Metlakatla Indian Community Climate Change Adaption Plan
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METLAKATLA INDIAN COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTION PLAN Genelle Winter Climate & Energy Grant Coordinator Metlakatla Indian Community Metlakatla, Alaska METLAKATLA INDIAN COMMUNITY CLIMATE ADAPTATION PLAN Topics to be considered • Where in the world is Metlakatla? • Climate Plan Development • TEK and Science based evaluations • Adaptations Already Occurring • Climate Impacts and Energy in Southeast Alaska • Lessons Learned • Where Do We Go From Here • Acknowledgments WHERE IN THE WORLD IS METLAKATLA? • Population: 1,460 as of 2010 U.S. Census • Accessible by float plane or boat • Climate: Temperate Maritime Coastal (moderately warm summers and cool winters with lots of rain) • Top employers: Fishing industry and tribal government Metlakatla’s people are primarily Tsimshian, with some Tlingit and other Alaska Natives. Metlakatla Indian Community is on Annette Islands Reserve, and the only reserve in the State of Alaska. The unique political and social structure of Metlakatla allowed for our Plan to be developed holistically, with lots of local involvement. Primary factors in our plan are: • Salmon-commercial and subsistence • Water temperature as it relates to Salmon survival • Algae and plankton blooms • Other subsistence products • Seaweed • Berries • Bark • Shellfish, crab and other ocean harvests • Hunting • Drought • Municipal water • Fishing • Energy • Invasive species CLIMATE PLAN DEVELOPMENT Funding Source • BIA 2015 Tribal Cooperative Landscape Conservation Program • Travel Proposal • Climate Change Planning Proposal • Genelle Winter, Climate & Energy Grant Coordinator • Applied for and received the funding • Co-authored Plan • Julia Scott, Climate Change Analyst • Initiated the Plan • Conducted interviews • Co-authored Plan • Alexis Wagner, Grant & Climate Intern • Created data charts/graphs/tables • Compiled interview data • Co-authored Plan BASED OUR GOALS AND FUNDING, THIS IS WHAT BECAME THE LAYOUT OF THE PLAN • 7. Adaptation Strategies for a 1. Figures/Graphs/Tables Changing Climate 2. Town Mission Statement • 8. Vulnerability Assessment 3. Executive Summary 4. Introduction • 9. Implementation 5. Culture • 10. Conclusions 6. Climate Vulnerabilities • 11. Acknowledgements • 12. Appendix MIC had the opportunity to participate in training from ITEP on Adaptation Planning, this allowed the opportunity to study other successful, completed plans. The team studied the Swinomish Climate Change Adaption Plan and the Salish Kootenai Plan. We really liked how they honored TEK and wanted to implement that as well. From that we took what would work for Metlakatla, made our own layout, and got to work. TEK AND SCIENCE BASED EVALUATIONS • We faced an interesting challenge when conducting Community interviews for local knowledge • “Do you believe in a changing climate?” vs. “Do you believe in Climate Change?” • Many community members responded with NO when asked if they believed or thought we were experiencing Climate Change. However by changing the question, asking what differences have you observed in our ‘weather’ or harvesting seasons? That resulted in a plethora of anecdotal observations and conclusions. • In the end, we worked to clarify our questions and in, Section 2: Culture we were able to: • Summarize answers received from the interviews • In those responses we often got suggestions/advice for adaptation strategies from community members. Challenges in the interview process- This elder is an expert in subsistence harvesting and preservation, but when asked directly if she thought we were experiencing Climate Change, her first answer was No. Rephrased to ask, “what challenges have you experienced in your harvesting lately?” She provided the following. Name: XXXX XXXXX Age: prefer not to answer Clan: Eagle PSP is ruining cockles and clams. Terrible. Seaweed not getting as much any more, the sun is damaging it... Need to change laws to protect environment...Harder and harder to pick seaweed with warmer water temperatures. Too many cars and TV. No one talks any more. Used to grow, Potatoes, carrots, turnips... New Road to ferry terminal ruined yellow cedar. People come to strip our bark wrong. (she gave us some really great bark harvesting wisdom, but acknowledged that environmental cues she relied on in years past, were no longer reliable) Harvesting should begin when geese fly north, that’s when you get the smoke house going. The harvesting season is over when the geese go south, that’s when the smoke house stops. • Our Culture Section then showed how English and Sm’algyax are integrated into the harvesting calendar, indigenous and significant plants and Traditional Harvest Indicators. • It was noted that many harvest windows were shifting from the traditional calendar. VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT • Using the data from the community interviews, and local observations, we then completed the vulnerability assessment, using the formula developed and used in similar plans • Total Priorities were calculated using the mathematical formula of (sensitivity x risk – adaptive capacity = total vulnerability priority). ADAPTATIONS ALREADY OCCURRING • Interestingly, we found that community members were already making adaptations to our changing climate. Primarily with harvest activities, but also with commercial fishing and our energy challenges. • Harvesting times are changing, seaweed harvesting is happening earlier in the spring • Practices in Commercial Salmon harvesting that have changed include using a net wash system to clean algae off of nets so that salmon don’t ‘see’ the net, a clean net has higher success, while a net full of algae bloom or organic matter is more visible to salmon. Using different color of nets, is another adaptation. • Increasing energy conservation due to low water for both municipal and hydroelectric use. • Using diesel generation for primary energy due to lack of hydro resource CLIMATE IMPACTS AND ENERGY IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA In September of 2018, we received notification from the National Weather Service that the Southeast Region of Alaska had officially been classified as being in a Class D2 Severe Drought. This unprecedented event, was triggered by the region- wide lack of sufficient hydro electric resources. Southeast Alaska is located in a temperate rainforest and should average 100+ inches of precipitation per year. •D2 - Severe Drought is characterized by: •Crop or pasture loss likely Precipitation on Annette Island averages 106.70 inches •Water shortages common per year and in 2018 there was 80.08 inches recorded. •Water restrictions imposed Lower rainfall and less snow has been going since 2015. Right now 1.9% of the State of Alaska is considered to be in a Severe Drought. Energy Impacts Due to the reduced rainfall, changing timing of that same rainfall and much less snow, the lakes that the entire region relies, on have been at risk. Nearly all of Southeast Alaska uses hydro, due historically abundant rain, it is a clean energy source, and Chester Lake spring relatively inexpensive to maintain and 2018, Municipal Water operate. and 1 MW energy 40 acre lake These impacts are so significant, that a group of SE AK stakeholders are Purple Lake, spring 2018 meeting in Juneau in May to help Potential for 2 MW if managed sustainably develop indicators of drought for 800 acre lake temperate rain forests, that will include low hydro reserves or capacity as an indicator. LESSONS LEARNED • Our Goal was to keep the plan local, this meant having it authored by the Tribe • At the ITEP Training in Tulalip (Washington) we were helped to realize that we have to write it, not contract it out • Clear ownership of the plan needs to be established • It was with the assistance of the ITEP training in Tulsa OK, that we realized that we to ensure the Tribe has ownership of the plan and the data. So much would have been missed if someone from the outside wrote it, or we could lose control if a non- community member felt they ‘owned’ or had rights to the completed plan. • If you are in a rural or tribal community, that relies on subsistence, either as a way of life or to supplement resources, it can be assumed that adaptations are occurring naturally. (TEK in Action!) An effort should be made to document those. • Don’t assume things, our climate is impacting our lives in ways we may not consider to be directly related to climate change (ex. Diesel generation vs hydro), weatherization of homes, range of invasive species, impacts from storms, gardening etc. WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE • Continue with Community outreach, focusing primarily on environmental opportunities • Gardening and composting, harvesting lessons, hosting community events and celebrating conservation • Informing the community of impacts on the local environment, such as water and energy conservation, weatherization and other sustainable practices • Continue to honor and document TEK in action, adaptations already occurring • Forming necessary partnerships • Collaborating with agencies to accomplish monitoring and evaluation efforts • Participate in regional Drought analysis • FUNDING! • Providing sufficient tools and resources needed to conduct climate change research but more than research, ways to mitigate impacts and improve future results And • Get creative, this may be an opportunity, for example, AK can now realistically pursue alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and geothermal more feasibly due to hydro uncertainty. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We need to thank the following: This Plan was only possible with the help of all elders and subsistence