Climate Adaptation Plan for the Territories of the Yakama Nation

The Yakama Nation recognizes that climate change is a threat to future generations, tribal culture and way of life. This adaptation plan identifies important natural and cultural resources’ vulnerability to climate change, current tribal work that will help reduce local climate impacts, and specific recommendations for priority risk assessments and adaptation strategies for the Yakama tribes and reservation lands in the Yakama River basin of Washington state. Along with the assessment, the Yakama Nation Tribal Council directed programs to prepare and present recommendations for addressing climate vulnerabilities and risks and rebuild resilience. These assessments and strategies are not considered by the tribe to be final or comprehensive, but rather a substantial first step in adaptation planning.  

The Yakama Nation climate adaptation planning approach includes engagement of tribal members and tribal natural and community resource programs - as well as the reality or necessity of a continued collaborative effort between tribal, local, state, and federal governments. “Although we find ourselves at a tipping point, it is not a time to decry our losses and bemoan our future. We will work with other tribes, and we will learn together. We must learn how to adapt, as we have done for many thousands of years on these lands which have always been our home.”

The Summary of Climate Change Drivers and Potential Impacts provides some detail on projected regional climate change impacts. The most significant effects identified are that both summer and winter temperatures will continue to increase, and snowpack in the mountains will continue to decrease. Other primary climate impacts considered include increased stressors on salmon populations, loss of suitable habitat availability for many wildlife and plant species, water scarcity, impacts on air quality and community health, and the potential for service disruptions and damage to Tribal infrastructure.

The section on Community Resources focuses on the Yakama Nation’s reservation lands and the potential impacts on four focal areas of: Cultural Heritage, Human Health and Public Safety, Tribal Infrastructure, and Lands and Agriculture. For each area the report details climate impacts as well as recommended adaptation actions under Research and Monitoring or Management and Implementation. For example, some of the strategies for building climate resilience of Agriculture include:

  • Evaluate the long-term adequacy of water delivery infrastructure to ensure that changes in hydrological patterns (e.g., increases in flooding frequency or reduction of late summer water availability) can be anticipated and managed effectively.
  • Evaluate opportunities to improve real-time forecasting of soil moisture content and local weather conditions to improve efficiencies in water delivery and other agricultural practices. Identify ways to improve retention of soil moisture, such as appropriate application of manure or other organic materials.
  • Develop a plan to improve water storage through continued and expanded recharge within the Toppenish and Simcoe Creek alluvial fans.

The Environmental Resources chapter provides an overview of issues and recommendations for Forestry, Rangelands, Water, Fisheries, Wildlife, Vegetation resources, as well as Toxic (chemicals in the environment). Each of these chapters offer detail on existing programming, restoration and adaptive work already being implemented on the Yakama lands - as well as numerous viable adaptation strategies for the Yakama tribes. 

The report states that the western part of the 1.37 million-acre Yakama Reservation has approximately 650,000 acres of productive forest and woodland. Culturally, forests provide foods and medicines that tribal ancestors have used and shared through generations. The Yakama timber resource also is essential to the economy, as the Yakama Nation generates a significant amount of revenue directly from the sale of timber. Some of the adaptation strategies for Forestry identified in the plan include to:

  • Evaluate the use of hydrologic models to manage and increase water production as a specific outcome of timber harvest, fire management, and other forestry practices.
  • Develop strategies and methods to markedly increase the application of prescribed fire as a fundamental tool for forestry management and long-term ecosystem health.
  • Continue to collect seed stocks from locally successful timber stands and other desired and vulnerable tree or plant species (such as whitebark pine or traditional foods and medicines). Evaluate collection strategies that will facilitate stand persistence or migration as needed due to climate change.
  • Continue to build capacity and partnerships across jurisdictional boundaries to monitor and respond to climate changes and vulnerabilities in forested lands.

The Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation are a diverse people - including the Kah-miltpah, OcheChotes, Palouse, Wenatchapam, Klickitat, Pesquose, See-ap-Cat, Yakama, Klinquit, Shyiks, Sk’in-pah, Kow-was-say-ee, Li-ay-was, and Wish-ham. Our tribes are strong and resilient people. We have lived on these lands for countless generations, from time immemorial. We will continue to flourish on our homelands for countless generations to come.

 

Publication Date: May 2016

Related Organizations:

  • Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation

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  • Adaptation plan

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