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Indian Programs: Use of Forest Development Funds Should Be Based on Current Priorities

RCED-91-53 Published: Mar 07, 1991. Publicly Released: Mar 07, 1991.
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Highlights

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) forestry program, focusing on BIA: (1) achievement of its timber harvest goals on commercial Indian timberland; (2) accomplishment of needed forest development; (3) controls over funds disbursement; (4) forestry program staffing since 1977; and (5) efforts to attract Indian foresters.

Recommendations

Matter for Congressional Consideration

Matter Status Comments
Congress should discontinue funding to eliminate the 1977 forest development backlog. Instead, Congress should base funding on BIA annual determinations of the most important and highest priority forest development needs.
Closed – Implemented
Congress has directed BIA to make forest development funding available for all forest development work. BIA states that it intends to request future funding based on annual assessment of current priority needs. The fiscal year 1993 budget will be the first year this will be possible.

Recommendations for Executive Action

Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of the Interior The Secretary of the Interior should direct the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs to: (1) determine the most important and most cost-effective forest development needs consistent with current reservations' forest management plans and annual harvesting activity; and (2) annually rank those needs to support BIA budget requests for forest development funding.
Closed – Implemented
BIA has developed a new inventory of needed forest development work that is to be updated annually. The new inventory will be the basis for BIA budget requests for forest development funding beginning with its fiscal year 1993 budget.

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Topics

Employment of minoritiesForest conservationForest managementFunds managementEmployee trainingStaff utilizationIndian landsNative AmericansPlanningTimber sales