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

2001AdaptingtoClimateChange:Social-EcologicalResilienceinaCanadianWesternArcticCommunity.ConservationEcology5(2:18):online.

Cherry,J.E.,etal.

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Cochran,Patricia,etal.

2013IndigenousframeworksforobservingandrespondingtoclimatechangeinAlaska.ClimaticChange120(3):557-567.

Frisch,L.C.,etal.

2015GaugingperceptionsofoceanacidificationinAlaska.MarinePolicy53:101-110.Henshaw,Anne

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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2015OceanacidificationriskassessmentforAlaska’sfisherysector.ProgressinOceanography136:71-91.

Moerlein,KatieJ.,andCourtneyCarothers

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Moser,SusanneC.

2010 Communicating climate change: History, challenges, process and future directions. ClimateChange1(1):31-53.

Moser,SusanneC.,andJuliaA.Ekstrom

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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

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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