GAO Report Outlines Five Lessons for Federal-Tribal Land Management Partnerships

The Government Accountability Office issued a report titled "Federal Land and Water Management: Lessons Learned from Implementing Federal-Tribal Shared Decision-Making Agreements," identifying five lessons that federal agencies and Tribal partners have learned while implementing shared decision-making agreements.

The report notes that the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior and their subcomponents - including the U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and National Park Service - have entered into agreements that give Tribes substantive input on natural and cultural resource decisions over many years.

Among the lessons, officials highlighted the importance of developing mutual understanding and trust. A tribal official cited that agency staff "met with them in person, had open minds, and treated them with respect," which fostered candid conversations and better perspective sharing. Other lessons focus on clear implementation plans, recognizing legal and procedural constraints, aligning existing policies, and ensuring staff have the necessary knowledge, skills, and resources.

For each lesson, the GAO lists key questions for agencies and Tribes to consider, such as whether the agreement clearly identifies implementation steps, whether parties have taken concerted efforts to understand each other's management approaches, whether conflicting policies have been identified, and what resources are available to support the agreement.

The analysis draws on interviews conducted with parties to the agreements and builds on GAO's earlier January 2026 report (GAO-26-106626). For further information, contact Anna Maria Ortiz at [email protected].