Natural Resources Management Gateway: Headlines

17 Jan 2025 - Tribal Co-Land Management and Co-Stewardship Policy

USACE is looking to expand opportunities for cooperative joint management, cooperative management, partnership agreements, and general engagement with federally recognized Tribes at USACE projects through a review of its authorities, guidance, and regulations and to enable diverse partnerships to deliver projects, manage, and/or co-manage activities on USACE owned lands. USACE will identify challenges and/or limitations, solutions to remove barriers, and training opportunities for Operations and Tribal partners, and provide recommendations to senior leadership on how to deliver these efforts consistently across USACE. The “Comprehensive Approach to Co- Land Management and Co-Stewardship of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Managed Lands and Facilities with Tribal Nations” policy directive was signed on Dec. 30, 2024 by the Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and can be found here

This policy directive provides a comprehensive approach to co-management and co-stewardship of USACE Civil Works managed lands and facilities with Tribal Nations. It emphasizes the full use of existing authorities available for co- management and co-stewardship opportunities with federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations (ANCs), and the Native Hawaiian Community through Native Hawaiian Organizations (NHOs). It also identifies areas for additional implementing guidance that must be developed in Nation-to-Nation (or Government-to-Government) consultation with federally recognized Tribes to maximize these opportunities.

For more info on Tribal Partnerships, click here.