A Tribal White Paper on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation

Indian tribes are exceedingly vulnerable to, and disproportionately impacted by climate change. For example, 86 percent of Alaska Native Villages are threatened by flooding and erosion because of warming temperatures, and 31 Villages currently qualify for permanent relocation. Tribes in the continental United States heavily dependent on natural resources for economic and cultural vitality are facing a predicted 50 percent loss of salmon and trout habitat across the U.S. in the next 40 to 80 years. The focus of this white paper is on recommendations related to adaptation measures, particularly as they concern natural and cultural resources needed by tribes to continue their lifeways in a warming world.