The Taktokeewa Project is managed under a Stewardship Agreement between Lomakatsi and the Pacific Southwest Region of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and the Modoc National Forest. This allows for any revenue from timber sold as the byproduct of ecological forestry to be reinvested back into restoration work and additional tribal training and employment opportunities on the Modoc National Forest.
The ecological forestry method uses tree harvesting techniques that resemble natural disturbances, protecting the large, old trees that serve as ecological anchors of the forest, and promoting a variety of tree sizes and ages to support resilience to wildfire and other forest health issues, including insects and disease. Thinning treatments are intended to be followed by carefully applied prescribed fire, with the overall goal of promoting long-term forest health, protecting ecosystem services, and enhancing First Foods and ecocultural resources important to the Kosealekte Band and adjacent tribal communities.
“The Taktokeewa Project is Lomakatsi’s first A-Z project starting with the NEPA planning process,” said Belinda Brown, Lomakatsi’s Tribal Partnerships Director, citizen of the Kosealekte Band. “It’s special that this project includes all the things that our people care about on the land that haven’t been considered before, and we’ve consistently had Kosealekte Band members involved throughout the project layout and design, surveying, and implementation.”
The work has strategically progressed over the past five years, from pre-treatment forest assessments to wildlife surveys—specifically visual and auditory surveys of the Northern Goshawk—common stand exams, archaeological assessments, cultural surveys in close collaboration with leaders from the Kosealekte Band and Forest Service Heritage Program, and the installation of unit plots. Much of this work has been completed by inter-tribal crew members employed by Lomakatsi with ancestral ties to the project area.
“This partnership is improving forest management, reducing wildfire risk, and supporting economic revitalization in our rural, forest-based communities,” said Chris Bielecki, Modoc National Forest Supervisor. “Our tribal partners are critical in helping us achieve these goals, balancing multiple uses, improving forest health, and supporting local jobs in forestry and timber while incorporating tribal interests in forest and fire management.”
In addition to the grant from Accenture, the Modoc National Forest is investing $171,000 through an agreement with Lomakatsi to support ecological thinning and tribal workforce development. In total, over $1 million is currently invested in the project, including initial funding from the Forest Service and matching funds secured by Lomakatsi to complete the NEPA process, which received a signed decision in November 2024.
Collaboration with the Kosealekte Band through Lomakatsi’s Inter-Tribal Ecosystem Restoration Partnership has provided employment and training opportunities for tribal members while accomplishing the monitoring and survey activities required to advance the commercial thinning phase, with the timber sale scheduled for next summer.
“This project shows the power of collaboration and a win-win approach that restores forest health, builds rural and tribal workforce capacity, and supports the local economy,” said Marko Bey, Lomakatsi Executive Director. “Lomakatsi is honored to partner with the Kosealekte Band and the U.S. Forest Service, bringing co-investment, capacity, and technical expertise to advance this great work.”
Commercial timber marking through the month of September—closely coordinated with Modoc National Forest timber staff—prepares the project area for operations next summer when crews will thin smaller trees, vegetation, and select commercial-size trees to enhance structural complexity, improve forest health and wildlife habitat, and set the stage to bring back prescribed fire for cultural, ecological, and public benefit. Amid the hands-on work, Lomakatsi’s inter-tribal crew members also learn about the broader process of collaborative forest restoration, including agreement development and administration, and build leadership skills in a peer-to-peer training environment.
