SOUTHEASTALASKAENVIRONMENTALCONFERENCE:
REPORTONTHECLIMATECHANGEADAPTATIONSUMMIT
DavinHolen,PhD
AssistantProfessor&CoastalCommunityResilienceSpecialistAlaskaSeaGrant
CollegeofFisheriesandOceanSciencesUniversityofAlaskaFairbanks
FundingprovidedbytheNorthPacificLandscapeConservationCooperative
May2017
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EXECUTIVESUMMARYInSoutheastAlaskaclimatechangeimpactsareuniqueandarelonger-termimpactssuchasheavyrains
causingflooding,oceanacidification,warmerwaters,snowfallvariations,warmspringsfollowedbyfrost
affectingwildberryproduction, invasive species, and toxins in themarineenvironment. These factors
impact food security and access and abundanceof culturally important resources. In September2016,
the Central Council of Tlingit andHaida Indian Tribes of Alaska, in collaborationwith Southeast Alaska
TribalOceanResearch,heldatwo-dayworkshopinKetchikantoreviewandplanmonitoring,mitigation,
and adaptation strategies to address climate change in their region. Alaska Sea Grant facilitated the
discussion of this workshop, which became called the Southeast Alaska Climate Adaptation Summit.
Therewere80participantsattheworkshop;approximately30werefromFederalandStateagencies,the
University, as well as various Southeast Alaska non-profits. The remaining 50 participants were
environmentalprogrammanagersandcoordinatorsfrom17TribesinSoutheastAlaska.Fundingfromthe
NorthPacificLCCprovidedtravelfundinganddailyconferencecostsattheCapeFoxLodgeinKetchikan.
ResearchersfromtheStateofAlaska,federalagencies,theUniversityofAlaskaSoutheast,andSoutheast
Alaska non-profits provided information on the latest research on resources identified by Southeast
AlaskaTribesasculturallyimportant;salmon,shellfish,berries,yellowcedar,aswellasculturalsitesand
human health. Over two-days participants described their concerns related to these resources. This
includedconcernsraisedaboutchangingoceanconditionsincludingoceanacidification,warmingwater,
harmful algae blooms, contamination of water sources, both marine and freshwater, changes in the
terrestrialenvironment,andphenology. Forexample, residentsnote thatwarmerwater in themarine
environmentat theoutflowof streams is causingadisruption in the salmonmigrationpatterns,which
movingintothefuturewillmakeitmoredifficultforfisheriesmanagerstoensureadequateescapement
andharvesttiming.
The outcome of the summit will be an effort to build greater collaboration and sharing of tools and
information. Participants discussed activities to pursue as a group that involve community based
monitoringsuchasmarineandriverinewatermonitoringprogram.Watermonitoringwouldestablisha
long-term program to document stream temperature and flow, marine temperature and salinity, and
snowdepth and rain volume. This includes building a collaboration between agencies, theUniversity,
localnon-profits,andTribalenvironmentalprograms. Inaddition,organizersof thesummitrecognized
thatacentralrepositorywasneededtoprovidecommunitieswithbasic informationonclimatechange
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and resulting impacts in Alaska, a method of sharing stories of successes, and tools for planning
monitoring, mitigation, and adaptation activities as an outcome of this project. To bring together
informationaboutcommunityresilienceandadaptationinAlaskaawebsitecalledAdaptAlaskaisbeing
developed.Besideshavinguniquecontentthewebsitewillactasaportaltootherrelevantsitesthatare
specifictoAlaska.AdditionalfundingforthewebsitehasbeenprovidedbytheAleutianBeringSeaIslands
Association,andtheAleutianPribliofIslandsLCC.AlaskaSeaGrantwillhostandmanagethewebsiteto
provide long-term stability and will incorporate existing relevant Alaska Sea Grant web materials on
climate changeand coastal hazards. Finally, CentralCouncil has received funding from theBureauof
IndianAffairstodraftaregion-wideclimateadaptationplan. Theplan iscurrently indevelopmentand
will incorporate information that was learned as part of this summit and take advantage of the
informationbeingcompiledfortheAdaptAlaskawebsite.
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INTRODUCTIONClimate change is a complex global phenomenon offering an uncertain future that is difficult to
communicate to local audiences. There are too many competing factors: physical forces, politics,
economic, and cultural barriers (Ballantyne2016:10). Lost in this discourse is clarity in themessage to
northerncommunitiesofthestateofthescienceandhowlocalobservationsaretakenintoconsideration
in the verification of climate impacts at the local level. It has become difficult for local people to
understandwhatareactualeffectsofclimatechange,whatisglobalwarming,andwhatareweatherand
climate variability (Moser 2010:33; Weber 2016:4). In Southeast Alaska climate change impacts are
unique and are longer term impacts such as heavy rains causing flooding, ocean acidification,warmer
waters, snowfall variations, warm springs followed by frost affecting wild berry production, invasive
species, and toxins in the marine environment. These factors impact food security and access and
abundanceofculturallyimportantresources.
