Great Northern LCC Project Application

Project Title: Connecting Tribal and First Nation Adaptive Management and Climate Related Activities in the Crown of the Continent

Project Coordinator: Melly Reuling, AMI Coordinator, Center for Large Landscape Conservation, PO Box 1587, Bozeman, MT 59771

Project Lead:Terry Tatsey, Blackfeet Community College, 504 SE Boundary St. Browning, MT 59417-0819

Project PI: Lea Whitford, 221 Ed Williams Rd, Cut Bank, MT 59427,406 450-4057 (Blackfeet Tribal Member)

Partners: Blackfeet Community College, Browning, MT, Confederated Salish Kootenai College

Project Summary: PI Lea Whitford, a tribal member and previous BFCC employee, will establish contact with interested parties in each tribe or first nation within the Crown of the Continent. She will collect information on all relevant activities and research regarding climate and adaptive management within each tribal nation. She will coordinate a meeting of all interested tribal contacts and coordinate tribal activities with other efforts in the Crown including the Crown Managers’ Partnership, the Crown of the Continent Conservation Initiative, and the Crown Roundtable Adaptive Management Initiative.

Category:

  • Tribal

Needs:

  • There are many collaborative efforts among state, provincial, federal, community, and non-profit entities with the Crown of the Continent; however, tribal and first nation participation has been limited and there is little communication among tribes.
  • This project is focused on climate change and adaptive management issues within the Crown.
  • The Crown of the Continent encompasses 18 million acres; after Federal and Crown ownership of lands, tribal nations are the largest owners of land in the Crown.
  • Tribes have been engaged in varying levels of research regarding climate change and adaptive management implementation; tribes have also researched changes in collection and availability of traditional plants. This project would allow the various tribal groups to compare their work and learn from each other.
  • The scope of the project is the Crown of the Continent, particularly the lands of the Blackfeet Confederacy, Ktunaxa, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai nations.
  • Tribal involvement has long been a target of outreach efforts within the Crown.

Objectives:

  • Establish a contact on climate adaptation management in each interested first nation/tribe or related organization in the Crown of the Continent.
  • Develop a “white paper” that summarizes various adaptation and implementation efforts among the tribal groups and identifies needs and next steps to move climate adaptation work forward in a more coordinated manner.
  • Share research and projects related to climate adaptation management among Crown first nations/tribes and with other federal, state, provincial, NGO, and community efforts within the Crown.
  • Participate in conferences, meetings, and on-going efforts related to adaptive management in the Crown.
  • Coordinate a meeting of all first nation/tribal contacts.

Methods: PI Lea Whitford will travel to all Crown tribes and first nations developing contacts for climate change and adaptive management. She will develop a list of contacts and activities/research from each tribe or first nation.

Deliverables: A comprehensive list of contact information from each tribe. A comprehensive description of tribal activities and research related to climate change. A final report (white paper) of PI activities covering the duration of the project.

Statement of Compliance: The CLLC and Lea Whitford agree to comply with all standards if the proposal is selected.

Schedule for 2014:

March – November – Participate in regular AMI calls and attend workshops and conference.

April - November- Establish contacts with other tribes and first nations by calling and visiting in person.

June 1- Mid-term progress report presenting findings, contacts, activities.

September 10-12 – Attend Crown Roundtable Conference and present findings. Organize meeting of tribal/first nation contacts.