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Observations of Environmental and Climate Change in Southeast Alaska
Dr. Linda Kruger, Social Scientist, USFS
Dr. Jim Powell, Research Fellow, UAF
Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic
Planning
FEDERAL TRUST RESPONSIBILITY
The U.S. Government has a unique relationship with Federally-recognized tribal entities.
Federal agencies consult with Tribes on policies and programs including research activities.
ACKNOWLEDGE Todd Brinkman, PhD – UAF, SNAP Scott Rupp, PhD - UAF, Dir. SNAP Lauren Sill, ADF&G, Division of Subsistence Yakutat Tlingit Tribe, City of Thorne Bay, Angoon Community Association, Klawock
Cooperative Association, Kassan City Council Dan Monteith, PhD - UAS Ivan Show, PhD - ADF&G, Com. Fish Ellen Frankenstein, MS. Visual Anthropology, film maker, Artchangeinc.org Eran Hood, PhD, UAS
ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
Tribes have locally relevant knowledge that can help us understand traditional approaches to land and resource management, environmental changes and human response to change.
A survey of tribes identified the integration of traditional knowledge with western science as a tribal priority (Beatty & Leighton 2012).
FOREST SERVICE DIRECTION
US Forest Service Tribal Relations Strategic Plan – provides a framework for the Forest Service Tribal Relations Program.
Goal 1 – American Indian and Alaska Native Rights
Goal 2 - Partnerships Goal 3 – Program Development
RESEARCH TRIBAL ENGAGEMENT ROADMAP
R & D Objectives Build new and enhance existing partnerships. Institutionalize Tribal trust responsibilities
and engagement within R&D. Increase and advance Tribal and indigenous
values, knowledge and perspectives within USFS R&D, including in operational and research activities.
Network & cooperate across FS to increase response to needs
Conduct joint research with Tribes.
OBSERVING AND EXPERIENCING CHANGE
Across the Pacific Northwest and Alaska climate change is affecting hunting, fishing, gathering, economic infrastructure, water, forest and agricultural resources and human health. Alaska Natives, American Indians and First Nations are on the frontline of this change.
INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND CONNECTION TO PLACE
Native cultures and identity are directly tied to the places people have lived for generations through observations, stories, dances, art, music and traditions. It is this connection that makes climate change much more personal and impactful to Native people.
RURAL SOUTHEAST ALASKA
What changes have local residents noticed and how are they responding?
How can we learn from observations and experiences and share and apply what we learn?
What information and tools are needed to help in adapting to change?
PRESENTATION
SE Region - 3 Areas
Assumptions - subsistence gatherers
Study methods
Community stories
Integration – local and scientific knowledge
Next Steps
Collaborations
• Tribal Groups
• Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game Household Surveys, 2 Questions added Correlated responses
• UAS – School of Management / MPA
• UA - EPSCoR and UAS Southeast Test Case
SE Alaska Thumbnail Demographics
- 33 communities
- How we make a living –fish, gov.,
mining,
timber,
- Cultural diversity– lots
- Rural and non rural
- Isolation – closeness
Yakutat
Klawock
Angoon
Kassan
Thorne Bay
Craig
Southeast Alaska Study Areas
Interviews 2013Communit
yPopulatio
nPercent of AK
Natives
Number of interviews
Expert or Elders Groups
Angoon 466 76 % 33 1
Yakutat 646 36 % 25 2
Thorne Bay
496 2.1 % 25 1
Craig 1240 20 % 2 0
Kassan 67 95 % 2 0
Klawock 777 48 % 3 0
Totals 90 4
Study Questions
1. Top 5 issues for your community?
2. What kinds of environmental changes have you noticed in your community?
3. What environmental changes have you experienced or heard Elders or others in your community talk about?
4. How might these changes affect your community?
5. Are there any environmental changes that would
threaten or strengthen your community?