In early December 2015, the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (CCTH) and
SoutheastAlaskaTribalOceanResearch (SEATOR)at the SitkaTribeofAlaska in collaborationwith the
Swinomish and Tulalip Tribes ofWashington, theUS Forest Service, and others held a climate change
adaptation workshop in Tulalip Washington for Southeast Alaska Tribes. Tribes from the region
discussed climate stressors and prioritized their concerns of the impacts of climate change. Even in
SoutheastAlaskaclimatechange impactsdiffer regionallysuchasstormsurgeserodingthecoastline in
Yakutat,toWrangellwhereoceanacidificationmaybethemostdrasticimpacttothelocaleconomyand
way of life (Frisch, et al. 2015; Mathis, et al. 2015). In some parts of Southeast Alaska residents are
observing an important cultural resource, yellow cedar, slowly start to disappear. Cedar is used in
bentwoodboxesandChilkatblanketsaswellasotherculturalelaborationsthatareimportantforTlingit
andHaidaidentity.
The outcome of the climate changeworkshopwas one of themost significant concerns of Southeast
residents was potential climate change impacts to resources important for subsistence practices and
cultural elaboration. Recent studies have documented the harvest and use of wild resources by
SoutheastAlaskaresidents (Holen,etal.2014;SillandKoster2017). Participants inthesestudieshave
voicedconcernsoverchangesintheirareasduetoclimatechange.
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To address the concerns of Tribes in Southeast Alaska, CCTH in collaboration with SEATOR and their
planningteamaddedtwodaystotheannualSoutheastAlaskaEnvironmentalConferenceinSeptember
2016 to discussing climate adaptation planning. Alaska Sea Grant facilitated the discussion of this
workshop, which became called the Southeast Alaska Climate Adaptation Summit. As a result of the
workshop inWashington the group chose to focus on a few key resources; salmon, shellfish, berries,
yellowcedar,aswellasculturalsitesandhumanhealth.
METHODSThis workshop was held in Ketchikan on September 21-22, 2016. There were 80 participants at the
workshop; approximately 30 were from Federal and State agencies, the University, as well as various
Southeast Alaska non-profits (see Appendix 1 for schedule). The remaining 50 participants were
environmentalprogrammanagersandcoordinatorsfrom17TribesinSoutheastAlaska.Theworkshopis
a partnership with CCTH and SEATOR. Funding from the North Pacific Landscape Conservation
Cooperative(LCC)providedtravelfundinganddailyconferencecostsattheCapeFoxLodgeinKetchikan.
ResearchersfromtheStateofAlaska,Federalagencies,theUniversityofAlaskaSoutheast,andSoutheast
Alaskanon-profits provided informationon the latest researchon resourcesnoted above identifiedby
Southeast Alaska Tribes as culturally important. The first day was dedicated to discussing the latest
monitoringactivitiesfortheseimportantculturalresources.Thiswasfollowedattheendofthedayby
smallgroupdiscussions;6groupsofapproximately10-12participants.Asummaryofdiscussiongroupsis
providedbelow.Moderatorsweregivenalistofquestionsincludingwhichcommunitiesarerepresented
in the group and what is the current issues related to climate change in your community. This was
followed by a brainstorming session to get groups to think about immediate things they could do to
addressthesecondquestionandthenafollow-upquestiontogetthemtothinkaboutplanningforfuture
researchwithfunding.Thequestionswerebasedonthesecondquestion;ifgivennonewfunding,what
monitoring,mitigation,oradaptationprojects couldyourTribeundertake,andwithoutsideassistance,
whichincludestechnicalassistanceandasmallamountoffunding,whatoneprojectwouldyouwantto
undertakeaspartoftheTribe’sEnvironmentalProgram.Answerstoeachquestionwererecordedbythe
moderatorsaswellasageneraloutcomeforeachgroup.Groupsthenprovidedasynthesistothelarger
workshop.Onthesecondday,additionalmonitoringactivitieswerediscussedthroughpresentationsby
University, State, Federal, and regional non-profits. At the end of the second day a summary was
providedandplansandpartnershipswerediscussed.
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SOUTHEASTALASKACLIMATECHANGEADAPTATIONSUMMITThefollowingisasummaryofthegroupdiscussions.Responsescouldbebrokendownbyissueshaving
todowithwater,changesinthelandscape,andphenology,orclimaticconditionsimpactingseasonality
ofresources.Althoughthefocusoftheworkshopwasonsalmon,shellfish,theforestenvironment,and
culturalsites,respondentsdidnotlimittheirdiscussiontotheseresources.Itshouldalsobenotedthat
earlierintheweekwaterqualitywasabittopicduetodiscussionsbetweentribesandtheEnvironmental
ProtectionAgencyonfishconsumptionrates,andcontaminants.Thereforewater,andespeciallyadesire
forcleanwater,wasacommonthemediscussedthroughout.
WATEROceanConditionsSoutheastAlaskahasaneconomyandwayoflifedevelopedaroundamaritimeculture.Changingocean
conditionswerenotedasamajorconcernforresidents.SoutheastAlaskaresidentsrelyonshellfishfor
subsistence and commercial fisheries. Important are clams for subsistence, Dungeness crab for
subsistence and commercial fishing, as well as other crab species such as tanner and king crab for
commercial fisheries, especially in theWrangell and Petersburg areas. Ocean acidification is a major
concern and few species inAlaska havebeen studied to understand the effects of changing oceanpH
(http://www.aoos.org/alaska-ocean-acidification-network/). Residentsareconcernedaboutthe impacts
ofoceanacidificationonphytoplankton,zooplanktonandsalmonids.TribesfromtheHainesareanoted
recentlowreturnsforkingcrabandwouldliketoknowmoreaboutchangingoceanconditionsandthe
impactsonkingcrab,animportantcommercialspecies.
