Developing Your Tribal Wetland Program
Held Thursday, February 16, 2023 - 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern
ABSTRACT
This webinar offered two examples of tribal wetland programs and how they have developed over time:
- For nearly three decades, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ [CSKT] wetland conservation program has utilized a combination of wetland-focused Tribal Ordinances, innovative partnerships with outside agencies and non-profits, and EPA Wetland Program Development Grants to monitor, preserve, and restore wetlands on the Flathead Reservation. Today, CSKT’s wetlands are threatened by a rapid increase in local development and the effects of climate change. By analyzing years of functional assessment data and aerial imagery to better understand the trends of each watershed, CSKT now seeks to update their Wetland Conservation Plan for the next decade. This presentation explained the tools used by CSKT and history of the program, with a particular focus on developing their new Wetland Conservation Plan.
- The Fond du Lac Reservation began developing its Wetland Program in late 1998, even before the EPA had developed the Core Elements for Wetland Programs. Since then, Fond du Lac has achieved the goal of developing each of the core elements, most recently with the 2020 approval of its Wetland Water Quality Standards. This presentation covered some key elements to consider in building a Wetland Program from the ground up, including the “four knows” of this development.
INTRODUCTION
- Kathy Allen, Saint Mary's University of MN - GeoSpatial Services [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Rick Gitar, Fond du Lac Reservation - Office of Water Protection [PowerPoint Presentation]
- Blair Libby, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes [PowerPoint Presentation]
Part 1: Introduction: Kathy Allen, Saint Mary's University of MN - GeoSpatial Services; Presenter: Marla Stelk, Executive Director, National Association of Wetland Managers
Part 2: Blair Libby, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Part 3: Presenter: Rick Gitar, Fond du Lac Reservation - Office of Water Protection
Part 4: Questions & Answers
Protecting Waters and Wetlands in Indian Country: An Overview and Case Studies from EPA’s New Tribal Wetland Program Guide
Held Thursday, December 15, 2022 - 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
ABSTRACT
This webinar provided an overview of Protecting Waters and Wetlands in Indian Country: A Guide for Developing Tribal Wetland Management Programs, a new guide designed to aid Tribes in strategic wetland resource planning and management, including guidance that is more relevant to the unique Tribal situations and more accessible for the Tribal reader. The guide augments the existing National Association of Wetland Managers 2013 Wetland Program Plans Handbook, which provides a sound foundation on the core program elements. The guide was produced in collaboration with Tribes from across the country and in response to a direct request from the Tribes, in order to help them protect wetlands and aquatic resources. The webinar included an overview of the guide followed by a panel discussion on the process of preparing the guide, information found in the guide, and examples of how it may be used by Tribal communities.
INTRODUCTION
Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Gretchen Goldman, Assistant Director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and Justice, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
- Kerryann Weaver, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5 [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Matt Baerwalde, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe
- Tyler Orgon, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians
- Linda Storm, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
- Kathleen Kutschenreuter, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Part 1: Introduction: Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers and Gretchen Goldman, Assistant Director for Environmental Science, Engineering, Policy, and Justice, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
Part 2: Kathleen Kutschenreuter, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Kerryann Weaver, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5
Part 3: Panel Discussion and Questions & Answers
A Path to Successful EPA Grant Applications for Your Tribal Wetland Program
Held Thursday, December 8, 2022 - 3:00 p.m.-4:30 p.m. EST
ABSTRACT
For many tribes, EPA funding is critical to starting and sustaining a wetland program. However, EPA grant applications can be daunting, especially for first-time applicants. This webinar helped guide Tribal wetland staff through the application process so they have a better idea of what to expect. It covered strategies, tips, and lessons learned to help strengthen grant proposals and increase the odds of successfully obtaining funding. This included advice on pre-planning, evaluating grant options, deciphering the request for proposals (RFP), the importance of Wetland Program Plans (WPPs) and partnerships, and project budgeting.
