Support Reforestation Across the Indigenous West

TWP has long been known for planting trees. 

But what’s most important to us is who, and how. 

In Northern New Mexico, we’re continuing to see what’s possible when these pillars remain central. Over a two-week hitch in October, an all-Indigenous crew planted nearly 6,000 trees within the Cerro Pelado burn scar of the Jemez Mountains.

This planting was the first stage of a two-year effort to plant 45,000 trees in the area, begin restoring broader ecosystem health, and provide young Native people a connection to their lands through hands-on training and employment.

Alongside the deep commitment of our local partners, this connection has been made possible by innovative agreements between TWP and Sante Fe National Forest (SFNF) that enableTribal stewardship of SFNF lands. It’s unusual for Tribes to have stewardship access to ancestral lands within National Forest designation, but these historic agreements open doors to strengthen Tribal leadership and management, integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge in restoration efforts, and employ the next generation of Indigenous land managers. 

The partnership also boosts the Forest Service’s capacity to continue restoring public lands at a time when resources are scarce. 

“With federal capacity at an all-time low, land management agencies are turning to nonprofit partners like Trees, Water & People to do planning, design, implementation, and monitoring. Organizations like ours build trust and relationships with communities, opening doors to rekindle healthy relationships for ancestral lands protection.”
-- James Calabaza, TWP Indigenous Lands Program Director

From bridging gaps in restoration efforts, to bridging historically-tense relationships between federal agencies and Tribes, this effort is much more than planting trees.

This is a story of reconnection. 

For most of the 21 Native youth employed through the tree planting crew, this was the first time they had connected to their ancestral lands of the Jemez Mountains. 

For all, this was the first time they had taken part in restoring them. 

At TWP, we’re proud that 6,000 trees are back in the ground. But we’re even more proud that 21 young people, guided by Indigenous leadership and knowledges, are earning a living by restoring them.

Links:

• Trees, Water & People
• Trees, Water & People - Indigenous Lands Program

Wildfires in the Southwest have been more intense, larger, and more destructive in recent years, exacerbated by extreme weather patterns and dwindling watersheds. In New Mexico, South Dakota, and Colorado, Trees, Water and People's (TWP) Indigenous partnerships ensure that work on the front lines are locally-led, so communities with direct needs for healthy landscapes are empowered to find long-term solutions for preventing and combatting megafires.

Part of ensuring the local voice is heard in wildfire management is training and ecological exchange, and TWP is honored to sponsor several training opportunities each year to encourage networking and collaboration. Hosting and attending training that embraces participants' traditional knowledge and folds that into scientific solutions offers a way for communities to preserve and protect culture, apply methods used for many generations, and still allow for innovation to accommodate an ever-changing climate. 

This year, TWP has hosted and supported trainings and workshops for: 

Seed collection: Last month we supported the Pueblo of Jemez forestry program to attend a cone and seed collection training. The crew is now trained on how to harvest high quality, local Ponderosa pine tree seed to ensure that the seedlings our partners are generating have the best chance for survival and adaptation to a changing climate. 

Youth development: TWP provided mentoring and internship support for Indigenous youth to earn income for reforestation work, offering them the career pathways in natural resource development and sustainable land management. This Fall, we will be contracting out four Indigenous Youth Conservation Corps crews from various organizations to plant 10,000 mixed-conifer seedlings on the burn scar of the Cerro Pelado fire within the Jemez Mountains of North-Central New Mexico. 

Not only is it important that Pueblo and Tribal communities are taking lead in fire management, but it is equally important that those communities unite, collaborate, share knowledge, and learn from each other in a way that knits together a fortified front against the impacts of climate change. 

Thanks to GlobalGiving donors, we're able to offer and support training that empowers local leadership, is guided by ancestral, nature-based methods, and protects land and culture, all the while giving an important priority to the Indigenous voice.