Investigating tribal co-management of Caifornia’s public lands

Author

Zachary Joseph Erickson, Cal Poly HumboldtFollow

Graduation Date

Summer 2023

Document Type

Thesis

Program

Master of Science degree with a major in Natural Resources, option Forestry, Watershed, & Wildland Sciences

Committee Chair Name

Dr. John-Pascal Berrill

Committee Chair Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Second Committee Member Name

Dr. Kevin Boston

Second Committee Member Affiliation

HSU Faculty or Staff

Third Committee Member Name

Dr. Michael J. Dockry

Third Committee Member Affiliation

Community Member or Outside Professional

Keywords

Co-management, Tribal, Social capital, Social learning, Adaptive co-management, TEK, Relationships, Natural resource management, Capacity

Subject Categories

Forestry

Abstract

Collaborative management with Indigenous groups is becoming increasingly common as many Indigenous communities continue to assert their inherent rights to self-determination. Due to the removal from and dispossession of lands, tribes often rely on access to public properties for various uses including ceremonies and gathering of culturally important plants. Some believe that the absence of indigenous involvement has also led to a decline in both the quality and abundance of culturally important resources, as well as limited the intergenerational transfer of traditional ecological knowledge, or TEK. There is increasing momentum toward re-engaging tribes as stewards of their ancestral lands through collaborative management agreements. In California, USA, there is an ongoing effort to initiate this decentralized form of governance on state-owned lands but little research has investigated its implementation. Reflecting on this process can support both current and future co-management efforts.

This two-part study fills a research gap in co-management literature by providing both government and tribal perspectives on developing a co-management partnership. Chapter 1 utilizes qualitative research methods to understand the views and forest management priorities of a Native American Tribe in a potential co-management partnership with a California State University. In Chapter 2, I further explore co-management in California by examining a state-directed co-management effort from the perspective of government employees. I interviewed 20 California Natural Resources Agency employees to identify whether co-management was occurring on public lands. We also explore the identified barriers and tools they utilized to overcome them viewed through the lens of Adaptive Co-Management Theory. These two studies provide a unique opportunity to gain early glimpses into efforts to engage with Native American tribes in the co-management of California’s public lands from both the government and tribal perspectives.

Citation Style

American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition

Recommended Citation

Erickson, Zachary Joseph, "Investigating tribal co-management of Caifornia’s public lands" (2023). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 667.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/667