Tribal Climate Change Newsletter

The Tribal Lands and Environment Forum held on August 19-22 at the Pueblo of Santa Ana, NM, was attended by approximately 350 people. Twenty-nine people participated in the Climate Change Adaptation Planning training on August 19 representing 18 tribes, 2 non-profit organizations, 2 businesses, and 1 federal agency. Presentations will be posted soon on the conference website:
www4.nau.edu/itep/conferences/confr_tlf.asp

We are making final preparations for the Climate Change Adaptation Planning training on October 1-3 in Reno, NV. The class is full; any additional registrations we receive will be added to the waiting list. We are also preparing for the October 29-30 training in Cherokee, NC, at the United Southern and Eastern Tribes (USET) annual meeting.
www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/

ITEP will be participating in the upcoming 12th Biennial Conference of Science and Management on the Colorado Plateau, on September 16-19, in Flagstaff, AZ. The conference will include two tribal climate change symposium sessions on September 17 and 18, and we are also planning an informal tribal meeting for the afternoon of September 16. Please contact me if you have any questions about the tribal meeting or tribal symposium sessions.
http://nau.edu/Merriam-Powell/Biennial-Conference/Welcome/

-- Sue Wotkyns

September 2013

•

Webinar: Planning for Climate Change Adaptation: Planning for Change in Forests, Wildlife, and Land Use
September 4, 2 pm Eastern. Part of the USFS Planning for Growth and Open Space Conservation Webinar Series. A panel of speakers will present science and management considerations for climate change adaptation planning from three perspectives: forests, wildlife, and land use planning and hazard mitigation. Speakers will share new resources and publications on climate change adaptation from the Forest Service and National Wildlife Federation and discuss how planners and land managers can consider these changing environmental conditions in their work.
www.fs.fed.us/openspace/webinars.html

•

Webinar: Empowering Communities to Find Resilient Solutions
September 5, 1:15-2:45 PM ET. Offered by Security and Sustainability Forum. This webinar, moderated by nationally known environmental mediator Lucy Moore, will offer innovative tools for bringing together diverse interests in dialogue where they can learn, build relationships, and face tough choices together. The session will focus on case studies that highlight the role of community engagement in decision-making on challenging issues related to both the "before" and "after" of extreme environmental events. There will be time for questions from the participants.
www1.gotomeeting.com/ register/ 909593905 ?utm_ source= Fall+ Webinar+ Schedule &utm_ campaign= date+ change+ and+ panel &utm_ medium= email

•

Webinar: Bringing Order to Chaos: ScienceBase and Other Project Lifecycle Tools
September 5, 3:30 PM Eastern. The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) is managing activities at 8 regional Climate Science Centers (CSCs), each of whom fund multiple projects annually and coordinate with many stakeholders and partners to support climate change science, management and adaptation. We, at NCCWSC, need to be able to share information on these science projects, and on their associated data and products. In order to accomplish this, NCCWSC is working with ScienceBase, a data catalog and collaborative data platform as a repository for NCCWSC and CSC funded projects. We have also developed several other tools and policies that help us manage the entire lifecycle of our projects and share information with stakeholders and the public - bringing order to what can often be a chaotic process.
https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/webinar/245

•

Conference: 4th Annual Pacific Northwest Climate Science Conference
September 5-6, Portland, OR. The conference provides a forum for researchers and practitioners to convene and exchange scientific results, challenges, and solutions related to the impacts of climate on people, natural resources, and infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest.
http://pnwclimateconference.org/

•

Training: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments
September 9-10, Wells, ME. Offered by the USFWS National Conservation Training Center. This course is based on January 2011 publication "Scanning the Conservation Horizon - A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment". The guidance document is a product of an expert workgroup on climate change vulnerability assessment convened by the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This course is designed to guide conservation and resource management practitioners in two essential elements in the design of climate adaptation plans. Specifically, it will provide guidance in identifying which species or systems are likely to be most strongly affected by projected changes; and understanding why these resources are likely to be vulnerable, including the interaction between climate shifts and existing stressors.
http://training.fws.gov/NCTCWeb/catalog/CourseDetail.aspx?CourseCodeLong=FWS-ALC3184

•

Conference: Indian Housing Training Conference
September 10-13, Tulsa, OK. This four-day conference will provide housing professionals with the tools to maintain good homes, build affordable homes, improve public safety, and provide essential building blocks to a healthy community in the heart of Indian Country. Participants will be able to join critical sessions related to Tribal housing programs and imperative to HUD's Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG) Program.
http://nativelearningcenter.com/indianhousingtrainingconference/

•

Webinar: Climate change, crowd-sourcing, and building the social networks needed for effective landscape conservation of native trouts
September 13, 1-2 pm ET. part of USFS Landscape Science Webinar Series. Presenter: Daniel Isaak, Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station.
www304.livemeeting.com/cc/usda/webJoin?id=JPZB7P&pw=b_6dSW%40.p&role=attend

