The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnered with the San Carlos Apache Tribe in order to implement improved fire mitigation strategies combining indigenous management and satellite imagery.

Nature-based Intervention:

Satellite imagery was implemented alongside indigenous fire management techniques to compliment the Tribe’s implementation of techniques to reduce fire intensity. The satellite images were able to highlight the best places within the reservation for the construction of firebreaks and the ideal locations on rivers to construct water detention installations. These implementations work together with the tribe’s forestry interventions, such as tree thinning to return the tree densities to their pre-colonial baselines.

Overview of context and outcomes:

The San Carlos Apache Reservation lies in an area which is extremely prone to fires due to the combination of arid landscapes and dense woodlands. Historic fire management practices from the US government have allowed the buildup of fuel loads within the forest and climate change has lead to an increase of the fire risk to the area. Many of Arizona’s largest fires on record have happened in or near the San Carlos Apache Reservation, including the 2011 Wallow Fire, which was the states most destructive. However, the San Carlos Apache Reservation faced less damage than the surrounding forest service managed lands due to the tribe’s fire reduction strategies.