From News Desk
Leaders of the Intertribal Timber Council (ITC) were in Brussels to meet with European Union officials to explain how the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) is affecting Indigenous forest managers in the United States.
President Cody Desautel, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation; and Vice President Phil Rigdon, Yakama Nation, are meeting with representatives of several European countries to discuss Tribal sovereignty, Indigenous forest governance; and the impacts of EUDR implementation on Tribal Nations that manage millions of acres of forestland under long-standing, legally protected stewardship systems.
The EUDR, adopted in 2023 under the EU Green Deal, aims to prevent global deforestation by requiring traceability and geolocation data for certain forest and agricultural commodities. Although enforcement has been delayed until December 2026, compliance expectations are already cascading through global supply chains, affecting forest owners and operators beyond those exporting directly to the EU market.
Tribal leaders say these requirements do not distinguish between high-risk deforestation contexts and low-risk forests sustainably managed under Tribal law, US federal law; and treaty obligations. Detailed geolocation and traceability requirements raise concerns about Indigenous data sovereignty and protection of culturally and ecologically sensitive areas.
“We share the EU’s commitment to healthy forests, having stewarded these lands since time immemorial,” said Desautel. “We are ready to work with the EU to find a path forward, but it must be built on reciprocal respect. By engaging in formal nation-to-nation consultation, we can develop a solution that satisfies global environmental goals without asking Indigenous nations to compromise their sovereignty.”
The issue gained attention following a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians Chairwoman Carla Keene, who described how EUDR requirements could restrict Tribal access to global markets despite proven records of sustainable forest management.
The Brussels meetings occurred following the EU’s decision in December 2025 to delay EUDR implementation until December 2026 and direct the European Commission to complete a formal review by April 30, 2026.
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