RiverineImpactsintheriverineenvironmentcanbebrokendownfirstintowarmingconditionsincludingtheloss
of snowpack in thewinter,and lackof rain in thesummer. Thesecondcategory is contamination. As
noted above the US Environmental Protection Agency attended the first few days of the Southeast
EnvironmentalConferencesowatercontaminationhadbeendiscussedearlier intheweekandwasstill
onthemindsofparticipants.
WARMINGCONDITIONSWarmingwaterconditionsandreductionofsnowpack inthewinter isofgreatconcerntocommunities
whorelyonstreamsforrearingandspawninghabitatforsalmon.Alongwithwarmingweatherincreased
windsandstormsareleadingtogreatererosiononbeachesaswellascausinglandslides.Residentsnote
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changes in freezingthresholds,complete lossofpermafrost,shorelineerosionalongstreamsdegrading
spawningandrearinghabitat,andsloughingofbluffsandbeachesaswellassedimentationintherivers.
Residents of Haines note the disappearance of glaciers that once provided cold water for spawning
salmoninthesummercoupledwithalackofsnowinthewinter.Winterprecipitationtheynoteismore
ofteninthewinterintheformofraininsteadofsnowinthelowlands.NearbySkagwayresidentsarealso
concernedaboutrisingtemperaturesandhowthisaffectsstreamflows.Theyhavenotedtheabsenceof
salmon in Town Creek. They also note that glacial outbursts flood areas and threaten cultural and
historicalsites.TothesouthCraigresidentsalsonotethelossofasnowpackinthewinteronPrinceof
Wales Island. ResidentsofnearbyKetchikanwould like toseemorebaselinemonitoringof streamsas
theyareconcernedaboutthelackofcoldwintersandlowsnowfall. Theynotethatthefishingseason
hasbeenshortenedinrecentyearsandtherehavebeenpooryields.
AconsistentsupplyofwaterisimportantforSoutheastAlaskacommunitiesnotonlyforsalmonrunsbut
alsoforpower.OnerespondentnotedthatwaterlevelsintheMetlakatlaareasiscausingissuesasthey
are having difficultywith consistent stream flow to run their hydroelectric power. Many communities
have had to increase their use of diesel generators due to low water flow or other issues with
hydropowerstations(Cherry,etal.2010).
CONTAMINATIONResidentsofSoutheastAlaskacommunitiesareconcernedaboutwaterquality,especiallyinareaswhere
therearetransboundarywatershedswithmineraldevelopmentprojectsnearstreamsinBritishColumbia
near the Taku, Whiting, Stikine, Iskut, Unuk, and Nass Rivers
(http://www.lynncanalconservation.org/mining/).Currentlythereare10mineraldevelopmentprojectsin
progress in the transboundarywatersheds of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia. One respondent
notedthatclimatechangeimpactssuchastheincreaseinrainandsnowandtemperaturevariationscan
affectminingwastesandoverflows.
Residents of the Juneau area are especially concerned with contamination of freshwater sources and
impactstocoastalandmarinesediments.Thyareconcernedthatclamsandcrabmaybeimpactedand
pickupheavymetals.TheynoteareluctanceofcityofJuneautorecognizeenvironmentalcontamination
ofrecreationalareasnearbythatare importantforharvesttheseresources. Someoftheconcernwith
miningdevelopmentisthatresidentsdonotfeelthatpastminingareashavebeenadequatelyaddressed.
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Forexample,thereareconcernsaboutKasaanBaywherethereareminesthathavebeenlongclosedbut
environmentalremediationhasnotbeenadequatelyaddressed.Theywould likemoreinformationhow
increasedprecipitationcausingerosionwill leachcontaminantsfromtheseminesintotheenvironment.
InHaines, there is awater supply project underway to provide a long-term solution for cleandrinking
watersources.Theywouldliketoseemodelingoftheirdrinkingwatersourcestoclimatechange.
TERRESTRIALResidentsofSoutheastAlaskanotethattheyunderstandthatsealevelrisewillnotbeanissuefortheir
areaasisostaticreboundisoccurringfasterthantheseaisrising.However,theyareconcernedthatwith
yellowcedarforestdieoffandlowerprecipitationinthesummertheycouldbeatriskforforestfires.In
addition,theyarealsoconcernedaboutlandslidesthatmayoccurduetolowerforestcoverandperiods
ofhigherprecipitationsuchas inthewinterthatwillfallasraininsteadofsnow.ThisoccurredinSitka
someyearsprior.Theynotethatcurrentmodelssuggestclimatewillchangetheriskoflandslides.The
models suggest a large impact when it does occur, but a low probability that an event will occur.
ResidentsofSitka,Juneau,andKlukwanareconcernedaboutthehighcostofrepairfromlandslidessuch
infrastructurerepairorreplacement,aswellastheimpactstoresourcedevelopmentprojectslikemine
tailingstoragefacilitieswhichcouldcauseenvironmentaldegradation.