INTRODUCTION
Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Myra Price, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Rebecca Dils, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Mike Jones, Stockbridge-Munsee Community [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Rue Hewett Hoover, Nez Perce Tribe [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
Part 1: Introduction: Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers
Part 2: Rebecca Dils, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Part 3: Mike Jones, Stockbridge-Munsee Community
Part 4: Rue Hewett Hoover, Nez Perce Tribe and Questions & Answers
Getting Started with Tribal Wetland Plans
Held Thursday, September 29, 2022 - 3:00-4:30pm ET
INTRODUCTION
- Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Mary Iorio, Environmental Division, Three Affiliated Tribes [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Tiffany Allgood, Environmental Programs Office, Coeur d’Alene Tribe [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
OVERVIEW
This webinar was the first in a new series focused on working with Tribal Communities to build and develop wetland programs. The webinar included an overview of Wetland Program Plans (WPPs) and the EPA’s Core Elements Framework. Then representatives from the Three Affiliated Tribes and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe each shared their experiences in developing WPPs and establishing wetland programs. The presentations included discussion of efforts to foster a cultural reconnection to wetlands, lessons learned in wetland program development, and future program goals and directions.
Part 1: Introduction: Portia Osborne, Project Manager, National Association of Wetland Managers Part 2: Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 Part 3: Mary Iorio, Environmental Division, Three Affiliated Tribes Part 4: Tiffany Allgood, Environmental Programs Office, Coeur d’Alene Tribe and Questions & Answers
Funding Tribal Water Programs (Presented at EPA Region 7 ESTP Virtual Meeting)
Held Thursday, November 4, 2021
INTRODUCTION
- Brenda Zollitsch, Senior Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers
PRESENTERS
- Nestoria Wright, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Building Capacity: Tribal Panel and Discussion
BIOS
Nestoria Wright ompleted her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management major in Health Services Organization and Policy (HSOP) and Psychology at Wichita State University, Master’s in public health (MPH) and Community Leadership Development at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University and a Ph.D. Public Health major in Epidemiology, at Walden University. She joined Kickapoo Tribes in Kansas in April 2019. Prior to working at the Kickapoo Tribe EPA, she has been employed at the US Air Force since 2011-February of 2019.She also worked as an Epidemiologist and Health Planner at Shawnee County Health Department Topeka Kansas, where she served as an Emergency Preparedness and Community Outreach Epidemiologist since 2004-2008. Prior to working in the Local and State Health Department as a public health Professional she was teaching Undergraduate Healthcare Administration and Health Promotion courses and presently teaching Masters’ in Public Health Online Courses since 2007 to present. She looks forward to continuing developing and promoting a comprehensive environmental protection programs for the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas that will protect the natural, cultural, and human resources.
Yvonne Vallette is an Aquatic Ecologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For the last twenty-three years she has worked at EPA Region 10’s Oregon Operations Office in Portland serving as the Region’s coordinator for enhancing State and Tribal Programs. Her work with EPA is focused on the technical and policy aspects of the Clean Water Act (CWA), including Section 404. Her practicable experience includes work in: aquatic resource monitoring and assessment, 404 enforcement, compensatory mitigation, impact analysis, CWA jurisdiction, 404 program assumption, and aquatic resources restoration.
Part 1: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Senior Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Nestoria Wright, Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas
Part 2: Introduction: Brenda Zollitsch, Senior Policy Analyst, Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
Part 3: Tribal Panel & Discussion
Advancing Tribal Wetland Programs Through Innovations in Monitoring & Assessment
Held Tuesday, December 1, 2020 - 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. EST
INTRODUCTION
- Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Ferin Davis Anderson, Lead Environmental Scientist, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Eric Krumm, Water Resources Technician, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Water Resources Program [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
ABSTRACTS
Yvonne Vallette and William Kirchner
Using National Wetland Inventory Data to Assist State/Tribe Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Efforts
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends that states and tribes use a consistent, thorough and timely wetland monitoring and assessment program as a critical tool for them to better manage and protect their wetland resources. These programs allow states and tribes to: 1) establish a baseline in wetlands extent, condition and function; 2) detect change; and 3) characterize trends over time. To further assist States and Tribes, EPA’s Wetland Program Development Grants (WPDG) provides needed financial resources to support actions and activities that together comprise a comprehensive wetland monitoring and assessment program, which must be able to identify the location and extent of these resources in designing their monitoring and assessment efforts.
The US Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) is a publicly available geospatial data set that provides detailed information on the abundance, characteristics, and distribution of streams and wetlands throughout the US. Natural resource managers can use the data to promote the understanding, conservation and restoration of these aquatic resources. In 2016, FWS released version 2.0 of their national NWI aquatic ecosystems, like streams. NWI 2.0 data is a reasonable representation of the resources at the landscape scale. Because of its coarse scale, dataset, which is a comprehensive characterization of all surface water features on the landscape, including a wide range of wetlands and other and the classification, the data is suitable for establishing a baseline for resources either statewide or at watershed scale. This comprehensive dataset allows the accurate, consistent calculation of area and ecological classification to best support geospatial summaries and modeling for management decisions and for identifying monitoring and assessment efforts that will support State or Tribal aquatic resource programs. This presentation will explore the specifics on the use or development of NWI compliant data into a State/Tribal monitoring and assessment program or project.
