California tribe launches first tribally led forest resilience bond

The Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe, working with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, has launched the first tribally led Forest Resilience Bond, securing $5 million for wildfire risk reduction in Placer County, according to Tribal Business News. The funding, provided through a mechanism developed by Blue Forest with the U.S. Forest Service, eliminates cash flow delays from traditional reimbursement grants by blending public and private capital.

Vice Chairwoman Pamela Cubbler said the tribe could not afford to pay costs upfront and wait for reimbursement under a CAL FIRE grant. “That wasn’t something we could really do,” Cubbler was quoted as saying. The bond allows the tribe to pay workers on time while conducting foliage thinning and prescribed burns across 408 acres. Blue Forest’s Indigenous partnerships manager, Saraya Hamidi, said the project sets a precedent for tribes leading restoration efforts rather than serving only as consultants.