Climate Change Adaptation
Planning by Tribes
Sue Wotkyns
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
Northern Arizona University
National Tribal Forum
April 30, 2013, Fountain Hills, AZ
Presentation Overview
•Overview of ITEP
•Climate change impacts and vulnerabilities
•Mitigation and adaptation
•Climate change adaptation planning
•Tribal examples of adaptation planning
•Climate change resources for tribes
Institute for Tribal Environmental
Professionals (ITEP)
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Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Mission: ITEP serves tribes through outstanding, culturallyrelevant education and training that increase
environmental capacity and strengthen sovereignty
In 20 years, ITEP has served over 500/566 tribes nationally
ITEP Programs: Climate Change, Air Quality, Waste
Management, K-16 Environmental Education and
Outreach, Tribal Clean Energy Resource Center
San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff, AZ
Impacts and Vulnerabilities
Sand dune migration on Navajo
Nation. Credit: M. Hiza, USGS
2011 Las Conchas Fire in New Mexico.
Credit: D. Chavarria, Pueblo of Santa Clara
Pinyon pine loss --drought stress, bark beetle
outbreak. Credit: C. Allen, USGS
Source: NOAA
Climate Change
Mitigation and Adaptation
• Mitigation: Dealing with the causes.
Actions that reduce level of greenhouse
gases in atmosphere
• Reducing emissions
• Enhancing carbon sinks
• Adaptation: Dealing with the effects.
Taking action to minimize impacts of
climate change. Includes reducing
vulnerability of people and places to effects
of climate change
Source: USDA NRCS
Adaptation Planning
• What is “adaptation planning”?
• What will be possible outcomes if we don’t
plan and prepare for climate change
impacts? (i.e. we do nothing)
• What are possible outcomes if we do plan
and prepare for climate change impacts?
Climate Change Adaptation Planning
Planning and preparing for impacts of climate change.
Be proactive instead of reactive!
Process:
• Get started, form planning team, initial scoping of impacts,
gather information, build capacity
• Build support from tribal council and community-outreach and education
• Find funding, form partnerships
• Assess impacts, vulnerabilities and risks, prioritize
• Develop goals and strategies
• Write adaptation plan (or mainstream climate change into
existing plans)
• Implement plan, monitor progress, update plan
Adaptation Planning: Challenges
• Funding – for impact and vulnerability assessments,
development and implementation of adaptation plans
• Tribal support (from tribal leadership and community). How to
make climate change a priority (other competing immediate
issues)?
• How to get started? Process?
• Limited staff time
• Where to get information--climate projections, impacts,
adaptation strategies
• Integrating traditional knowledge and western science
Example: Swinomish Indian Tribal
Community (WA)
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2007—Tribal Senate proclamation directing
action to respond to climate change challenges
2-year, $400,000 project, 80% funding from US
Dept. of Health & Human Services,
Administration for Native Americans
Comprehensive Impact Assessment Report
(2009) and Adaptation Action Plan (2010):
http://www.swinomishnsn.gov/climate_change/climate_main.html
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Tribal profile:
http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northwest_s
winomish.asp
• Implementation of plan
Example: Nez Perce Tribe (ID)
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Enrolled in Climate Solutions University, received
educational scholarship grant
Developed adaptation plan for forest and water resources
(2011)
http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/resources/docs/res_NezPerceCCAda
ptPlan.pdf
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Climate Solutions University now offers 2 options:
A. 10-month program—webinars, weekly calls, technical
assistance, access to library of adaptation resources:
$25,000
B. Self-directed—monthly calls, access to archived webinars
and library : $5,000
Source: John McColgan, BLM, Forest Fire Gallery
Example: Grand Portage Band of Lake
Superior Chippewa (MN)
• 2008—Trust Lands Administrator requested
white paper on climate change
• Formed team, monthly meetings, specific
assignments, developed guiding principles,
interviewed elders
• Evolved into adaptation plan: 1) White paper
on climate change; 2) Strategic planning for
resource management
• Air quality, water quality, forestry,
fish/wildlife, solid waste, food, and energy
• April 2013—tribal council resolution for
climate change adaptation initiative
• Finalizing draft plan, external review soon
• Tribal profile
Source: M. Lockhart/USFWS
Source: S. Moore, Grand Portage Band
http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/greatlakes
_lschippewa.asp
Source: S. Moore, Grand Portage Band
Example: Confederated Salish and Kootenai
Tribes (MT)
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Began early 2012; estimated completion
summer 2013
June 2012--attended ITEP course; Sept 2012
hosted ITEP course; using ITEP templates
Formed planning team—multiple depts.