Ferin Davis Anderson
Integrating Drone and LiDAR Technology into Tribal Wetland Programs
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC), located 30 miles southwest of Minneapolis, MN, was awarded an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tribal Wetland Program Development Grant in 2019. The proposal was developed with the intent to advance and refine the SMSC’s existing wetland program by focusing on an EPA core element involving monitoring and assessment. SMSC plans to incorporate LiDAR (light detection and ranging) elevation data to examine the location of current and potentially historic wetlands. They will be using a drone (UAV) mounted LiDAR system that collects derivatives based on hydrologic, surface, terrain and landform features with accuracy in the range of 10-20cm. This LiDAR data will help identify important wetland functional drivers and categorize wetlands using the hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classification system based on landscape position. SMSC seeks to demonstrate how UAV-mounted LiDAR can be used as a tool to further prioritize ecologically significant wetlands and identify potentially restorable wetlands.
Eric Krumm
An ArcGIS-Based Spatial Analysis of Jurisdictional Wetland Extent within the Leech Lake Reservation In North Central Minnesota
As a component of a comprehensive, long-term wetland surveying and mapping strategy the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (LLBO) Water Resources Program developed an assessment platform to evaluate a range of potential jurisdictional Waters of the United States (WOTUS) scenarios within the external boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation in North Central Minnesota. Federal definitions and the scope of Clean Water Act regulation across the United States have been influenced by regular federal updates as well as Supreme Court rulings since its inception in 1972. While the specific definitions of “wetlands” and “tributaries” have remained relatively static over the course of Clean Water Act implementation, the criteria for determining if these water bodies are regulated by the Clean Water Act (i.e. jurisdictional) have varied considerably. An adaptable ArcGIS-based assessment model was developed that could be used to provide the LLBO Water Resources Program with a remotely determined range of potential WOTUS interpretations across the entire Reservation to aid in resource planning while also allowing the flexibility to update the model based on field-based mapping efforts and any potential future revisions to the Clean Water Act.
BIOS
Yvonne Vallette is an Aquatic Ecologist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). For the last twenty-three years she has worked at EPA Region 10’s Oregon Operations Office in Portland serving as the Region’s coordinator for enhancing State and Tribal Programs. Her work with EPA is focused on the technical and policy aspects of the Clean Water Act (CWA), including Section 404. Her practicable experience includes work in: aquatic resource monitoring and assessment, 404 enforcement, compensatory mitigation, impact analysis, CWA jurisdiction, 404 program assumption, and aquatic resources restoration.
Ferin Davis Anderson is the Lead Environmental Scientist for the Land and Natural Resources Department. She has held this position since 2019. Ferin is responsible for managing, restoring and conserving prairies, wetlands, woodlands, and forests for the SMSC. She determines and implements best conservation management practices. Additionally, Ferin collects, analyzes, and reports on data collected in the field pertaining to wetland, prairie and forest vegetation. Ferin also oversees a team of specialists and technicians in the Land and Natural Resources Department. Ferin completed her Master of Natural Resources Stewardship at Colorado State University and her Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management from North Dakota State University. She also earned her Associate of Science and Arts degrees from the Turtle Mountain Community College in North Dakota.
Eric Krumm is a Water Resources Technician for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Water Resources Program in Cass Lake, MN. Originally from the Driftless Area of Southwestern Wisconsin, he moved to Northern Minnesota in 2015. He specializes in limnology, stream ecology, water quality assessment, hydrology, and population and trophic dynamics of fisheries in Upper Midwest rivers and streams. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Winona State University in Winona, MN where his capstone project dealt with trophic dynamics of fishes along a longitudinal gradient of a large river system. Additionally, he acquired a M.S. in Biology from Minnesota State University, Mankato in Mankato, MN where his thesis work involved the effect of hydrology on the growth and recruitment of fishes in mid-sized streams in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest Province of Minnesota. Currently the focus of his work is on wetland jurisdictional analysis related to the recent change in the Waters of the United States Rule and water quality standards development for the waters of the Leech Lake Reservation. He enjoys fishing, hiking, bird watching, and canoeing with his wife.
