Community Observations on Climate Change: Arctic Village, Fort Yukon, and Venetie, Alaska

Start Date

2015

End Date

2016

Release Date

2015

For the Upper Yukon area, climate change has become a daily fact of life, causing a wide range of impacts to the environment, and in some cases to community health. In 2015 the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) and the U.S. Geological Service (USGS) organized an assessment to include Arctic Village, Fort Yukon, and Venetie. Funding was provided by the USGS and inkind support was provided by local tribal partners including Arctic Village Traditional Council, Gwichyaa Zhee Gwich’in Tribal Council, and the Venetie Village Council. The assessment was also performed in partnership with three regional tribal organizations: the Council of Athabascan Tribal Governments (CATG), the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), and the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council (YRITWC). The information from community surveys also include findings from a 2012 Fort Yukon survey performed by ANTHC and funded by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency. Each assessment included at least one community tour, interviews with key environmental and health staff, health clinic, water plant and solid waste site tours, school and classroom visits, river survey, meeting with tribal staff and leadership, public meeting. Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network training for tribal environmental staff, and the installation of time lapse cameras to help monitor environmental change.

ScienceBase WMS

• Alaska CASC
• National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers