From snowcapped peaks down to wooded foothills, the Sierra Nevada range includes nine national forests in Nevada and California. For Native American tribes like the North Fork Mono Tribe, the Sierra Nevada is the ancestral homeland and foodshed, so the area holds great value for sustaining their well-being and culture.  

“We’ve been out on the land for 8,000 years and we’ve got artifacts going back 15,000 years. So we’ve got a lot of history passed down through the generations of how to take care of the land,” said the Hon. Ron Goode, Chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe. 

In 2014, the Tribe entered into a participating agreement with the Sierra National Forest to restore meadows using indigenous fire stewardship. That agreement was later supplanted by a Master Stewardship Agreement to restore meadows and oaks on the forest.

The Sierra Nevada is also important to anyone who uses its water. Much of California’s water comes from snowpack, which melts and flows through mountain streams and meadows into the lakes and rivers that supply water to farms and cities. Meadows are like sponges which soak up springtime snowmelt and then release it gradually during the dry season. Taking care of the ecosystem has many benefits including sustaining water flows for animals and people.

Fire stewardship and the California black oak

Along with meadows, the Tribe’s work with the Forest Service revolves around the California black oak, which plays an important ecological role in the Sierra Nevada. Black oak acorns are a traditional food source for Native People across California, and collecting acorns remains an important practice. The acorns are also a staple for deer, bears, rodents, and birds, while the trees themselves provide shelter for many species of vulnerable wildlife like spotted owls and fishers, who like to rest and raise their young in tree cavities.

The black oak is well-adapted to frequent fires that were common in the Sierra Nevadas: large trees have bark that protects them from less intense fires, as well as the capacity to quickly resprout new stems after more intense fires. Knowing that burning can keep forests healthy and reduce insects that feed on acorns, Native Americans have strategically lit fires in the forest to facilitate acorn harvest. 

Following colonization by Euro-Americans, many black oaks were cut for fuel wood and to make way for conifers that were used for lumber. Beginning in the early 20th century, the Forest Service put out lightning-set fires, in addition to preventing Native Americans from applying cultural burning. Many meadows also became drier due to erosion as roads were built. As a consequence, more conifers are creeping into meadows where they reduce the water and light that oaks and other species need to flourish and bear fruit. 

“In 2017, you were lucky to find one producing oak as you drive around a 10-, 25-, 50-mile radius.  There were only a handful of trees producing maybe 100 pounds of acorns,” said Goode, adding that the oak trees should be producing 200 pounds of acorns. “Now we have close to 100 if not more seedlings and saplings, because we’ve been burning, pruning, and manicuring—we’ve been taking care of the landscape.”

Since their treatments, more deer and mountain lions have returned to the restored meadows. “The lion leaves a kill in the meadow, and you can see all the different species, from gophers to possums and whatever else is out there, nibbling on the bones and hides. And so everyone is enjoying this ecological renovation we’ve done,” said Goode.

Continue reading the article from USDA Forest Service Newsroom here.