November 2012—tribal council resolution
Developed CSKT climate change strategic
planning guide
External assistance with writing plan
Incorporating Traditional Ecological
Knowledge—videos of elders
Developed partnerships, external science panel
Funding sources: Roundtable on the Crown of
the Continent and the Great Northern LCC
Example: Coquille Indian Tribe (OR)
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Incorporating climate change considerations into Strategic
Plan
• Potential climate change implications for each
department
• Strategic plan objectives in light of climate change
• Tribal profile
http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/tribes/northw
est_coquille.asp
Coquille Plankhouse. Source: USDA
Example: Native Village of Newtok (AK)
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Threatened by river erosion, permafrost
degradation, flooding. Needs to relocate
2006—formed Newtok Planning Group,
multiple external partners
Aug 2011--Relocation Report: Newtok to
new village site of Mertarvik
Developing Strategic Management Plan
for Relocation
http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dca/planning
/npg/Newtok_Planning_Group.htm
Aerial view of Newtok.
Source: AK Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Other Examples?
ITEP’s Climate Change Training
• Climate Change Adaptation Planning
• Offered in different regions
• 3-days long, approx. 20 participants, plus team of
instructors
• Process of adaptation planning; tools and resources
• Talking Circles, presentations and tribal case studies,
discussions, activity (computer-based), field trip
• Supported by US EPA cooperative agreement
Climate Change Adaptation Planning -- Pueblo of Santa Ana, NM, February 2013
Templates
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Template for a Tribal Resolution: Climate
Change Adaptation Initiative
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Tribal Climate Change Adaptation Plan
Template
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Template and 4-page guide
Focused on establishing a climate change
adaptation initiative for tribe
Guidelines and suggestions for writing an
adaptation plan
Key terms, additional resources
Available by request:
susan.wotkyns@nau.edu
Website and Newsletter
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Tribes & Climate Change Website
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Basic info, Tribal Profiles, Resources
Library, and more
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http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/
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Tribal Climate Change Newsletter
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Delivered monthly by email
ITEP CC Program News, In the News, Technical
Resources, Funding Opportunities, Upcoming
Events
Sign up be sending email to:
susan.wotkyns@nau.edu
Climate Change Webinars
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AK-focused quarterly webinars, in collaboration with USEPA
Reg.10
Webinar series—in June and July
• Climate Change: What it is and why its important
• Impacts of Climate Change on Tribes
• Climate Change Outreach and Education
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Archived at: http://www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/tcc_webinars.asp
Climate Change Outreach Materials
Climate Change Fact Sheets
2-page
•Focused on impacts and adaptation strategies
•Collaborating with University of Oregon
• Drought
• Fisheries
• Forestry
• Invasive Species
• Wildfire
Available at:
http://www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/tcc_
SWProj.asp
Additional Fact Sheets being developed
Resources from other organizations
Univ. of Oregon’s PNW Tribal Climate Change Project:
•Tribal Climate Change Funding and Program Guide
http://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/funding-guide/
•Exploring the Role of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Change
Initiatives
http://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/files/2010/11/TEK_Climate_Synthesis_Oct
-12-1nkf2o3.pdf
Resources from other organizations
Promoting Generations of Self-Reliance - Stories and Examples
of Tribal Adaptation to Change (US EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/region10/pdf/tribal/stories_and_examples_of_tribal
_adaptation_to_change.pdf
Climate Change Planning Tools for First Nations Guidebooks
(Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources)
http://www.yourcier.ca/information-and-resources/publications-andproducts.aspx?id=412
Native Communities and Climate Change (Univ. of Colorado)
http://www.tribesandclimatechange.org/index.php
Tribal networks/initiatives focused on
climate change
• Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium—Local
Environmental Observer (LEO) Network:
http://www.anthc.org/chs/ces/climate/leo/about.cfm
• First Stewards: http://firststewards.org/
• Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Working Group:
http://aianccwg.ning.com/profile/146mfvc6wl8v9
• ONR (Our Natural Resources): http://www.ournaturalresources.org/
• National Tribal Science Council:
http://www.epa.gov/osp/tribes/who.htm
Tribal networks/initiatives focused on
climate change
• USDA Forest Service multi-station tribal initiative
• Univ. of Oregon – Northwest Tribal Climate Change Project:
http://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/network/
• Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals – Southwest Tribal
Climate Change Project:
http://www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/tcc_SWProj.asp
• College of Menominee Nation
• University of Hawaii
• University of Georgia
Many tribal environmental/natural resources conferences
include climate change sessions.
Contact Information
Sue Wotkyns
Climate Change Program Manager
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
928-523-1488
Susan.Wotkyns@nau.edu
Tribes & Climate Change website:
http://www4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/index.asp
For more information about ITEP, please visit our website:
http://www4.nau.edu/itep/