Part 1: Introduction: Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers
Presenter: Yvonne Vallette, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
Part 2: Presenters: Ferin Davis Anderson, Lead Environmental Scientist, Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community and Eric Krumm, Water Resources Technician, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Water Resources Program
Part 3: Questions & Answers
Balancing Tribal Economic Development, Sustainable Cultural Uses and Wetland/Aquatic Resource Protection and Restoration
Held Tuesday, June 25, 2019 - 3:00pm-5:00pm Eastern
INTRODUCTION
- Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Tom Elliott, Biologist for the Yakama Nation Wildlife Program [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Allison Warner, Wetland Ecologist/Wetland Program Coordinator for The Tulalip Tribes at Quil Ceda Village [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Kara Kuhlman, Water Resources Manager for the Lummi Nation [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
ABSTRACTS
Tom Elliott
The Yakama Nation’s Toppenish Creek Corridor Enhancement plan is a long-term, integrated project to restore and manage natural and cultural resources along lower Toppenish Creek in the Yakama Reservation. Lower Toppenish Creek flows out of mountain headwaters, across a large alluvial fan, and then for 32 miles through expansive floodplains that formed in an ancient channel of the much larger Yakima River. The extremely low stream gradient and broad floodplains support extensive wetland complexes, which in pre-development times provided rich wetland and aquatic resources to the Yakama people, including salmon and steelhead runs in the stream and wapato (Sagittaria latifolia) and tule (Schoenoplectus acutus) in wetlands.
However, in the late 1800s Tribal land began to be sold under the Dawes Act and large-scale irrigated agriculture was initiated. In the early 1900s, the Wapato Irrigation Project was established and eventually built out to encompass over 180,000 acres of land and over 1,100 miles of irrigation canals and ditches. This vast system utilized lower Toppenish Creek as a sump and conveyance canal for return flow from up-slope irrigation water, with negative effects for natural and cultural resources. Wetlands and the alluvial fan were drained, the creek channel became channelized in certain reaches, and polluted water flowed into the channel. Salmon runs were extirpated, steelhead runs declined dramatically, and wetland plants became unavailable for tribal use.
To redress this damage, the Toppenish Creek corridor plan calls for 30 years of actions to separate the irrigation system from the natural stream, restore in-channel and floodplain habitat, increase water quality, enact land protection, and recharge alluvial fan groundwater while maintaining the important agricultural economy. In this presentation I described the lower Toppenish Creek ecosystem, changes brought to it by agricultural development, and the philosophy, approaches, and actions the Yakama Nation has developed to restore and manage Tribal resources.
Allison Warner
Quil Ceda Village in Lieu Fee Program – Mitigation from a Watershed Approach in the Tribal Context
Quil Ceda Village (QCV), an incorporated, Federal Tribal City, completed approval of the first Tribal In Lieu Fee (ILF) program in the nation, in November 2013. QCV, is an interesting story of 2,000 acres of the Tribes 22,500-acre land base that was seized under imminent domain by the Department of Army during WWII for the purposes of an ammunitions depot, and then repurchased by the Tribes. This area is currently zoned for development as the Tulalip Tribes’ urban commercial area, being located at the eastern perimeter of the Reservation, and adjacent to Interstate-5. However, this is an area of historic wetlands that were ditched, drained and filled by the Department of Army. The Tribes sought a mechanism for addressing wetland impacts from potential Lessees on tribal land within the city that could also provide for a smoother leasing and development process. The ILF program allows for a separation of mitigation plan approval from the lease negotiation and permitting process, while allowing the tribes to use fees collected from lessees to achieve restoration goals in the watershed. A watershed-based Compensation Planning Framework of resource loss and needs guides all of the mitigation site and project selection process for the ILF. As the first tribal ILF program in the nation, several key issues specific to Indian Country and legal issues challenged and guided development of the program.
Kara Kuhlman
The Lummi Indian Reservation (Reservation) is located in northwest Washington State, approximately 80 miles north of Seattle, Washington and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Lummi Nation Wetland and Habitat Mitigation Bank (Bank), which generates mitigation credits to compensate for unavoidable wetland impacts occurring on the Reservation and within the Bank’s service area, is the first tribally developed and operated commercial wetland mitigation bank in the United States. The Bank is comprised of nearly 2,000 acres on three separate sites within the Nooksack River floodplain and estuary on the Reservation and is part of both a wetland management program and an overall salmon and shellfish habitat restoration effort. As part of the Lummi Nation’s ongoing efforts to balance residential, municipal, and commercial development with natural resources protection, the Bank provides for the long-term wetland mitigation needs of tribal members, the tribal government, and other public and private end users to ensure effective compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts of development activities. The purpose of this presentation was to provide a brief overview of why and how the Bank was developed and to discuss how the Bank supports tribal sovereignty and the protection of natural and cultural resources.
