospect Bluff archaeological site 

with Merikin descendants visiting from Trinidad. 

USDA Forest Service photo.

Tribal Youth Conservation Corps participants 

learn about various forestry disciplines, 

including fire management, wildlife, timber, and 

recreation management. Courtesy photo by Ina 

Bullock, American Youthworks, Youth 

Conservation Corps.
15

Cooper, Forest Supervisor of the National 

Forests and Grasslands in Texas, emphasizes 

that hosting the Tribal Youth Conservation Corps 

crews has created a new model that has been 

mutually beneficial and community oriented, 

helping the national forest prioritize the 

identification and management of cultural 

resources.

Source: “Tribal Teens Gain Hands-On 

Experience” by Greg Deimel and Alan Abernethy 

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/tribal-teensgain-hands-on-forest-experience) 

Chippewa National Forest: 

Documenting Fire History on Star Island 

(Windigoominis)

Star Island (Windigoominis) is a historically 

significant 980-acre island in Cass Lake (Gaamiskwaawaakokaag), MN. It has been a 

recreational destination and contains both 

public and private lands managed by the Forest 

Service. The island is also part of the Leech Lake 

Band of Ojibwe Reservation. While the island’s 

history includes ecological studies and summer 

homes for seasonal residents, the Leech Lake 

Anishinaabe community’s deep connection 

to the land extends back thousands of years, 

encompassing cultural heritage intertwined with 

ecological knowledge.

The Star Island Partnership is a collaborative 

effort aimed at developing an inclusive and 

respectful historical narrative about the 

ecological role of the Ojibwe in shaping the 

forest landscapes of northern Minnesota. 

Supported by a grant from the Minnesota 

Historical Society’s Heritage Partnership 

Program and funding from the Chippewa 

National Forest, this partnership merges 

scientific perspectives with Indigenous 

Knowledge or Traditional Ecological Knowledge 

to provide a more comprehensive understanding 

of forest community dynamics. One of the 

primary goals is to reinterpret cultural history 

through ecological records, leading to the 

protection, enhancement, and restoration of 

Tribal ecocultural resources. 

The partnership focuses on fire history and 

fostering skill development, particularly 

in tree-ring analysis, among community 

members, including students from Leech 

Lake Tribal College. The direct involvement 

of multiple stakeholders, students, and 

community discussions has been a vehicle for 

developing shared commitments. This creates 

opportunities for various perspectives, fostering 

understanding, and retelling the story of the 

ecological and cultural landscape around Star 

Island and the Leech Lake Ojibwe community. 

It leads to a model of cooperative engagement, 

bridging gaps between local groups and subject 

experts, centered around mutually essential 

goals.

Tribal Youth Conservation Corps participants 

learn how to use an increment borer, a coring 

tool to determine a tree’s age, on the National 

Forests and Grasslands in Texas, summer 2022. 

Courtesy photo by Ina Bullock, American 

Youthworks, Youth Conservation Corps.
16

Through focusing on the history of fire, the 

partnership explores the impacts of Ojibwe land 

tending on forest patterns and the deep 

connection with the forest environment. 

Reconstructions based on tree ring analysis, 

archaeological investigations, and Traditional 

Ecological Knowledge help in understanding 

these forests’ development. Evidence of Ojibwe 

presence and land use is vital in reflecting the 

long history of fire use on Star Island. This 

collaboration presents a unique opportunity to 

respectfully share knowledge to develop a better 

understanding of both culture and ecology, 

giving voice to a rich history and insights into 

the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe’s ancestral lands. 

Source: “Fire History on Star Island 

(Windigoominis): A Starting Point 

for Conversations on Resource 

Stewardship and Cultural Exchange” 

(https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/

dcd66a0ed5eb42beaec348c95a893206) 

Launching the Cultural Heritage in the 

Forest Educational Program

In 2022, the Forest Service and the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), in 

partnership with the White House Initiative on 

Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and 

Economic Opportunity through Historically 

Black Colleges and Universities, launched a pilot 

educational program called Cultural Heritage in 

the Forest (CHIF). 

