Monumental Questions - What is TERA?

Kristie Ehrhardt • February 12, 2024

Tribal Eco Restoration Alliance

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region is no stranger to the impacts of wildfires. The historic Mendocino Complex fire of 2018, which was the largest in California history until the August Complex fire of 2020 happened, devastated the landscape and lives of thousands of Northern California (and beyond) residents.

The Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument is jointly managed by both the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) - both agencies have formed strong partnerships with not only Tuleyome but other locally invested non-profits as well. One of those partners is the Tribal Eco Restoration Alliance (TERA).

TERA was established in 2019 to work with multiple organizations and cultures to invigorate the ecology, economy and culture using indigenous-led land stewardship methods. They teach the community how to implement prescribed and cultural fire, Good Fire, within the ancestral territories of Eastern Pomo, Southeastern Pomo, Lake Miwok and Wappo people. TERA’s current project partners include the Robinson Rancheria Pomo Indians of California, Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the United States Forest Service – Mendocino National Forest. These partnerships focus on jointly striving to share in the healing of the land and community through cultural land stewardship practices.

The TERA website lists their goals as follows:

  • Connect tribal members with meaningful livelihoods and culturally relevant work in our ancestral territories
  • Build tribal capacity to engage in ecological restoration work that mitigates the impacts of climate change and reduces the risk of uncharacteristic wildlife
  • Support Native American voices and worldview to play a central role in land stewardship
  • Regenerate the ecosystems of the North Coast ranges

TERA also works with various agencies and partners including tribes, academics, international, federal and state agencies, community members, and landowners to coordinate Prescribed Fire and Cultural Burning Training to meet the various needs of all involved using Indigenous land stewardship. TERA is working with many partners in Lake County to coordinate the Lake County 2 nd Annual Prescribed Fire and Cultural Burning Training Exchange and has several dates lined up. If you’d like to be involved in the process or would like to learn more about Indigenous land stewardship using prescribed burning, please visit the TERA website .

TERA can also be hired to perform services such as vegetation removal, onsite native plant and habitat restoration work, and restoration of culturally significant vegetation.

-Kristie Ehrhardt ( kehrhardt@tuleyome.org )

Tuleyome Land Conservation Program Manager

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