Mortown Rancheria urges broader use of Service First agreements; cites Forest Service capacity and training gaps

Carrie Monahan, director of natural resources for the Mooretown Rancheria of Maidu Indians (first reference: Carrie Monahan, director of natural resources, Mooretown Rancheria), told the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture that tribal partners can be "a force multiplier" for forest management using the Service First authority, but that Forest Service capacity limits and unfamiliarity with the tool are slowing adoption.

Monahan described how interagency Service First agreements operate: the Forest Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) enter an interagency agreement, Forest Service funds are transferred to Interior, then into a trust account on the tribe's behalf, and the tribe performs work and is reimbursed as projects are completed. She said Mooretown crews are working on fuels reduction projects now, using hand crews and mechanized equipment including masticators and log processors, and that tribal crews work both on reservation and off‑reservation where needed.

"Service First can be used to rapidly address forest management needs across the nation without requiring new legislation or regulatory changes," Monahan said. She described examples from Northern California — the Camp Fire (2018), the North Complex, the Dixie Fire and the Park Fire — and said tribal teams have been active in wildfire crisis landscapes funded through recent appropriations.

Barriers the tribe faces include Forest Service hesitation to use new tools in districts that lack prior experience, staff shortages that prevent districts from approving projects despite available funding and completed environmental reviews, and the loss of experienced employees. To overcome those hurdles, Mooretown hired retired Forest Service employees familiar with district practices to write scopes of work and coordinate with remaining staff. Monahan said preliminary discussions with Forest Service leadership have addressed the need for training so personnel know the benefits and procedures for using Service First.

Why it matters: Monahan told lawmakers that Service First interagency agreements can accelerate on‑the‑ground fuels reduction while supporting tribal economic development, but that the model depends on Forest Service capacity to prepare and approve scopes of work and to manage interagency reimbursements.

Ending: Monahan asked the committee to encourage the wider adoption of Service First, to support training for Forest Service personnel, and to recognize Service First as an efficient mechanism when Congress appropriates funds for forest management projects.