Federal agencies fall short on trust duties to tribes, report finds

Federal agencies are falling short of their legal duties to tribal nations as they manage millions of acres of land important to climate adaptation, wildlife and water supplies, according to a Government Accountability Office report cited by Grist. The report says treaties ceded land to the U.S. government in exchange for commitments that evolved into government-to-government relationships on natural resources.

Since a 2021 joint order by the U.S. departments of Agriculture and the Interior, tribes have entered into at least 400 cooperative land agreements with federal agencies, the Native American Rights Fund estimates, Grist reported. The GAO recommends expanding authority for the Forest Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to enter into land and water agreements with tribes.

The report says many agency staff lack familiarity with federal Indian law, treaty obligations and government-to-government relations, and that staffing cuts and budget reductions at agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, hinder long-term partnerships, Grist reported.