WCA awarded federal funds to develop climate change response plan

Wrangell Cooperative Association’s Tl’átḵ - Earth Branch was awarded over $200,000 from the Bureau of Indian Affairs for its climate action and adaptation plan to help respond to the growing concerns and risks of climate change.

In surveys conducted last spring, WCA learned that tribal and community members have observed warmer winters and cooler summers, earlier and weaker salmon runs, less game on the island and an increased presence of invasive species, said Alex Angerman, Earth Branch coordinator.

The climate action and adaptation plan will help people adjust to the changes and reduce the impacts, especially as it affects subsistence, recreation and cultural practices.

The two-year grant is for the environmental planning stage of the project, which involves scientists and stakeholders assessing the environment and helping to figure out what realistic steps WCA can take to help the community adapt to environmental changes.

The $222,000 grant was awarded to WCA in March, and funding is expected in the fall, Angerman said.

This planning stage is the second stage of the project; last year’s survey was the first stage.

Angerman said warming air and water temperatures affect everything from berries to herring to shellfish.

Part of the goal of the project and surveys is to collect baseline data, she said. The data will help prove that climate change is causing the changes that community members have observed in the environment.

Currently, the Earth Branch has monitors in a few streams around the island to measure temperatures, Angerman said, which will contribute to the data.

One potential solution to explore might be creating foraging gardens, she said. These would be areas that are human created but help native plants like berries grow while being protected from invasive species. Ideally, the foraging gardens would also be handicap accessible so that all members of the community can access them.

WCA is also working on establishing a fisheries department that could help with stream restoration and is working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Esther Reese WCA tribal administrator said.