BIOS
Tom Elliott is a biologist working for the Yakama Nation on floodplain management and restoration. He hails originally from Virginia, where he fell in love with hardwood forests and swamps just beyond his backyard. Moving west, he worked in the San Francisco Bay area, immersing himself in the native flora and abundant weeds of the coastal hills while he worked in native plant restoration for a National Park. In 2005 he arrived in Yakima and was awed by the shrub-steppe desert and the beautiful streams and rivers that run through it. He earned his master's degree at CWU in biology, studying the riparian cottonwood forest and trying to understand the interplay between natural and human driven processes along the Yakima River. His goal is to contribute to conserving and restoring floodplain, riparian, and wetland ecosystems in Central Washington in support of Yakama tribal resource values.
Allison Warner has been working as a wetland ecologist/wetland program coordinator for the Tulalip Tribes at Quil Ceda Village since 2008. She developed and obtained approval for the Quil Ceda Village in-Lieu Fee Program and works in strategic planning, permitting and wetland mapping and mitigation for Quil Ceda Village. She developed a watershed scale wetland mitigation plan for Quil Ceda Village in association with the In Lieu Fee Program. Allison has been involved in restoring Northwest landscapes since 1992, upon graduating from the UC Berkeley College of Forestry and Natural Resources. She has a Master’s of Science in forest ecology, and a Bachelor’s degree in soil science, both from UC Berkeley. She currently serves as Executive Vice President for the Society for Ecological Restoration Northwest Chapter and has served with the Board since 2007.
Kara Kuhlman has over 10 years of experience in natural resources management. She has worked for the Lummi Nation’s Natural Resources Department since 2013 and has been the Water Resources Manager since 2018. She has a Masters of Sciences Degree and a Bachelors of Sciences Degree in Environmental Science and is a Certified Floodplain Manager. Prior to working for the Lummi Nation she was Adjunct Faculty at Western Washington University’s Huxley College of the Environment and a Field Biologist working with a range of public and private partners throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Part 1: Introduction: Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers
Part 2: Presenter: Tom Elliott, Biologist for the Yakama Nation Wildlife Program
Part 3: Presenter: Allison Warner, Wetland Ecologist/Wetland Program Coordinator for The Tulalip Tribes at Quil Ceda Village
Part 4: Presenter: Kara Kuhlman, Water Resources Manager for the Lummi Nation
Part 5: Questions/Answers
Cultural Values Based Planning for Integrated Wetland Management on a Watershed or Reservation Scale
Tuesday, November 6, 2018 - 3:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. ET
INTRODUCTION
- Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
PRESENTERS
- Jon Hall, Tulalip Tribes of Washington [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Tom Elliott, Yakama Nation [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
- Andy Robertson, GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota [POWERPOINT PRESENTATION]
ABSTRACTS
Jon Hall
The Reservation of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington covers approximately 22,500 acres on the Puget Sound coast in western Washington. Two priority projects illustrate how traditional ecological knowledge and cultural information is incorporated in the tribes’ wetland management activities. The detailed wetland inventory covering the reservation is currently being updated. The database that houses the wetland data layer has been modernized so that daily updates to the inventory are viewable by all tribal programs (e.g., forestry, transportation, and planning departments) within 24 hours. The inventory includes data fields that identify cultural/sensitive species, provide a cultural “score,” and record notes on traditional uses by tribal members. The Tulalip Tribes’ Wetland Monitoring and Assessment Program includes the collection of cultural information and traditional knowledge for each wetland on a Wetland Cultural Values Checklist. In addition, the presence and abundance of every plant species is recorded along with a rating (on a scale of 1 to 5) of its accessibility. For example, a rating of “1” indicates that the plant species is “accessible to tribal elders; ,0.25 mile from nearest road; and flat to gentle slope, and walking shoes OK.”
