Owls Under Fire

To protect Mexican spotted owls, Hoagland needs to know where they live. She monitors the trees where the owls choose to build nests, which are primarily white firs and Douglas-firs. She conducts her research in two forests located side by side in New Mexico: the Lincoln National Forest, which the U.S. Forest Service manages, and a forest within the Mescalero Apache Reservation, which the Mescalero Apache Tribe manages.

Hoagland wants to protect Mexican spotted owls. That means she needs to know where they live. So she monitors the fir trees where the owls build nests. She conducts her research in two forests located side by side in New Mexico. One is the Lincoln National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The other is a forest within the Mescalero Apache Reservation. It is managed by the Mescalero Apache Tribe.

Hoagland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe and the first female Native American with a Ph.D. to work for the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout her career, she has served as a liaison between the Forest Service and Native American tribes. Now, Hoagland is making similar connections in her research: Learning from the Mescalero Apache people about how the Forest Service can better protect the forests—and owls.

One strategy that many tribes use for forest management is prescribed fire. They will set small fires to clear the brush. That way, if a wildfire begins, there will be fewer leaves and sticks to fuel it. “Tribes are trying to be at the forefront of managing their forests by reintroducing fire,” Hoagland says.

The Forest Service uses prescribed fire too. What sets tribal forest management apart is the overall approach: “Tribes really try to take an integrated, holistic perspective with their management,” Hoagland says.

Hoagland is a member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribe. She’s the first Native American woman with a Ph.D. to work for the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout her career, she has helped the Forest Service and Native American tribes communicate with each other. Now she is learning from the Mescalero Apache people about how to better protect the forests and owls.

There are many strategies for managing a forest. One that many tribes use is called prescribed fire. They will set small fires on purpose to clear out dry leaves and sticks. That way, if a wildfire begins, there will be less fuel for it. The Forest Service uses prescribed fire too. But the tribes’ techniques may work better. “Tribes are trying to be at the forefront of managing their forests [with] fire,” says Hoagland.