•

Conference: 12th Biennial Conference of Science and Management on the Colorado Plateau
September 16-19, Flagstaff, AZ. Theme: Effects of Rapid Climatic, Social, and Technological Changes on the Colorado Plateau. This is a forum that brings together resource managers and research scientists to discuss findings and management needs associated with the natural and cultural resources of the Colorado Plateau. It will include two tribally-focused climate change symposium sessions.
http://nau.edu/Merriam-Powell/Biennial-Conference/Welcome/

•

Webinar: Climate in the Pacific Northwest - A Primer
September 17, 1-2:30 pm PDT. This webinar is a primer on climate change in the Pacific Northwest and is targeted toward students, educators, professionals, policy makers, and others interested in learning more about climate in the region.
www2.gotomeeting.com/register/198478714

•

Webinar: Sustainability and Adaptation
September 18. Part of USEPA's Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) Webinar Series (http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/index.cfm). An introduction to the CRWU initiative and climate change adaptation planning. The recently updated CRWU Adaptation Strategies Guide highlights strategies for pursuing both adaptation and sustainability goals, specifically those related to green infrastructure and energy management. This webinar will provide an in depth look at the new sustainability information in the Guide and utility representatives will share their experience planning and implementing sustainable strategies.
https://epa.connectsolutions.com/e4k4d5f9zzg/event/registration.ht

•

Webinar: Midwest and Great Plains Drought and Climate Outlook Webinar
September 19, 1 pm CDT. Discussion of the current drought impacts across portions of the area as well as outlooks for drought, precipitation and temperatures over the coming months.
http://drought.gov/drought/content/regional-programs/regional-drought-webinars

•

Webinar: Community-Based Surveys Inform Climate Change Adaptation in Rural and Frontier Communities in Alaska
September 20, 10 am AKDT. Hosted by Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. Presenter: David Driscoll, Univ. of Alaska Anchorage. Effective adaptations by northern residents to climate change require measurement and discussion of environmental effects and health outcomes at the local level. More than 60 participants representing eight communities across Alaska provided monthly surveys from 2011 to 2012 including observations on local weather, hunting and harvesting, food and water safety, and general health and air quality.
http://accap.uaf.edu/?q=node/879

•

Conference: Climate Smart Southwest
September 20-21, Tucson, AZ. This conference is being organized by the Arizona Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility with the support of a coalition of co-sponsoring community and national organizations as well as local leaders. The purpose is to build new and fortify existing cross-cultural, community, and governmental partnerships to educate and engage community action to address the anticipated public health impacts of climate change in the Southwest.
www.psr.org/chapters/arizona/climate-smart-southwest/

•

Webinar: Tribal and Utility Partnership Opportunities
September 25, 11:00 am-12:30 pm MDT. Part of the Tribal Renewable Energy Webinar Series sponsored by the DOE Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Tribal Energy Program, and Western Area Power Administration. Tribes and utilities can be a nexus of renewable energy project development. The future utility likely will have a resource portfolio that is a hybrid of centralized power plants, distributed generation, microgrids, and demand response programs that result in a more efficient system of both generation and consumption. This webinar focuses on the opportunities for a partnership between Tribes and utilities that improves the energy system and stimulates economic development on tribal lands.
www1.gotomeeting.com/register/906425073

October 2013

•

ITEP Training: Climate Change Adaptation Planning
October 1-3, Reno, NV. Offered by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP). This course provides an introduction to planning for climate change impacts, with examples of tribes that have been going through the adaptation planning process. The course is intended for tribal environmental and natural resource professionals who expect to be involved in climate change adaptation planning. Since the course will focus on climate change impacts in the region, we especially encourage people from the region to attend. Others are welcome to attend but should realize that that there will be a focus on that region.
www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/

•

Workshop: Alaska Native Village Energy Development Workshop
October 1-3, Fairbanks, AK. This workshop will be presented by the Tribal Energy Program and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs to help Alaska Native villages and corporations understand the range of energy efficiency and renewable energy opportunities that exist in their remote communities.
http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/tribalenergy/register_meeting.cfm

•

Conference: EPA Region 10 Tribal Environmental Leaders Summit
October 7-11, Spokane, WA. Hosted by the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. Tribal Leaders and their environmental staff, along with EPA representatives are invited to share and seek resolution to tribal environmental concerns throughout EPA Region 10.
http://tels.kalispeltribe.com/

•

Conference: NW Tribal Water Rights Conference
October 9-10, Anchorage, AK. Offered by Center for Water Advocacy. At this year's conference we expect to create a regional dialogue that will address Alaska Native Water Rights and water sovereignty. We will, also, focus on strategies for Alaska Native Tribal governments to reduce threats to instream flows, subsistence uses, human health, food security and management of water quality and quantity passing through traditional native lands.
www.centerforwateradvocacy.org/topics/view/83942/

