Audience(s): Tribes, non-tribal government partners
Tribal Stewardship Policy priorities: Strengthening Tribal Partnerships, Collaboration, Durable Agreements, Caring for the Land, California History, Funding Stewardship
Objectives: This webinar highlights interagency coordination around wildfire emergency response on ancestral lands. Hear from officials across local, state, and tribal governments about efforts to strengthen wildfire response and land management through stewardship agreements and collaboration.
Description of toolkit entry
- TSP overview
- This toolkit entry was developed to support the implementation of California Natural Resources Agency’s Tribal Stewardship Policy and Toolkit. The webinar and associated tools are intended to increase the capacity of tribes, state agencies, and non-tribal entities to advance tribal stewardship, including tribal access, collaboration, and ancestral land return according to the CNRA Tribal Stewardship Policy.
- Toolkit entry overview (what you’ll find)
- This toolkit entry offers an introduction to how tribal fire departments collaborate with non-tribal entities to respond to wildfire emergencies that are on ancestral lands but not necessarily trust lands. We include case studies from two tribal fire departments, learn about County of San Diego Office of Emergency Service’s community outreach and engagement strategy, and highlight funding opportunities from the state to support tribal stewardship.
This webinar features Chief Joe Tyler, Director and Fire Chief of CAL FIRE, on the state's collaboration with tribal fire departments and pathways for the state to support tribal stewardship, including through the Tribal Wildfire Resilience grants. You'll also hear from two tribal fire departments: Chair and Fire Chief of the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians Wesley Ruise Jr. and Chief Shawn Kinney, Fire Chief of Yocha Dehe Fire Department, on how tribal fire departments strengthen partnerships with tribal and non-tribal entities on wildfire emergency response. Lastly, Myla Barker of the County of San Diego's Office of Emergency Services, shares how local governments can support and strengthen tribal partnerships in the emergency response space.
Tools:
- Learn more about CALFIRE’s Tribal Wildfire Resilience Grants.
- Learn more about CALFIRE’s grant opportunities.
- Check out our Tribal Stewardship Policy Toolkit on SB 310 Cultural Burn Agreements: Senate Bill 310 Cultural Burn Agreements.
Case Studies:
La Jolla Fire Department | Learn more about La Jolla Fire Department at their website.
- Learn more about the La Jolla Band of Luiseño Indians.
- Read La Jolla's Community Wildfire Protection Plan (2023).
- Read La Jolla's Reservation Forest Management Plan (2025).
- Learn more about Climate Science Alliance's tribal partnerships with La Jolla and Chair Ruise.
Yocha Dehe Fire Department | Learn more about the Yocha Dehe Fire Department at their website.
- Learn more about Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. .
- Learn more about Yocha Dehe Fire Department's partnerships.
- More on Yocha Dehe's cultural burns: 'Good fire' Cultural Burns Return in Yolo County to Help California Slow Wildfires.
Resources:
- For more resources for Tribal communities affected by wildfire emergencies, see the Governor's Office of Emergency Services website here.
- See the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Emergency Management here.
- Learn more about CAL FIRE's tribal affairs work here: Tribal Affairs Program | CAL FIRE.
- Meet Helen Lopez, CAL FIRE's Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs, here: Helen Lopez | CAL FIRE.
- More on beneficial fire can be found here: Beneficial Fire - California Wildfire & Forest Resilience and here: Prescribed Fire | CAL FIRE.
- For emergency alerts and additional resources for San Diego County, see Alert San Diego.
- Learn more about the County of San Diego's Office of Emergency Services.
- Meet Roberta Leash, County of San Diego's Tribal Liaison, here: Roberta Leash - County of San Diego.
- Learn more about the County of San Diego's Community Emergency Response Team.