Tom Elliott
The Yakama Nation considers meadows to be hotspots of cultural and natural resource values. Meadows within the Yakama Reservation extend from the upper shrub-steppe fringe to alpine areas, and support cultural foods and medicines and habitat for numerous wildlife species. In order to plan and sequence restoration and management of meadows, the Yakama Wildlife Program undertook a climate vulnerability assessment using funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The assessment included a ground based rapid assessment, remote sensing based modeling of meadow greenness and soil moisture, climate modelling for moisture regime in the past and future, and a decision matrix synthesizing these components. The results indicate that moisture regimes in meadows have changed over the last 35 years in terms of trends and abrupt change points. Project future changes include drying along an elevation gradient and shifts towards an earlier timing of maximum soil moisture for many meadows.
Andy Robertson
The Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Community’s Environmental Department (SMC) has created a web presence in order to share the accomplishments of its ambitious wetland development program with the public and other stakeholders. The website is incorporated into the Stockbridge-Munsee Community’s existing web presence and includes wetland program information along with a variety of static and interactive maps and infographics about the tribal community and its history. The website employs a combination of ESRI Story Maps and traditional web content to describe topics such as:
- Wetland development program goals and progress of the Tribe’s wetland restoration/demonstration projects
- Education of tribal members and the general public about importance of wetlands
- Improving communication with partnering agencies
- Providing a repository of accessible/interactive wetland data
- Providing summarized water quality data/impaired watershed assessment data
This presentation provided an overview of the goals and objectives of the SMC wetland program, the link between wetland management (including inventory and restoration) and tribal history and culture and a demonstration of the final website.
BIOS
Jon Hall is the Wetland Biologist for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington where he manages the tribes’ wetland programs. His work in wetlands began in 1975 when he was a biologist for the New York State Wetlands Inventory. Between 1976 and 1981, he worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife at the headquarters of the National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) in St. Petersburg, FL. In that position, he was involved in wetland mapping in over 32 states. Between 1981 and 2001, Mr. Hall was the NWI Coordinator for Alaska. He held the same position for the Pacific Region (CA, OR, WA, ID, NV, HI, and the Pacific Islands) between 2002 and 2006. Following retirement from Federal service, Mr. Hall was an environmental consultant until being hired by the Tulalip Tribes in 2016. As a consultant, he provided wetland assessment expertise for large projects throughout the U.S. such as pipelines, mines, and windfarms. Mr. Hall has also worked on specialized projects including assisting the government of Greece (through the U.S. State Department) in starting a Greek Wetland Inventory; and working with the Central Intelligence Agency to utilize classified satellite assets to inventory wetlands and hydrologic features, and monitor wildlife populations (e.g., walrus).
Tom Elliott is a Riparian Ecologist working for the Yakama Nation on floodplain management and restoration. He hails originally from Virginia, where he fell in love with hardwood forests and swamps just beyond his backyard. Moving west, he worked in the San Francisco Bay area, immersing himself in the native flora and abundant weeds of the coastal hills while he worked in native plant restoration for a National Park. In 2005 he arrived in Yakima and was awed by the shrub-steppe desert and the beautiful streams and rivers that run through it. He earned his master's degree at CWU in biology, studying the riparian cottonwood forest and trying to understand the interplay between natural and human driven processes along the Yakima River. His goal is to contribute to conserving and restoring floodplain, riparian, and wetland ecosystems in Central Washington in support of Yakama tribal resource values.
Andy Robertson is currently Executive Director of GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. In this role, Andy is responsible for oversight and management of all GeoSpatial Services projects, activities and staff. GeoSpatial Services is engaged in a wide variety of projects across the Lower 48 and Alaska including: wetland inventory; National Hydrography Dataset updates; spatial data development; and, natural resource condition assessments. Andy earned a Forest Technology Diploma from Sault College of Applied Technology in Ontario, Canada, a B.Sc. in Environmental Science from the University of Waterloo and completed postgraduate work in forest management at the University of Toronto. GeoSpatial Services has been a key partner of the USFWS and has been working for over 15 years to update legacy National Wetland Inventory data across the nation. Andy is a steering committee member for the ASWM Wetland Mapping Consortium and is co-chair of the Alaska GeoSpatial Council Wetland Technical Working Group.
Part 1: Introduction: Marla Stelk, Executive Director, Association of State Wetland Managers Part 2: Presenter: Jon Hall, Tulalip Tribes of Washington Part 3: Presenter: Tom Elliott, Yakama Nation Part 4: Presenter: Andy Robertson, GeoSpatial Services at Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Part 5: Questions/Answers
View a List of Tribal Wetland Programs Webinar Recordings Here