The program aims to connect students from 

Historically Black Colleges and Universities 

(HBCUs) with historic preservation and the work 

of the Forest Service’s Heritage Program with a 

primary goal of creating possibilities for these 

students to move into careers in the Forest 

Service. Other goals of the program include 

bringing more diversity into historic 

preservation-related fields, exposing students to 

new career opportunities and a wide range of 

networking opportunities, and raising 

awareness of the rich, cultural legacy of HBCUs 

and their historic campuses.

In 2022, the inaugural CHIF Program hosted four 

students from Lincoln University (Pennsylvania) 

from various backgrounds. In 2023, the CHIF 

Program became available to all HBCUs 

and hosted nine students studying history, 

architecture, and other related subjects from six 

universities: Howard University (Washington, 

DC), Hampton University (Virginia), Lincoln 

University (Pennsylvania), Claflin University 

A fire-scarred red pine remnant is assigned tree 

ID STR16F during field sampling. Courtesy photo 

by Kurt Kipfmueller, University of Minnesota.

Cultural Heritage in the Forest students prepare 

to conduct a condition assessment on a historic 

building nestled in the Monongahela National 

Forest. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 

photo by Lynne Richmond.
17

(South Carolina), Elizabeth State University 

(North Carolina), and University of Central 

Missouri (Missouri). During both years, the 

Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia 

and the Wayne National Forest in Ohio hosted 

the students. Heritage Program staff at the 

national forests facilitated the students’ learning 

of introductory archaeological methods, 

historic building condition assessment, and the 

Forest Service’s stewardship responsibilities. 

During both years, the students also traveled 

to Washington, DC, where the ACHP facilitated 

their learning of Federal historic preservation 

programs and introduced them to ACHP 

and Forest Service leadership. Following the 

completion of the program, students from both 

years have expressed interest in applying to 

Forest Service positions and furthering their 

experiences in historic preservation.

Suppressing Fire While Protecting 

History 

The Southwest, especially Arizona and New 

Mexico, is rich in historic and cultural sites, 

bearing marks from the Apache, Navajo, and 

Pueblo Tribes, as well as from Spanish explorers 

and settlers. The recent declaration of the Baaj 

Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni—Ancestral Footprints 

of the Grand Canyon National Monument 

emphasizes the value and importance of 

safeguarding these cultural resources.

Jason Nez, a fire archaeologist, and Michael 

Terlep, a district archaeologist, stress the 

significance of fire management in the context of 

preserving cultural artifacts. While wildfires can 

threaten historic sites, the tactics used to 

contain these fires, such as bulldozing, can pose 

even more risk to artifacts by disturbing the 

ground. To mitigate potential damage, resource 

advisors like Nez and Terlep, who are often 

embedded with firefighting crews, guide 

protective measures and survey lands in 

advance of firefighting activities. These 

professionals have become more integral in 

recent times as the emphasis on protecting 

cultural sites has grown. Both archaeologists 

highlight the importance of proactive 

preservation, asserting that the protection and 

enhancement of these landscapes is crucial for 

maintaining the diversity of national and 

cultural identity.

Source: “History and Fire: Suppressing Fire 

While Protecting History” by Andrew Avitt 

(https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/history-andfire) 

Michael Terlep and Jason Nez work the Rafael Fire at Honanki Heritage Site 

on the Coconino National Forest in Arizona (Red Rock District). USDA Forest 

Service photo by Paul Dawson.
18

A cracked boulder within the Kane Fire footprint shows how extreme heat can damage rock 

structures and art. USDA Forest Service photo by Andrew Avitt.
19

Program 

Alternatives

Advancing Projects While Considering 

Historic Properties With the Phasing 

National Programmatic Agreement 

(NPA)

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs 

Act (Public Law 117–58, also known as the 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) authorized 

funds that, combined with the Forest Service’s 

annual appropriations, provided the agency 

with an unprecedented opportunity to invest 

in significant new landscape-level restoration 

efforts to support resilient forest ecosystems 

and forest-adjacent communities. Without 

appropriate tools, such multiyear projects 

that address landscape-scale issues can pose 

a challenge to timely compliance with Section 

106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA). The NHPA requires agencies to consider 

the effects of their proposed actions on historic 

properties, including properties of traditional 

religious and cultural significance to Indian 

Tribes, prior to making decisions. The Phasing 

National Programmatic Agreement (Phasing 

NPA), executed on December 6th, 2021, provides 

an effective way to advance with such types of 

important projects while considering historic 

properties per the NHPA. 

