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Cherokee Nation natural resources office reports 9,500 seed packages distributed, previews agricultural summit and special hunts
Summary
Secretary of Natural Resources Christina Justice told the Cherokee Nation Council her department distributed nearly 9,500 seed packets, held an inaugural agricultural summit with more than 100 producers, and said special hunt draw information is expected about Aug. 1. She also described ongoing work on community-garden plots and youth outreach.
Christina Justice, Secretary of Natural Resources for the Cherokee Nation, told the Council that her department distributed nearly 9,500 seed packages this year and held an inaugural agricultural summit that drew more than 100 producers.
"We had almost 9,500 packages that were distributed this year," Justice said, summarizing the department's recent outreach and conservation activities. She described a busy month of work responding to storms and supporting land-management, agriculture, wildlife and fire teams.
The seed distribution took place during the department's Earth Day month reporting period, which Justice said runs from April 15 through May 15. The office also ran youth-oriented fishing events and other outdoor-conservation programming. Justice identified Lane Bridal as senior director of Land Management and Agriculture and credited his staff for storm response and field work.
Justice highlighted the CHOTA Center agricultural summit as a new annual event. "We had over a 100 producers that were in attendance," she said, and organizers offered sessions on funding opportunities and conservation-minded agricultural practices. Justice singled out Terina Lowe as the event organizer and said officials plan to expand the summit in future years.
On community-garden programs, Justice told the Council that responsibility for one community garden has transferred to the Nation's public health department and that a staff member named Mark remains involved. She said the Nation maintains an heirloom garden on the main campus and is preparing a new plot at the Markoma campus for planting next year; officials also plan heirloom demonstration plantings at a new park.
Justice also addressed the Nation's special hunting draws. "I believe it's August 1-ish that the draw hunts will be published and open for the public to apply," she said, adding that the categories will likely be similar to the previous year though she could not guarantee they would be identical.
Council members asked a few operational questions during her report but raised no formal objections. Justice closed by inviting follow-up questions and promising to coordinate details with other staff when necessary.
The report covered outreach and program activity rather than formal policy actions; no votes or formal directives on the items Justice presented were recorded in the meeting transcript.
