AbstractsAnthropology

This thesis explores the complexity of relationships between communities and the ecosystems in which they live through a focus on forest restoration and fuels reduction on private land. As a case study, research took place in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of rural Northern California, in Humboldt and Siskiyou counties. The research area is within the ancestral territory of the Karuk Tribe and the United States Forest Service manages the majority of the land. The location is characterized by its dependency on forest resources, high levels of biodiversity, current wildfire problem, and community interest in fuels reduction activities. Forest restoration includes restoration of the historic fire regime, which is difficult given current ecological and cultural constraints. Methods of forest restoration include mechanical treatment, prescribed fire and natural fire use. Restoration of historic fire regimes on private land can facilitate the restoration of adjacent federal lands and encourage the development of wildland fire use. In order to represent the complexity of cultural and ecological interactions within the research area, the analytical frameworks of political ecology and symbolic anthropology were utilized. Community interests included creating sustainable livelihoods, developing community capacity, creating and changing policy, and the creation of flexible treatment prescriptions.