PHENOLOGYTheshiftinthetimingofsalmonmigrationisoneofthetopicsmostdiscussedbycommunities,andwas
especiallynotedbyresidentsinSaxmaninsouthernSoutheastAlaska.Someattributethistoachanging
rainfall pattern.Most residentswhoparticipated in the discussions said this is a regionwide problem.
Thispastyear(2016)thewater inestuariesandchannelswaswarmerandlowerwhichtheysaidmade
salmonreturningtostreamstospawnsubjecttointerception.Residentsnotethatwarmerwaterinthe
marineenvironmentattheoutflowofstreamsiscausingadisruptioninthesalmonmigrationpatterns,
which moving into the future will make it more difficult for fisheries managers to ensure adequate
escapement and harvest timing. Residents have observed how the warmer water makes the salmon
sluggishinestuaries.
Managersneedtoensureescapementintotherivers,butthesalmonarepoolingupnearstreamswaiting
for the proper temperature and river height tomigrate and if they allmigrate at once then itwill be
difficulttomanageforoverescapement.Inaddition,thismakesitdifficultforsubsistencefisherswhowill
needtobeintherightplaceattherighttimetoharvest. InHydaburgoverthepast20years,residents
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havenotedmuchwarmerwintersandareducedsnowpack.Theysaidthewaterinnearbystreamshas
warmed10degreesFahrenheitovera20-yearperiod.
In2016residentsofsomecommunitiesnotedalaterunofsockeyefollowedbyanearlyrunofcoho.One
residentnoted thatcohosalmonarrived inmid-June. Theynoticed thecohowhile theywereChinook
andsockeyesalmonfishing,earlysummerhuntingactivities.Residentssaidoneprojectthatshouldstart
immediately would be monitoring water temperatures to try to understand salmon phenology. In
addition to changes in run timing of native species, residents have noticed new species arriving. This
includessunfishnearHydaburgaswellastuna,shad,Humboldtsquid,andmackerel.
Besides theoceanenvironmentwarmingweather isaffectingtheirharvestofdeerwhicharemigrating
betweentheuplandsandlowlandsanddifferenttimes.Warmingweathermeansthatdeerstayupinthe
uplands longer. This means it’s difficult to find them in traditional areas during the hunting season.
There was also an early rut this past year (2016). Local-residents relate this to an early spring.
Blueberriesareripeningatdifferenttimesaswellmakingitdifficulttoharvestthemattraditionaltimes.
COMMUNITYBASEDMONITORINGThe outcome of the discussions both in the small groups as well as during presentations is that local
environmental coordinators in the communities are keenly interested in beginning, or increasing their
alreadyexistingefforts, toconductmonitoringprojects. Theyare lookingforpartnersthatcanprovide
expertise.Belowisafigureofthestrengthsofeachpartyinvestedinlocalmonitoringefforts(Figure1).
Toaccomplishcommunitybasedmonitoringeffortswillrequire1)technicalexpertsfromtheUniversity
of Alaska, SEATOR, and local non-governmental organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and
SoutheastAlaskaWatershedCoalition,2)landmanagerssuchastheU.S.ForestServiceandtheU.S.Fish
andWildlifeServiceincludingfunderswhoalsoactascoordinatorsofpublicandprivatepartnershipslike
theNorthPacificLandscapeConservationCooperative,andfinally3)localexpertsineachoftheTribesas
wellastheNGOsworkingintheregion.
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Figure1.CollaborativepartnershipsforengagingincommunitybasedmonitoringinSoutheastAlaska
Below are some of comments provided regarding community based monitoring. There are some
overlappingideasfromdifferentcommunities.Eachcommenthasbeenprovidedinits’entirety.
• Kasaan – A resident noted that the effort should be to continue harmful algae bloom (HAB)monitoring, shellfish tissue testing,developclimateadaptationplanandoutreach/education toschools, and participate in LEO network (Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, LocalEnvironmentalObserver).
• Kasaan – One major project should be to initiate stream monitoring station includingtemperature, pH, gauge flow (river forecast center gauge stations).A geographic areaof focusshouldbetheKartaRiver.
• General idea– There shouldbe an internshipprogram toengage local high school students inresource monitoring to connect to the landscape of their community and help build localworkforce.
• Klukwan–Thecommunitywouldliketobeginawaterqualitymonitoringprogram.• Juneau–Thereshouldbeanefforttoexpandsnowpackmonitoring,anddevelopawaterquality
monitoringprogram.• Kake–EffortshouldbeonmaintainingHABwork,andexpandthewaterqualityprogram.• Sitka–EffortshouldbeonmaintainingHABworkandparticipateinexitingyellowcedarworking
groups.• Craig–MaintainexistingHABandwaterqualitymonitoringwork.• General idea – Monitor effects of relative sea level rise on local beaches and subsistence
resources.• Generalidea–Initiateabroadscalebasicwaterqualitymonitoringprogram.Thisincludesstream
height and temperature, coastal temperature and salinity, snow depth and rain volume.Characteristicsofthiseffortwouldbe:
o Requiresconsistentsampling,butminimaltimerequirement.
