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Overview of Native American Consultation Training, Redding

On Friday May 5th, 2006 CAL FIRE Northern Region Archaeologist Richard Jenkins delivered a Native Consultation Training session in Redding.

The training was organized at the request of the Native American Advisory Council (NAAC) as a means to provide information to individuals and groups that receive mailings regarding CAL FIRE-regulated projects.

Gabriel Gorbet from the Greenville Rancheria assisted in the training effort by designing a flyer and preparing a mailing list that included all groups contained on CAL FIREs tribal contact list for Northeast California. The materials were forwarded to CAL FIRE where they were reproduced and sent out from our mailroom. The Greenville Rancheria also assisted the effort by finding a willing host for the training.

Richard Blackford from the Redding Rancheria volunteered the use of their conference room, which proved to be excellent facility, and provided breakfast to meeting participants. James Hayward opened the session with a Wintu prayer and Barbara Murphy welcomed the group with a nice talk.

To assist with the training I assembled a small cadre of associates who are experts in their fields. Assisting were CAL FIRE Forest Practice Law Enforcement Coordinator Shane Cunningham, Sierra-Pacific Industries Forester Ted James, and Native American Heritage Commission staff member Rob Wood.

We formed a small panel at the head of the room where we delivered information and answered questions from 9:45 in the morning until 5:00 in the afternoon.

The audience was comprised of 35 Native American representatives from 12 different tribes that came from as far away as Cedarville (Modoc County) and Fort Jones (Siskiyou County) in the north and Oroville (Butte County) in the south.

NAAC member Harvey Orcutt was also present and offered much useful information regarding the Council and its role as an advisor to the Department.

Topics covered during the session included review procedures and timelines for response to all forms of timber harvesting plans (THPs, MTHPs, PTHPs, NTMPs, etc) as well as for Emergency Notices, Emergency Notices for Fuel Hazard Reduction, Forest Fire Prevention Exemptions, Conversion Exemptions, and other CAL FIRE undertakings including CFIPs, VMPs, and CapCom projects.

I also covered the need for each Native American group to develop a map and/or data base that showed/listed sites of special concern. I discussed how the Yurok tribe has been successful in creating such a data base.

In conclusion, the training was considered a success by all that were involved.

The audience left the session with a better understanding of the types of projects that they are being notified of and the timelines within which they should respond if concerned.

The presenters walked away with new perspectives regarding the challenges that Native Americans must overcome to develop programs and procedures that will allow expedient and meaningful responses to the CAL FIRE mailings.

It is believed that the objective of improved consultation between Native Americans and CAL FIRE in Northeast California has been achieved.

Richard Jenkins
Northern Region Archaeologist
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
6105 Airport Road
Redding CA 96002
(530) 224-4749
rich.jenkins@fire.ca.gov