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KENWOOD, OK - The Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, is moving forward with a plan to increase revenue from tribal lands while also improving wildlife habitat and water quality. One part of this initiative is a prescribed fire for an 800-acre of Cherokee Nation land in Delaware County.

"This tract of property is located several miles from any residences and was selected for numerous reasons," said Pat Gwin, an environmental specialist for the Cherokee Nation.

The Cherokee Nation has begun managing its property in a manner that considers both financial issues, and environmental stewardship principles. "Hence, wildlife habitat improvement and limiting chemical applications of pesticides and herbicides have become keystone issues with the Tribe," Gwin said.

The land set for the controlled burn in Delaware County was partially transformed into a pine tree plantation in the early 1980s. Due to the natural cycle of forest maturation, this parcel’s quality of wildlife habitat had drastically declined.

"Since fire has always been a tool Mother Nature uses to rejuvenate ecosystems, the Cherokee Nation worked with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to develop a very safe, controlled burn plan to accomplish two main objectives," said Gwin. "First, we want to improve the quantity and quality of timber production for future economic benefit. Second, we want to increase the ecosystem’s productivity to allow for improvements in the wildlife community’s population figures and overall health."

Gwin stressed that these goals are being accomplished at a very low cost to the Cherokee Nation and without the need for chemical applications. Furthermore, as other Indian Tribes around the country have had success using these types of natural environmental mechanisms, the Cherokee Nation plans on expanding these activities for more wide spread usage in the future.