TechnicalExperts
UniversityNGOs
State/FederalTribal
Funders/LandManagers
U.S.ForestService
NorthPacificLCC
LocalExperts
TribalEnvironmentalCoordinators
NGOs
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o Useofinexpensivesamplingequipment(somealreadyacquiredthroughSEATTsamplingactivities):
§ Meterstickforstreamandsnowheight§ Cheapraingauges(<$100)§ Thermometerforwatertemperatures§ Refractometerforsalinity
o Effortsshouldbeacollaborativeregionalplansothatallcommunitiesarecollectingthesametypeofdata.
o Autonomous,consistent,andmulti-yeardatacollectioninstreamsandnearshoremarineenvironmentsusingcosteffectivetechniques(e.g.,HOBOdataloggers,fishcounters).
Besides the broad interest in streammonitoring noted above one of themain overarching themes is
transferenceofknowledgebetweengenerations.Thetransferenceofknowledgebetweengenerationsis
oneideatohaveyouthwhoareinterestedinsciencealsogatherknowledgeoftheirelderssothatthey
may engage in both worlds. One idea is to develop a community specific educational plan to use in
schools and community functions that includes involving youth and elders to better help them
understandpast,current,andfutureenvironmentalissues.Thisalsoincludeshowclimatechangeaffects
everyone’slivesandfutureandhelpinfosteringunderstandingonwaystomitigatethesethreatsthrough
programslikestreammonitoringandlocallygrownfoodandfishingprogramsatthelocallevel.
DISCUSSION:SOMEFINALTHOUGHTS
RESPONSE:TRADITIONALKNOWLEDGEANDCLIMATESCIENCETherearechallengesinherentinproducinglocallevelresponsestoclimatechange.Thereare“temporal
and often geographic distance between cause and effect” (Moser 2010:33). The science involved is
complexandoftenprojectedatlargeregionalscalesorevengloballyasinthecaseofSLRprojections.
Residents of rural communities in Alaska, especially along the coast are experiencing changes in their
environmentthatarenoticeable inasingle lifetime. Thecloseconnectionthat indigenouspeoplehave
withthelanddependingontheenvironmentforfood,mobility,andultimatelysurvivalmakethemwell
positioned to observe climate change (Cochran, et al. 2013:558; Krupnik and Jolly 2002). Hunters and
fishers in the North respond to climate change by utilizing adaptive strategies that modify their
productionactivities,andmodificationstotheculturallyconstructedrulesinherentinhuntingandfishing
in order to secure their livelihoods (Berkes and Jolly 2001:2). Northern indigenous peoples ways of
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observing and understanding the local environment are a key component of indigenous knowledge
systemsintheNorth(MarinoandSchweitzer2009:210).
Communicating climate change and understanding community perspectives on change and adaptation
strategies should be done in a way that understand the social processes as well as the physical
environment.“Adheringtoaconstitutiveviewofcommunicationnecessitatesembracingtheontological
perspective that climate change is not only a physical phenomenon, but indeed also an ideological,
cultural,andsymbolicissuethattakesondifferentmeaningsdependentondifferentpeopleandplaces”
(Ballantyne 2016:10). The widespread discourse of vulnerability, and extension of the discourse of
resilience,hascreateda“fertilecontext for researchthat focusesonthesocial,cultural,andeconomic
impacts of climate change in the Arctic” (Moerlein and Carothers 2012:1). In order to be effective
scientistsandthosethatcommunicateclimatechangetocommunitiesneedtobemoreeffectiveinthe
scholarship of communication (Moser 2010:37). If there is more attention to the effective use of
developinganarrativewithcommunities,thiswillleadtomoreconstructiveeffortsofadaptionplanning.
MOVINGFORWARD:CLIMATEADAPTATIONPLANNINGEFFORTSINALASKAClimate adaptation efforts in the United States are often structured around steps in the resilience
process. TheU.S. ClimateResilience Toolkit is oftenused as a framework for communities to address
climate change. This involves five steps: 1) identifying the problem, 2) examining impacts and
vulnerabilities,3)reviewingoptionsandactions,4)evaluatingrisksandcosts,and5)takingaction(NOAA
2016).InstudiesaboutclimatechangeindigenousresidentsoftheNortharebecomingmorecentralas
impacts in the North are more pronounced; however, these studies are often about the impact of a
changingclimate,withoutactually includingthoseindigenousparticipantsinthestudies(Cochran,etal.
2013:558)
Changes in theenvironment that are intricately tied to climate change are also compoundedby social
changes. Inmany cases community residentsdonotperceiveenvironmental changeasdifferent than
social changes that are occurring in their communities (Moerlein and Carothers 2012:6). Prior to the
1960swhenindigenouscommunitiesintheNorthwerenottiedtomoderninfrastructuremobilitywasan
effectivestrategyofdealingwithenvironmentalchange(Henshaw2009:157).Projectingclimatechange
futuresintothenextcenturyneedstobedoneinatimeframeidentifiedbythecommunity.Thisplanning
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process shouldbe framed in thecontextof coproducingknowledgebetweenclimateexpertsand local
planners.
In attempting to coproduce knowledge to address adaptation planning on the Olympic Peninsula in
Washington State, adaptation expertsworkedwith the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to incorporate local
knowledge and concerns that are inherent in their adaptation strategies. They began by providing a
framework that included “assessment of climate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Climate
exposureistheextentandmagnitudeofaclimateandweathereventonanareaofconcern.Sensitivityis
thedegreetowhichanareaofconcernissusceptibletoaclimateimpact.Adaptivecapacityistheability
ofanareaofconcerntoadjusttoorrespondtothechangingconditions”(Petersen,etal.2014:14).This
provides a framework for the community toprioritize their climate related vulnerabilities and increase
communityresilience.Throughtheworkshopthecommunityparticipantswereabletofirstprovidealist
ofconcerns,rankthesensitivityofthoseconcerns,thenranktheadaptivecapacityofeach(Petersen,et
al.2014:17).
