Projects – Upper Snake River Tribes

Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment

This collaborative vulnerability assessment expressly considered the species, habitats, and resources that are important and valuable to USRT member tribes. Climate change impacts on these resources have the potential to affect tribal members’ culture, spirituality, and lifeways.

Climate Adaptation & Strategy

USRT’s Climate Adaptation Planning & Strategy Development project is being created in continuation with USRT’s Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment (CCVA).

Upon the completion of the USRT CCVA, a refined list of ecotypes/habitats, rivers/waterbodies, plant and animal species, and tribal enterprises that are identified to be most vulnerable to climate change will guide what is to be included in and focused on in the adaptation plan.

Using the findings from the USRT CCVA to construct adaption strategies for those resources (water, ecotypes/habitats, aquatic/terrestrial species, and tribal enterprises) both on USRT member tribes’ four reservations, and within the entire Upper Snake River Watershed that are deemed to be most susceptible to climate impacts. These strategies are being further developed into an adaptation workbook of actions and literature library that the tribes can use to enhance the resilience of a variety of critical habitats and species. In addition, this project will lead to the creation of on-site reservation workshops, climate resilience videos, and adaptation implementation projects within each USRT member tribe.

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for Rangeland Managers

This literature review project focuses primarily on the Upper Snake River Watershed of Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon. However, the literature review of relevant rangeland management and water resource strategies includes practices outside of the watershed and, where appropriate, includes the Great Basin and the broader Pacific Northwest region. While not comprehensive, this literature review summarizes some of the most salient current research and actions on managing rangeland systems in a changing climate.

Climate Based Community Outreach & Education

In Progress: This project, USRT plans to develop education/outreach materials using adult and youth learning techniques and conduct engagement workshops for tribal leadership, staff, and membership. This interactive and multi-faceted engagement process will help disseminate climate-based knowledge, help build support for actions that reduce the risk that extreme weather events and harmful environmental trends pose to the member tribes, and inform tribal members of USRT’s existing and continuing Climate Adaptation and Resilience projects. The approaches and materials can also be shared with tribes across the Pacific and Inland Northwest and help build climate literacy and resilience across the regions.

There will be four different target audiences: 1) tribal leaders, 2) tribal staff, 3) tribal membership, and 4) tribal youth (6-18 age group). Materials will focus on how a changing climate is affecting tribal cultural resources, and what they can do to sustain those resources, or adapt, should those resources become non-sustainable under new climate scenarios. USRT will hold multiple workshops, webinars, and attend regional/national conferences showcasing materials produced.

Hells Canyon Complex Fisheries Resource Management Plan

USRT’s April 27, 2018 Hells Canyon Complex Fish Management Program (HCC FRMP) seeks to restore fishing opportunities through anadromous and resident fish management programs in the Snake River and in significant tributaries; including the Bruneau/Jarbidge, Owyhee, Malheur, Boise, Payette, and Weiser Rivers. The overall intent of the Program is to begin reestablishing anadromous fish and fisheries in the Snake River and using unlisted fish (Endangered Species Act) in select tributaries upstream of the HCC.