Study Questions
6. What long standing activities (traditional or cultural) might be affected and how?
8. How are you responding?
Yakutat
Weather
Fish, wildlife, plants
Environmental Cue
Culture and Adaptation
Point
Gilbert
Yakutat Alaska
“Spring is cooler…seems to take longer to get started, plants and stuff”
“…from the time I used to troll and commercial fish ocean currents are moving faster”
Yakutat Airport
Snow
“We lived in a trailer and the dogs lived on the roof”
“seal population – holding good”
“coho run isn’t as strong as use to be”
“we use to be the silver salmon capital of the world”.
“we go out further and further for clams”
“Once the tide goes out your dinner table is set”
A member of the Mount St. Elias dancers participates in the Yakutat Tern Festival. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r10/learning/history-culture/
“The culture is as strong as ever”.
“The last couple of times I’ve worked in the kitchen for potlatches we scrambled for berries”
“everybody was wondering what happened to the berries. … freeze, thaw, and freeze again. Lucky if you could find a berry.”
“So none of us are going to change. We are going to continue to strive to be more of who we are”
“we have a history of taking only what we can use and to make sure that renewable resources like fish and seal would be there for generations”
Members of the Mt. St. Elias Dancers from Yakutat perform at the UAF Festival of Native Arts. Photo by Todd Paris
Hubbard Glacier
“Jar our fish rather then do the smoke strips”
“We eat more meat now then we used to eat I put more dry fish up.”
ANGOON
Wildlife
Frogs / Toads
Herring
“before we had to concern yourself with walking on frogs, there are no more frogs around”
“hunting seems to be fine”
HERRING“you use to use a flat stick, you’d put nails on it and cut it off and rake them inside the boat”
“the water was boiling like a real heavy rain it was load you could hear the boat motors running”
“There was so much herring in the boat harbor, bubbling up”
Thorne Bay
Weather
Wildlife
Thorne Bay
Weather around here are hit or miss.
“Deer had tunnels through the snow berms”
“I remember when the Bay was froze across. So hard that it took a tug coming from the Pulp-Mill to break it open so planes could land”
KASSAN
Weather
Adaptation
“winters are milder”
“ice not as thick,more extreme tides”
Kassan Whale House
If the salmon don’t show up we will look for other species”
Craig Tidelands
“Storm are more intense and beaches are starting to erode”
“Use to see rafts of ducks now you see rafts of otters”
Area Scientific Projections Local Observations
Weather
• Temp. increase approx. 10°F by 2100.
• Temp. increased as much as 3.6°F during the
20th century.
• Largest increase in winter months.
• Rates of warming higher in later part of the
20th century
• Unpredictable
• No longer used as
guide
• Colder, longer
springs
• No more Ice in bays
Vegetation• Shrubs and trees will have colonized
elevations currently characterized as alpine or tundra habitat
• Forest Productivity will likely increase
• Berries more
variable
• Haven’t seen any
change
• Less Strawberries
Precipitation
• Average winter snowfall at sea level in Juneau decreased from 109 inches to 93 inches in the past 60 years
• The average winter increased by 2.6 inches or more
• Less Snow Cover
Natural Science and Local Climate Change Integration
Area Scientific Projections Local Observations
MarineSea level
Rise
• Isostatic rebound is likely to cancel relative sea level rise. Leading to Relative sea level decrease
• Increase in whales • increase in sea otters
• decrease in fish
• seals holding good
• No longer eels
Icefield Icefield will continue to thin & retreat (Juneau)
• Advancing – Yakutat
• Retreating - Juneau
Ecological
Response
• Many changes not be predictable and some may be counterintuitive. Ex: yellow cedar trees are freezing in spring as temp. warms due to a loss of insulating snow cover.
• Effects on salmon largely unknown• Wetland nursery areas for marine species• Plants & animals ability to adapt w/ rapid changes
• where have the frogs gone?
• Use to see rafts of ducks, now its rafts of sea otters
• Bees, where have they gone?
Natural Science and Local Climate Change Integration
Next Steps:
Video editing
Institutional Change in SE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Forest Service Research Tribal Engagementwww.fs.fed.us/research/tribal-engagement
PNW Tribal Climate Change Networkhttp://tribalclimate.uoregon.edu/
Institute for Tribal Environment Professionalswww4.nau.edu/tribalclimatechange/