This exercise provides a process to allow for the community to provide their feedback and drive the
discussionoftheirclimateexposure,theirvulnerability,andtheirsensitivityandadaptivecapacity. This
followsresilienceplanningstepsbutalsoincludesadditionalcriteria.Susskindetal.(2015:51)revisedthe
resilienceplanning framework to1) generateusable knowledgeabout risks and responses, 2) cultivate
community literacyabout risksand responses,3) increaseoptimismabout collective riskmanagement,
and 4) enhance collaborative capacity. Increasing optimism is one of themost critical components of
adaptation planning; however, in an area such as Southeast Alaska with such high capacity for local
researchandmonitoring,communitiesshouldbeincludedasfullcollaborators.ThegoalisthatTribesand
communitieswill choose towork collaboratively toplan for climate changeadaptation,breakingdown
barriers in the adaptation planning process (Moser and Ekstrom 2010; Werners, et al. 2015). The
outcomewillbeaneffortalready in theplanningstagesby some tribesandcommunities,andprovide
motivation to others, to begin the adaptation planning process and to make climate change a
considerationineverydayplanning.AsTribesinSoutheastAlaskamoveforwardthislastpointisonethat
leadersintheareawouldliketoincorporateintoTribalenvironmentalplanning.
Some final thoughts from community members at the Southeast Alaska Climate Adaptation Summit
includea focusonworking together across the region. This includesbuilding a collaborationbetween
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agencies, the University, NGOs, and Tribes. Within this effort should be an effort by communities to
engageineffortsthatworkbesttoaddressthecommunity’scapacityandneeds.
Another comment was to figure out how to get governmental organizations to sit together, and
communicatetransparently.Respondentsnotethatthiswilltaketimeandtheremaybegrowingpainsas
effortsareinitiated.Therehavebeensmallmeasuresofsuccessthatshowthatprogresshasbeenmade,
whichgetsotherwiserecalcitrantparticipantsonboardandprovidesabaseforbiggerideasandprojects.
Oneway to start collaborative efforts is to start at the smaller regional level. For example, Prince of
Wales Island has four Tribes. The four tribeswork collaboratively and plan collectively for the island,
supporting each other in their efforts through resolutions.One small project theywork on together is
recycling efforts. So, for the community of Hydaburg for example, climate adaptation is part of the
consortium planning so the community doesn’t have to spend asmuch time and effort on it. These
efforts could then be expanded to a collaboration on the larger scale, a Southeast Alaska regionwide
climateadaptationplan.TheplaniscurrentlyunderwaybyCentralCouncilwithsupportfromtheBureau
ofIndianAffairs.
At the completion of the Southeast Climate Adaptation Summit, funding was still available for
disseminationofwhatwasdevelopedaspartoftheworkshop.Itwasrecognizedthatacentralrepository
wasneededtoprovidecommunitieswithbasic informationonclimatechangeandresulting impacts in
Alaska, a method of sharing stories, and tools for planning monitoring, mitigation, and adaptation
activities. In an effort to bring together information about community resilience and adaptation in
Alaska,fundingwasprovidedtoacontractor,Agnew::BeckConsultantstodevelopawebsitecalledAdapt
Alaska. Besideshavingunique content thewebsitewill act as a portal toother relevant sites that are
specific to Alaska. The funding provided by this project for dissemination will pay for the website
development, introductory pages, and linking to existing relevant Alaska Sea Grant sites on climate
changeandcoastalhazards.AdditionalfundingforthewebsitehasbeenprovidedbytheAleutianBering
Sea Islands Association, and the Aleutian Pribliof Islands LCC. The additional funding provides for
developingadditionalwebsitespecificmaterialsandlinkingtoothersitesontheweb.Theconsultantwill
completeawebsitestructureinMay2017withadraftofthewebsitereadingfortestingbyJune2017.
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CONCLUSIONCoastalcommunityresidentsinAlaskacantakesmallstepstoadapttodaytowhatisoccurringandbegin
theplanningprocesstoadapttochangesthattheywillseeintheirlifetimes.Climatechangewillimpact
communitiesandadaptationtothesechangescanbeanopportunitytoempowercommunitiestobuild
capacity and provide for improved community wellbeing and sustainability. Alaska Natives have been
adapting to climate change and rising sea levels for thousands of years. Knowledge and observations
madebyruralresidentsofAlaskaofthechangingclimatecanbecomepartofthesolutiontoadaptation
and provide feedback for scientific observations creating a dialogue with climate scientists that will
ultimatelyleadtotheadaptationsolutionsofthefuture.
In theshort-termsomerecommendations formanagementandengagementwithcommunities include
thefollowing.
• Duetochangingphenologyforsalmonanddeermigration,thereshouldbemoreflexibleseasons
forlocalharvest,especiallysubsistenceseasons.
• Shellfisharean important species for subsistenceandabundancehasdeclined in recent years.
There should be an effort and permitting to allow for the seeding of new shellfish beds in
intertidalzones.