•

Training: Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments
October 9-11, Jackson, WY. Offered by the USFWS National Conservation Training Center. This course is based on January 2011 publication "Scanning the Conservation Horizon - A Guide to Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment". The guidance document is a product of an expert workgroup on climate change vulnerability assessment convened by the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This course is designed to guide conservation and resource management practitioners in two essential elements in the design of climate adaptation plans. Specifically, it will provide guidance in identifying which species or systems are likely to be most strongly affected by projected changes; and understanding why these resources are likely to be vulnerable, including the interaction between climate shifts and existing stressors.
http://training.fws.gov/NCTCWeb/catalog/CourseDetail.aspx?CourseCodeLong=FWS-ALC3184

•

Conference: EcoSpirit Conference
October 12-13, Bethlehem, PA. A gathering of Native American leaders and environmental experts; a conference about cleaning up the environment.
www.ecospiritconference.com/

•

Convention: National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) 70th Annual Convention and Marketplace
October 13-18, Tulsa, OK.
www.ncai.org/events/2013/10/13/70th-annual-convention-and-marketplace

•

Forum: Climate Strategies Forum
October 14-17, Washington, DC. The Association of Climate Change Officers proudly launches its inaugural Climate Strategies Forum in conjunction with the recent publication of Core Competencies for Climate Change Officers (version 1.0). The Forum will feature prominent leaders from across sectors in a plenary format, and a series of half-day bootcamps aligned with the core competencies. Plenary sessions will focus on climate and energy, and bootcamps will focus on topics including adaptation planning, implementing change management schemes, implementing a GHG management structure, and building a public-private partnership project.
http://climatestrategiesforum.org/

•

Conference: USEPA Region 9-21st Annual Tribal/EPA Conference
October 22-24, Lemoore, CA. For the past 21 years, the annual conference has been an important opportunity for partnership and ongoing collaboration between Tribes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal, state, and local agencies. The annual conference has provided the Tribes with valuable training, networking opportunities, and resource-sharing.
http://region9tribal-epaconference.com/

•

Workshop: Adaptive Management In the Face of Climate Change Field Day
October 28. Cloquet, MN. Offered by Univ. of Minnesota. The workshop is designed for practicing foresters and natural resource land managers of Minnesota, the Midwest and Canada. Leading applied scientists, university professors and practitioners will provide on-the-ground perspectives of how climate change may be addressed within managed forests. Field Sites will include a variety of ownerships and forest types common to the region.
http://sfec.cfans.umn.edu/ prod/ groups/ cfans/ @pub/ @cfans/ @sfec/ documents/ article/ cfans_ article_ 4459 73.pdf

•

Meeting: United Southern and Eastern Tribes (USET) Annual Meeting
October 28-31, Cherokee, NC. Hosted by Eastern band of Cherokee Indians.
www.usetinc.org/Home.aspx

•

ITEP Training: Climate Change Adaptation Planning (at USET meeting)
October 29-30, Cherokee, NC. This two-day training is being offered by the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) at the USET annual meeting. This training will provide an introduction to the process of planning for climate change impacts, from getting started to impact and vulnerability assessment to developing adaptation strategies. Participants will receive informational resources and templates that can help their tribe with adaptation planning.
www4.nau.edu/itep/climatechange/

•

Symposium: First Stewards Symposium
October 29-31, Washington, DC. First Stewards will hold their 2nd annual symposium at the National Museum of the American Indian. This year's theme is "United Indigenous Voices Address Sustainability: Climate Change and Traditional Places". This annual event aims to bring together coastal indigenous tribal elders, leaders, scientists, witnesses, and other scientists and policy leaders from around the nation to discuss traditional ecological knowledge and what it can teach us about past, present, and future adaptation to climate change. Regional panels of tribal leaders and tribal and Western scientists will examine how native people and their cultures have adapted to climate change for hundreds to thousands of years, and what their future - and that of the nation - may hold as the impacts of climate change continue.
www.firststewards.org/

•

Training: Climate-Smart Conservation
October 29-31, Shepherdstown, WV. Offered by the National Conservation Training Center. This course is based on a forthcoming guide to the principles and practice of Climate-Smart Conservation. This publication is the product of an expert workgroup on climate change adaptation convened by the National Wildlife Federation in collaboration with the FWS's National Conservation Training Center and other partners. The course is designed to demystify climate adaptation for application to on-the-ground conservation. It will provide guidance in how to carry out adaptation with intentionality, how to manage for change and not just persistence, how to craft climate-informed conservation goals, and how to integrate adaptation into on-going work. Conservation practitioners and natural resource managers will learn to become savvy consumers of climate information, tools, and models.
http://nctc.fws.gov/ NCTCWeb/ catalog/ CourseDetail. aspx? Course Code Long= FWS- ALC3195