2026 Bridging the Gap Meeting
May 12-14, 2026
The Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas and the USDA Forest Service - Southern and Eastern Regions are virtually co-hosting the 25th Annual Bridging the Gap Meeting on May 12 - 14, 2026. The Bridging the Gap Meeting was established in 2001 to strengthen government-to-government relationships between the U.S. Forest Service and federally recognized tribal governments on a variety of cultural and natural resource management issues. Today, the meeting has grown to over 300 attendees from over 20 tribes and numerous Federal and state agencies. General sessions will cover topics on NAGPRA, Historic Preservation, Tribal Areas of Interest, Tribal engagement and collaboration, and cultural and natural resources.