Conservation
of this Nation's fish and other aquatic resources cannot be successful
without the partnership of Tribes; they manage or influence some of
the most important aquatic habitats both on and off reservations.
In addition, the Federal government and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Service) have distinct and unique obligations toward Tribes
based on trust responsibility, treaty provisions, and statutory mandates.
The Fisheries Program plays an important role in providing help and
support to Tribes as they exercise their sovereignty in the management
of their fish and wildlife resources on more than 55 million acres
of Federal Indian trust land and in treaty reserved areas nationwide.
Our
goal is to provide assistance to Tribes for manage, protection, and
conservation of their treaty-reserved or statutorily defined trust
natural resources in an effort to help Tribes develop their own capabilities.
This includes 1) providing technical assistance such as training,
development of management plans, maintaining healthy hatchery fish,
and developing hatchery operating procedures; 2) identifying sources
of funding that can be used to enhance Tribal resource management,
partnerships, or initiatives; 3) providing fish as part of recovery
plans for listed species to support sustainable fisheries management,
and for trust species and programs to enhance outdoor recreation on
Tribal lands; and 4) promoting the Service's obligations toward Tribes
to maintain that our actions, programs, and partnerships do not infringe
on tribal rights.
View
a poster presentation on Service cooperation as a party to the 2000
Great Lakes Consent Decree (pdf, 172 Kb)
For more information on
tribes found in the Great Lakes/Big Rivers Region:
Region
3's Native American Desk (Tribal Grants Program): http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Tribal/
CORA web site: http://www.1836cora.org/aboutus.html
GLIFWC web site: http://www.glifwc.org/
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians web site: http://www.ltbbodawa.org/
