The project had 2 broad objectives. The first objective was to meet the needs of the Yurok Tribe in collecting and documenting TEK to inform tribal planning related to climate change impacts to culturally significant wildlife and habitats that support these species. This information is crucial to informing Yurok Tribe resource managers and the Yurok Council as it embarks on climate change adaptation planning. The Yurok Tribes Council and Environmental, Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries and Cultural Resources Programs will benefit from the knowledge and wisdom gained from the project as the Tribe prepares for climate change impacts. The second objective was to assist the NPLCC in its efforts to integrate Tribal TEK into the planning, research and implementation of NPLCC and USFWS goals by providing a model of how to collect and document TEK within a tribal community (while protecting confidentiality and intellectual property rights of the community, elders, and project participants) in a culturally appropriate manner. The methodology utilized was designed to allow for information to be collected, analyzed by YTEP staff, and utilized in order to develop a final summary of recommendations for NPLCC research and science priorities for future climate change efforts.
