Climate Change Update TBAC Meeting March 2010 John Vitello Associate Deputy Bureau Director BIA Office of Trust Services Washington, D.C.

Climate Change Let’s Not Refer to it as “Global Warming” Photos by Bodie Shaw

Climate Change Impacts Sea Level Rise Floods Strong Storms Drought Habitat Change Catastrophic Wildfires

Model Forecasts of Streamflow Changes

Evolution of DOI Climate Change Policy Workgroup Meetings – Culminate in Shepherdstown, WV meeting Focus on Tribes as… – Sovereigns – Land Managers – Climate Change Partners Concept of Environmental Justice Need for Consultation on Climate Policy

Secretarial Order on Climate Change SO 3289 “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources” Signed September ‘09. Section 5 dedicated to American Indians and Alaska Natives.

Secretarial Order on Climate Change Section 5 can be summed up as follows: Disproportionate Affect Trust Responsibility Best Available Science Substantive Participation Coastal Erosion in the Native Village of Shishmaref, Alaska

S.O Highlights “Climate Change Response Council” – Recently renamed “Energy and Climate Change Council” ; Other Specific Activities: – Planning Requirements – Regional Climate Change Response Centers – Landscape Conservation Cooperatives – Carbon Storage Project – Carbon Footprint Project

Eight Climate Science Centers (CSCs)

Twenty-One Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs)

BIA/Tribal LCC Contribution 2011

Indian Tribes and Climate Change What Tribes Need (from USGS & DOI)jjjjjjj Increased access to expertise and scientific research. Increased monitoring of climate change indicators on Reservations. Direct tribal participation in the development and operation of emissions taxation/trading schemes that may be developed. Government-to-government consultation and substantive participation in the development of Departmental policy, objectives, and initiatives regarding climate change.

Indian Tribes and Climate Change What Tribes Can Provide jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj Tribal experience with resource stewardship and adaptation spans millennia. Tribes have an accumulation of traditional knowledge and acute sensitivities to their environment. Tribal peoples could be among the first to notice changes to ecological processes caused by climate change. Many Tribes have sophisticated resource mgmt. programs. Some Tribes (e.g. Quinault) have already adopted laws and policies on climate change.

Fire Management Integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science Traditional Ecological Knowledge – Fundamental land ethic….adaptive management – Indigenous legacies of experiential learning Joint Fire Science Program collaboration: – Intertribal Timber Council – University of Washington – BIA and USFS

Other Climate Policy Developments E.O from President Obama 10/8/09 – “Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance” Council of Environmental Quality (CEQ) Coordination Making federal government operations more sustainable – ↓ 30% federal fleet petroleum use by 2020 – 26% improvement in water efficiency by 2020 – 50% recycling and waste diversion by 2015 Sec. 9 – Recommendations for Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Reporting Coral Diseases

GHG Inventories Sec. 9 of EO Policy Decision (Still Draft) Land management emissions and sequestration shall not be reported at this time. Wildfire management and prescribed burning emissions shall not be reported.

Other CEQ Climate Activities administration/eop/ceq/initiatives CEQ to work “with the Department of the Interior as the lead department to develop a national government-wide strategy to address climate change impacts on fish, wildlife, plants, and associated ecological processes.” ( FY 2010 Interior Appropriation Report Language) National Oceans Policy Task Force Develop Framework for Coordination of all Federal Land Management Agencies to Address Climate Change Adaptations Task Force

CEQ Adaptations Task Force 1.NEPA Guidance 2.Partnerships & Collaborations 3.Easements & Acquisitions 4.Adaptation Priorities 5.Wildland Fire – Integrate Fuels Mgmt. 6.Education “…equip communities with information and learn from communities who have taken steps to adapt.”

Climate Change FY 2012 Budget Cycle Additional new funding unlikely Climate funding from reallocating budget priorities is likely TBAC request to form Climate Change Advisory Council

Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Sequestration Evolution Some Tribes begin marketing carbon 2002 – BIA attempts carbon policy draft 2005 – Ideas on Policy draft authority evolve 2007 – DOI SOL Opinion on draft – Carbon not a mineral – Carbon could be an “other forest product” 2009 – New draft presented at ITC Symposium 2010 – Still evolving

Current Dilemmas  DOI – No Individual Bureau Policy - Yet  Legislation – Cap and Trade, etc. - Stalled  Markets - Volatile and Changing Terms  Tribes - Moving Forward; Wanting Guidance  Issues  Registry  Monitoring  Impacts on Fee into Trust  Term of Agreement  Best Market Value  Trust Funds? Payment Process?

Current Policy Thoughts?  All Tribal Lands  25 CFR Part 84 – Encumbrances of Tribal Land  Forest Lands – Individually owned in Trust  25 CFR Part 163 – General Forestry Regulations  Ag/Range Lands – Individually owned in Trust  25 CFR Part 162 – Leases and Permits  25 CFR Part 166 – Grazing Permits

Or ?  Do we think outside the box……  Carbon sequestration agreements as…. Tribal Service Contracts ?