First Nations Releases Additional Resources for Food Sovereignty Assessment Efforts and Conservation Planning for Native American Ranchers

Longmont, Colorado, Sept. 26, 2017 -- First Nations Development Institute (First Nations) has released two free resources that are valuable to Native American tribes, communities and organizations in conducting food sovereignty assessments, or to Native ranchers seeking to develop sound conservation plans for their enterprises.

The Reference Guide for Community Food Assessments offers a survey of topics that individuals and communities will come across when assessing their local food systems. Using links to numerous other online resources, it offers a broad perspective of the many complex issues that can come into play. It was researched and compiled by Fred Briones, First Nations Program Officer. The publication can be found at this link: http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health/resources. The Reference Guide is a great companion to First Nations’ Food Sovereignty Assessment Tool, 2^nd Edition (http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health/FSAT-2nd-Ed ) and other available food-sovereignty resources in the Knowledge Center on the First Nations website.

A Conservation Planning Guide for Native American Ranchers was created with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) and The Christensen Fund. It was compiled by First Nations consultant Steve Barker of Resource Management Systems, LLC, and the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, with input provided by 14R Ranch, which received grant support through the First Nations “Conservation for Navajo Livestock Producers” project.

The development of a conservation plan provides a roadmap for ranchers to accomplish the goals of keeping their rangeland healthy and productive, increase herd health, and boost production and profitability while protecting the ecosystem and wildlife for future generations. The plan provides a long-term vision and implementation process to follow to get each acre of land as healthy and productive as possible, and keep it that way in a sustainable fashion.  The publication can be found at this link: http://www.firstnations.org/knowledge-center/foods-health/resources.

Please note that downloading these publications requires you to create a free online account (username and password) on the First Nations website. Your account will give you free access to numerous other resources available in the First Nations Knowledge Center.

About First Nations Development Institute

For 37 years, using a three-pronged strategy of educating grassroots practitioners, advocating for systemic change, and capitalizing Indian communities, First Nations has been working to restore Native American control and culturally-compatible stewardship of the assets they own – be they land, human potential, cultural heritage or natural resources – and to establish new assets for ensuring the long-term vitality of Native American communities. First Nations serves Native American communities throughout the United States. For more information about First Nations, visit www.firstnations.org.

Randy Blauvelt, First Nations Senior Communications Officer
[email protected] or (303) 774-7836 x213