Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP)’s Climate Change Activities

Presentation by: Joe Hostler Yurok Tribe Environmental Program (YTEP)

2011 National Tribal Forum. Spokane, WA

June 14th, 2011.

YTEP’s Climate Change Activities

1) Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

Funded by EPA Environmental Justice Small Grant Program

2) Climate Change related tasks written into Clean Air Act Section 103 Grant.

YTEP Climate Change Activities

Tribal Background• Yurok People: Pueleek-laa, Pecheek-laa,

Ner’er-nerh.• Yurok Territory

Yurok Tribal Government– Constitution 1993 – 9 member Council with Chairperson, Vice-

Chairperson, & 7 Council Districts.– Committees

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• EPA Environmental Justice Small Grants Program:

– EJ is the fair treatment & meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, & enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, & policies. EPA has this goal for all communities & persons across this nation. It will be achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental & health hazards & equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, & work. http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/environmentaljustice/

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• The EPA Office of Environmental Justice established the small grants program in 1994. The purpose of this grant program is to support & empower communities that are working on local solutions to local environmental &/or public health issues.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization ProjectProject purpose: – Disproportionate and significant impacts to tribal

lands & resources. – Lack of funding & long distances to travel to

participate in regional, state & federal planning efforts in response to climate change.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project– Grant info• Task 1: Build Tribal capacity on climate change• Task 2: Engage Community & create partnerships on

climate change planning.• Task 3: Preparation & completion of the Yurok Tribe’s

Climate Change Prioritization Plan.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Task 1- Build Tribal capacity on C.C. – Obtain technical & scientific training on c.c.

through attending trainings, workshops, meetings & planning sessions on c.c. issues, research, & planning at the local, state & regional level.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Task 1: – Meetings attended:

• American Indian/ Alaskan Native Climate Change Workgroup meeting NW Indian College. Bellingham, WA. Nov. 8-9, 2010.

• National Climate Assessment (NCA) Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Workshop. Atlanta, GA Jan. 19-20, 2011.

• Pacific North West Tribal Climate Change Committee• USEPA Integrated Modeling to Characterize Climate Change

Impacts. Atlanta, GA. Feb. 1-2, 2011. • Impacts of Climate Change on Extreme Events. San Diego, CA

March 21-23, 2011. • Webinars• NCA Societal Indicators Workshop. Wash. D.C. April 28-29, 2011. • NTF 2011. June 14, 2011.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Impacts– Coastal erosion & loss of coastal & cultural resources

due to changes in sea level & temperatures.– Increased flooding– Stronger winter storms– Longer and hotter summers– Increased algae blooms– Sea level rise– Increased wildfires – Loss of cultural significant species

Possible Impacts of Climate Change

Estimated 100-year flood modelMajor floods of 100-year size have occurred in 1955 & 1964

Climate Change Impacts

Increased rain, less snow Changes in peak flow timing

Source: Lorrie Flint and Alan Flint , USGS (2010)

http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/psd/atmrivers/

Climate Change Impacts

Fish Kill of 2002 Over 50,000 adult chinook salmon died from disease caused by low, & warm river flows.

Climate Change Impacts

Increase Toxic algae blooms Dam Decommissioning

Climate Change ImpactsSea level rise will greatly impact the Klamath River estuary

Sea level rise will greatly threaten ancestral village sites and burials

Climate Change Impacts

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Task 2-Engage Community & create partnerships on climate change planning. – Presentations & consultations at 7 Council District

meetings. – Presentation & consultation with Yurok Tribe Natural

Resources Committee. – Presentation & consultation with the Yurok Tribe Cultural

Committee– Presentation to Council & Tribal Departments on climate

change research, needs & potential impacts.– Coordination of 1 inter-tribal workshop on climate change

planning for tribes in the Klamath River watershed.

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Task 3: Preparation & completion of the Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Prioritization Plan.– Summary document – Findings from public scoping– Will be used to guide and inform future tribal

climate change research & planning efforts– educational brochure for community– Post to tribal website

Yurok Tribe’s Climate Change Impacts Assessment & Prioritization Project

• Lessons learned: – Project still underway. – Multiple groups working on c.c. don’t

communicate. – This small grant has been a starting point. – Limited funding to work on c.c. – Tribe needs to break down doors

YTEP Climate Change Activities

• U.S. Department of Interior Climate Change Adaptation Initiative. – NTEC form letter– Invited to participate in Landscape Conservation

Cooperative (LCC’s) – Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

(ITEP)- Climate Change Adaptation Planning Committee.

– Hosting NTEC Conference August 28-31, 2011 Blue Lake, CA.

YTEP Climate Change Activities

• Climate change related tasks written into Clean Air Act grant. – Environmental education with 3 elementary

schools and 1 High School/Early College. • Project Budburst. Observe Pacific Dogwood Trees• Teacher’s Domain. Teaching students TEK

Organized small 1 day Tribal Climate Change conference

with neighboring tribes, September 2010.

YTEP Climate Change Activities

Join citizens all over the U.S. in collecting plant lifecycle (phenology) data and contributing to an ongoing scientific research project that explores the effects of climate change on the plant lifecycle. www.budburst.org

Pheonology is the study of the timing of biological events in relation to changes in season and climate.

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

• Teacher’s Domain– FREE!– Internet based– Lots of videos, discussion questions, lesson plans– TEK– “Where Words Touch the Earth” Haskell Indian

Nations University & Northwest Indian College project funded by WGBH PBS & NASA.

YTEP Climate Change Activities

YTEP Climate Change Activities

• Conclusions– Limited grant money available– The $25K from this grant has been seed money– Opportunities are available

DOI’s LCC National Climate Assessment www.globalchange.gov

– Innovate