Lisa Murkowski

Correcting the geography here.

The Tribal Forest Protection Act, or TFPA, is an important tool that allows Native communities to participate in the stewardship of Federal forest lands.

Effective forest management is essential to preserve Native forest lands for future generations.

AFN supports Senate Bill 4370 because of this growing risk of wildfires and other invasive pests in our forests.

The importance of forest management for Alaska Native communities cannot be overstated.

But in the 20 years since TFPA was first enacted, wildfires are burning faster, hotter, and longer.

This is not acceptable. The forested lands owned by ANCs are in every aspect Indian forest land.

Obviously, fire doesn't follow borders drawn on a map or any other strictures of law.

Our legislation is intended to put tribes in the lead by strengthening the role of Native communities in Federal land management.

I want to focus my comments this afternoon on S. 4370, this is the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments of 2024.

Statement of Senator Murkowski.

Mr. Chairman, I think you can hear, whether it is from Alaska and our lands up north to the lands as far south as New Mexico and Arizona, this is an issue that I think there is clearly common ground.

I think what Senator Lujan has said is worth noting, the economic opportunities that can be made available, the social and economic benefits if ANCSA lands are made eligible under TFPA.

I want to make sure that we don't have any ambiguity.

I want to do a follow-up here with Mr. Crockett. I think, as I listened to our witness from the Department of Interior, I hear pretty strong support for S. 4370.

I am really disappointed. Being here today we have had so many years of discussion, I have, my staff, tribal ANC leaders across the State.

You go on to say that Forest Service only has a presence in southeast Alaska, and therefore the TFPA issues are confined to the Tongass.

TFPA empowers tribes to harness indigenous knowledge and western science when conducting forest management projects.

Well, what I did hear you say, Mr. Crockett, is that Forest Service does support removing the bordering or adjacency requirement for the TFPA projects on Federal lands.

So I too want to make sure that we are not setting something up here where we have divergent views or opinions as to how this is all going to work.

Obviously, fire doesn't follow borders drawn on a map or any other strictures of law.

Too often these fires ignite on remote Federal lands and spread to tribal lands, endangering Native people, property, infrastructure, and cultural resources.

I want to acknowledge my Committee intern, Nyche Andrew. She is Inupiaq, she is Yup'ik, she is from Anchorage.

I want to focus my comments this afternoon on S. 4370, this is the Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments of 2024.

This is not acceptable. The forested lands owned by ANCs are in every aspect Indian forest land.