• More effort should be invested by managers in understanding the impacts of increasing
temperatureson rainfall and snowpack,andhow thiswill influence future salmon rearingand
spawninghabitat.
• More studies should be conducted to understand the impacts of historicmining, andwhether
changesinprecipitationfromclimatechangewillcauseerosionatthesesites.
• HAB monitoring should include shellfish monitoring, as well as an increase in funding to
understandtheimpactsofawarmingoceanonthefrequencyandspreadofHABs.
• TheimpactsofoceanpHonAlaskamarinespeciesshouldbemorefullystudied.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:Thanks toRaymondPaddockatCCTHandChrisWhiteheadatSEATORand the
SitkaTribeofAlaskafortheircollaborationonthisproject.ThanksalsotoAngieFlickinger,DebbieHart,
LaurenSill,MichaelaSwanson,StephenTangen,andElizabethTobinforleadingthegroupdiscussionsand
takingnotes.
16
LITERATURECITEDBallantyne,AnneGammelgaard
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Berkes,Fikret,andDyannaJolly
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Cherry,J.E.,etal.
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Cochran,Patricia,etal.
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Frisch,L.C.,etal.
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2009 Sea ice:Thesocioculturaldimensionsofameltingenvironment intheArctic. InAnthropology&ClimateChange.S.A.CrateandM.Nuttall,eds.Pp.153-165.WalnutCreek:LeftCoastPress.
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2014 Customary and Traditional Uses of Salmon and Options for Revising Amounts ReasonablyNecessary for Subsistence Uses of Salmon in Districts 12 and 14, Southeast Alaska. Alaska.Anchorage:AlaskaDepartmentofFishandGameDivisionofSubsistence,SpecialPublicationNo.-006.
Krupnik,Igor,andDyannaJolly
2002 The earth is faster now: Indigenous observations of arctic environmental change. Fairbanks,Alaska:ArcticresearchconsortiumoftheUnitedStates.
Marino,Elizabeth,andPeterSchweitzer
2009TalkingandnottalkingaboutclimatechangeinNorthwesternAlaska.InAnthropology&ClimateChange.S.A.CrateandM.Nuttall,eds.Pp.209-217.WalnutCreek:LeftCoastPress.
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Moerlein,KatieJ.,andCourtneyCarothers
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Moser,SusanneC.
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2010 A framework to diagnose barriers to climate change adaptation. Proceedings of the NationalAcademyofSciencesoftheUnitedStatesofAmerica107(51).
NOAA
2016U.S.ClimateResilienceToolkit.Petersen,Alexander,etal.
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Sill,LaurenA.,andDavidKoster
2017 Theharvest anduseofwild resources inHaines,Hoonah,Angoon,Whale Pass, andHydaburg,Alaska,2012.Anchorage:AlaskaDepartmentofFishandGame,DivisionofSubsistenceTechnicalPaperNo.399.
Susskind,Lawrence,etal.
2015 Managing climate risks in coastal communities: Strategies for engagment, readiness, andadaptation.NewYork:AnthemPress.
Weber,ElkeU.
2016 What shapes perceptions of climate change? New research since 2010.Wiley InterdisciplinaryReviews:ClimateChange7(1):125-134.
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APPENDIXA
MONDAY,September19,2016MiningDay
8:00AM–8:30AM - Registration
8:30AM-8:35AM - IntroductionofPresidentPeterson:DesireeDuncan,CentralCouncilTlingit&HaidaIndianTribesofAlaska
8:35AM-8:45AM - Welcome: President, Ketchikan Indian Community Irene DundasandLeeWallace,PresidentofOrganizedVillageofSaxman
8:45AM-9:30AM - ConferenceOverview:RaymondPaddockIII,CentralCouncilTlingit&HaidaIndianTribesofAlaska
- ConferenceParticipantIntroductions
9:30AM-10:15AM - Central Council Tlingit & Haida Trans Boundary mining project:JenniferHanlon
10:15AM–10:30AM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE
10:30AM-11:15AM - United Tribal Trans BoundaryMiningWorkgroup - Rob SandersonJr.,FredOlsen.