Summary of Phasing NPA

The Phasing NPA requires the agency to 

consult at the earliest stages of project 

consideration and design to develop a Heritage 

Implementation Plan (HIP). The HIP outlines the 

procedures and standards that fulfill Section 

106 compliance and may include activities 

that enhance cultural resources or historic 

properties. The Forest Service finalizes the HIP 

before or concurrent with the project decision 

and implements the HIP after the project 

decision, throughout the life of the project. 

Application of Phasing NPA

Within its first year (2021–2022), the Forest 

Service applied the Phasing NPA to 10 projects 

aiming to restore forests after a wildfire, reduce 

the chance of severe wildfire, and increase the 

ability to control wildfires within the wildlandurban interface. In certain cases, the Forest 

Service has applied the Phasing NPA for projects 

in some of the 250 high-risk firesheds identified 

in the West, where the Secretary of Agriculture 

This diagram shows the suggested timing for each of the stages when planning projects using the 

Phasing National Programmatic Agreement.
20

has invoked emergency authority (Western 

Fireshed Emergency Action) under the 

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Section 40807) to 

take swift action to reduce wildfire risk as part of 

the agency’s broader strategy to protect 

communities, critical infrastructure, and forest 

resources from catastrophic wildfire. Use of the 

Phasing NPA in California, Montana, and Oregon 

provided an effective way to advance multiyear, 

large-scale projects while considering historic 

properties prior to project implementation. 

These included:

• Bitterroot National Forest: The Bitterroot 

National Forest in Montana contains five of 

the highest risk firesheds in the Nation, four of 

which are in the Bitterroot Front Project area 

(150,000 acres). The project aims to reduce the 

threat of large-scale fires within the wildlandurban interface, improve forest conditions, 

and provide commercial timber products 

through a variety of fuel reduction treatment 

options. 

• Plumas National Forest: The Plumas National 

Forest in California has applied the Phasing 

NPA for the Plumas Community Protection 

Projects Landscape Project, which focuses on 

community zones across the national forest 

with very high, high, or moderate wildfire 

hazard potential. The project will address 

approximately 1.0 million acres within the 

national forest administrative boundaries and 

284,912 acres in five high-risk firesheds. 

• Deschutes National Forest: The Deschutes 

National Forest in Oregon has applied the 

Phasing NPA for the Deschutes Fuels 

Maintenance project. Over the next 20 years, 

the project will implement fire and nonfire 

treatments including mechanized and 

nonmechanized thinning, prescribed fire, and 

necessary associated fireline construction and 

road maintenance. This will bring previously 

treated areas to the national forest’s desired 

condition on over 100,000 acres in the 

wildland-urban interface and fire-dependent 

ecosystems. 

Continued Improvements

As part of the execution of the Phasing NPA, 

the Forest Service committed to monitor the 

effectiveness of the NPA and welcomed input 

from consulting parties on how to improve 

its implementation. During the monitoring 

period, the Forest Service, in partnership with 

A map identifies high-risk firesheds in “Confronting the Wildfire Crisis: Implementation Plan,” one in a 

series of Forest Service publications about the agency’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy.
21

the agreement’s signatories, identified minor 

areas where the agreement can be improved: 

widening its applicability to certain projects, 

clarifying how Tribes may join the agreement, 

and providing more effective ways of accepting 

consulting parties’ responses during the early 

phases of applying the agreement.

Additionally, the Forest Service, in partnership 

with the Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation, is providing advice for how to 

effectively consider historic properties in 

emergency situations, including situations that 

require application of Section 106 emergency 

provisions. This includes the development of 

on-demand training for Section 106 emergency 

provisions, highlighting applicability of those 

provisions and options available to expedite 

Section 106 compliance. The Forest Service 

Heritage Program continues to provide guidance 

for how national forests may effectively consider 

historic properties while swiftly addressing 

and mitigating wildfire risk in Western Fireshed 

Emergency Action areas.

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