11:15AM-12:00PM - TransboundaryMiningTechnicalWorkgrouponmonitoring–TerriLomax
12:00PM–1:30PM - LUNCHBREAK/DOORPRIZE
1:30PM–2:00PM - LieutenantGovernorByronMallott
2:30PM-3:00PM - Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation AlaskaMonitoring and Assessment Program (AKMAP) Southeast AK –AmberBethe,AlaskaDepartmentofEnvironmentalConservation
3:00PM–3:15PM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE
3:15PM–4:30PM -Anti-degradationtierIII,WaterQuality–MichelleHale
4:30PM - ADJOURN
TUESDAY,September20,2016 SolidWasteDay
19
9:00AM–10:00AM - EnvironmentalAwarenessonSolidWaste&Backhauling -Ted Jacobson,RuralCap
10:00AM–10:15AM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE
10:15AM-11:15PM - TotalReclaimbackhauling–ReillyKosinski
11:15AM-12:00PM - PaulBerry,CityofGustavus
12:00PM–1:30PM - LUNCHBREAK/DOORPRIZE_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
1:30PM–2:00PM - SafetyBriefingbeforefieldtrip
2:00PM–4:00PM - FieldTriptoKetchikanLandfill(Bringbootsandwarmclothes)
4:00PM-4:30PM - StumptheChump–TedJacobson
4:30PM - ADJOURN
TUESDAY,September20,2016State&TribalResponse(STRP)
9:00AM–9:30AM - WelcomeandIntroductions(WhoandOrganizations)9:30AM-10:15AM - SEAKGeographicResponseStrategy–MST1JeffryCrews(USCG)
10:15AM–10:30AM - BREAK
10:30AM–11:15PM - Outreach to Communities: Implementing Cultural Activities intoEnvironmentalIssues-JoyD.Britt,ANTHC
11:15AM–12:00PM - MyYear#1asSTRP-BrianHolterJr.,KlawockTribe
12:00PM–1:30PM - LUNCHBREAK
1:30PM–2:15PM - AmyRodman–AlaskaDept.EnvironmentalConservation(ADEC)
2:15PM–3:00PM - Home Heating Tank & Outreach Education – Ivy Patton, NativeVillageofEyak
3:00PM–3:15PM - BREAK
3:15PM–4:30PM - Discussion,Reports,WorkshopRecap&Announcements
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4:30PM - ADJOURN
WEDNESDAY,September21,2016WaterQuality/FishConsumptionRate
9:00AM-9:45AM - FishConsumptionRateVideo:GuyArchibald9:45AM–10:30AM - FCR-MichaelOpheim,SeldoviaVillageTribe10:30AM–10:45AM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE10:45AM-11:45AM - ADECFishConsumptionRate–MichelleHale,AlaskaDepartmentof
EnvironmentalConservation(ADEC)11:45AM-12:00PM - RecordedMessage:U.S.SenatorLisaMurkowskiandDanSullivan12:00PM–1:30PM - LUNCHBREAK/DOORPRIZE1:30PM–2:15PM - EPAPerspectiveonWaterQualityCriteriaandrelatedissues–Lon
Kissinger,USEPA2:15PM-3:00PM - Who’s in, Who’s out, and Beyond FCR – Kendra Zamzow PhD.,
CenterforScienceinPublicParticipation(CSP2)3:00PM–3:15PM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE3:15PM–3:45PM - FishConsumptionandHarvestEstimateComparison–DavinHolen,
UAFandLaurenSill,AlaskaDepartmentofFish&Game3:45–5:00PM - SubsistenceFoodWeb–MichelleRidgeway,OceanusAlaska5:00PM - ADJOURN
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THURSDAY,September22,2016
SubsistenceandCulturalResourcesImpactsbyClimateChangeSession9:00AM-9:15AM - How we arrived at this workshop – Raymond Paddock and Chris
Whitehead 9:15AM–9:30AM - Workshopendresult:Developmentofworkplan-DavinHolenand
CerScott9:30AM-10:00AM - ParticipantandPresenterIntroductions10:00AM–10:15AM - ReviewTopics–DavinHolen 10:15AM–10:45AM - Salmon–ColinShanley,TheNatureConservancyandDeborahHart,
SoutheastAlaskaFishHabitatPartnership10:45AM–11:00AM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE11:00AM–11:30AM - Shellfish – Elizabeth Tobin, (UAF) University of Alaska Fairbanks
JuneauCenter11:30AM–12:00PM - HarmfulAlgaBlooms–ChrisWhitehead,SitkaTribeofAlaska12:00PM–1:30PM - LUNCHBREAK/DOORPRIZE1:30PM–2:00PM - ForestEnvironment–BrianBuma,UniversityofAlaskaSoutheast2:00PM-2:30PM - CulturalResources–MartinStanford,USForestService2:30PM–3:00PM - HumanHealth– JakeBell,AlaskaNativeTribalHealthConsortium
(ANTHC)3:00PM–3:15PM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE3:15PM–4:00PM - Groupdiscussionofadaptationandmonitoringactivities4:00PM-5:00PM - Groupreportstoworkshop
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FRIDAY,September23,2016
ClimateChangeSession9:00AM-9:05AM - ReviewofDay1andGoalsofDay2 9:05AM–9:30AM - Ocean Acidification – Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant and
EstherKennedy,SitkaTribeofAlaska9:30AM-10:00AM - ShorelineMonitoring–JacquelineOverbeck,AlaskaDNRDGGS10:00AM–10:15AM - BREAK/DOORPRIZE10:15AM–10:45AM - StreamMonitoring–AngieFlickinger,SoutheastAlaskaWatershed
Council10:45AM-11:15AM - Climate Change, Coastal Transformation, and Sustainable Foods –
LindaKrugerandAdelaideJohnson,USFS11:15AM–11:45AM - Subsistence Adaptation and the Regulatory Process – Lauren Sill,
AlaskaDepartmentofFish&Game11:45PM–12:15PM - Aquaculture–GaryFrietag,AlaskaSeaGrant12:15PM–1:45PM - LUNCHBREAK/DOORPRIZE1:45PM–2:00PM - BIAworkplandevelopment–RaymondPaddock–NextStepsBIA
Climate2:00PM–3:00PM - Work plan – Raymond Paddock, Central Council and Chris
Whitehead,SitkaTribeofAlaskaandMichelleDavis,EPA3:00PM-3:30PM - Workshopconclusionandassessment–DavinHolen