Wednesday September 27, 2017 – Climate Monitoring – Tribes & Agencies

September 27-28, 2017

Registration & Breakfast

Welcome – Overview

Alaska Native Coastal Communities Climate Report & Slideshow Members of 16 coastal communities will provide a report and slideshow on climate impacts in Atmautluak, Chevak, Elim, Eyak, Golovin, Kivalina, Kotlik, Kwigillingok, Nelson Lagoon, Newtok, Nunapitchuk, Quinhagak, Port Heiden, Shishmaref, Teller, and Unalakleet.

Break

Overview of NOAA Project & Community-Based Erosion Monitoring Panelists: Harold Okitkun – IGAP Director, Bill Moore’s Slough; Jack Fagerstrom and Harriett Henry – Golovin; John Henry – IGAP Coordinator, Native Village of Unalakleet; Jacquelyn Overbeck – Coastal Geoscientist, Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS). Facilitator: Denise Pollock – Alaska Institute for Justice This session will describe how AIJ worked with Kotlik, Golovin and DGGS to install community-based erosion-monitoring programs to better predict the rates and severity of erosion.

Lunch

Leadership & Governance in the Arctic Panelists: Hon. Fran Ulmer – Chair at U.S. Arctic Research Commission; Larry Hartig – Commissioner, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation
Facilitator: Patricia Cochran – Alaska Native Science Commission Federal and state representatives will discuss how climate change issues are addressed in the Arctic.

Break

Storm Forecasting Community Webpages Panelists: Cynthia Paniyak, IGAP Coordinator, Chevak Traditional Council; Deborah Friday-Aguchak– IGAP Assistant, Chevak Traditional Council; Victor Tonuchuk – IGAP Coordinator, Native Village of Kotlik; Gavin Phillip – IGAP Coordinator, Native Village of Kwigillingok; Rick Thoman – Climate Scientist, NOAA NWS Alaska Region; Ed Plumb – Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NOAA NWS Storm Forecasting Office. Facilitator: Jacquelyn Overbeck – Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys
This session will describe how AIJ is working with Chevak, Kotlik, Kwigillingok, National Weather Service (NWS) and the University of Alaska (UAF) to create community webpages that provide local storm forecasting and storm event documentation.

Break-out Sessions 1) Community-Erosion Monitoring 2) Storm Forecasting

Report Back to Group

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL by Al Gore – Optional Screening at Bear Tooth Theaterpub 1230 W 27th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503

AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL by Al Gore – Optional Screening at Bear Tooth Theaterpub 1230 W 27th Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503

Thursday September 28, 2017 – Resources to Respond – Tribes & Agencies

Registration & Breakfast

Welcome – Overview

Tribal Hazard Mitigation Planning & “How to Declare a Disaster” Workshop
Panelists: Richard Tuluk – Mayor, City of Chevak; Toby Anungazuk – IGAP coordinator, Chinik Eskimo
Community; Brett Holt –Mitigation Planning Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Ramona
VanCleve, Tribal Liaison, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Facilitator: Denise Pollock – Alaska Institute for Justice
This session will provide an overview of the hazard mitigation planning process and commentary
submitted to FEMA on behalf of Chevak, Elim, Golovin, Kivalina, and Kwigillingok. An update will
be given on how AIJ and the 5 communities have been working with FEMA to improve tribal selfdetermination
and enhance community engagement in the hazard mitigation planning process. The
last half hour of this session will provide Alaska Native communities with the steps necessary for
declaring a disaster after a storm or flooding event.

Tribal Hazard Mitigation Planning & “How to Declare a Disaster” Workshop
Panelists: Richard Tuluk – Mayor, City of Chevak; Toby Anungazuk – IGAP coordinator, Chinik Eskimo
Community; Brett Holt –Mitigation Planning Program Manager, Federal Emergency Management Agency; Ramona
VanCleve, Tribal Liaison, Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Facilitator: Denise Pollock – Alaska Institute for Justice
This session will provide an overview of the hazard mitigation planning process and commentary
submitted to FEMA on behalf of Chevak, Elim, Golovin, Kivalina, and Kwigillingok. An update will
be given on how AIJ and the 5 communities have been working with FEMA to improve tribal selfdetermination
and enhance community engagement in the hazard mitigation planning process. The
last half hour of this session will provide Alaska Native communities with the steps necessary for
declaring a disaster after a storm or flooding event.

Break

Resources & Statewide Baseline Erosion, Permafrost, and Risk Mapping
Panelists: Don Antrobus –Program Manager, Denali Commission; Jeff Oatley – Civil Engineer, National
Resources Conservation Service; Colleen Bickford – Director, Housing and Urban Development; Tom Ravens –
Associate Dean and Professor at UAA.
Facilitator: Robin Bronen – Alaska Institute for Justice
This session will enable the government agencies to present on programs and grants available to
respond to erosion, flooding, and permafrost thawing in rural Alaska. Additionally, the Denali
Commission will present on methods used to assess risk from environmental hazards.

Lunch

Permafrost & Sea-Ice Monitoring
Panelists: Annie Weyiouanna – Local Coordinator, Native Village of Shishmaref; Cynthia Paniyak, IGAP
Coordinator, Chevak Traditional Council; Deborah Friday-Aguchak– IGAP Assistant, Chevak Traditional
Council; Mary-Beth Schreck – Acting Sea Ice Program Leader, NWS Alaska Sea Ice Program, NOAA; Edda
Mutter – Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council (YRITWC)
Facilitator: Darcy Peter – Alaska Institute for Justice
This session will focus on the work with Shishmaref, Chevak, the National Weather Service (NWS)
Sea Ice Program, and the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Program (YRITWC) to describe how
forecasting sea ice conditions and permafrost thawing increases adaptive capacity.

Media
Panelists: Jonathan Butzke, Talking Circle Media; Yereth Rosen – Independent Journalist; Emily Carlson –
KTVA.
Facilitator: Patricia Cochran – Alaska Native Science Commission

Media
Panelists: Jonathan Butzke, Talking Circle Media; Yereth Rosen – Independent Journalist; Emily Carlson –
KTVA.
Facilitator: Patricia Cochran – Alaska Native Science Commission

Traditional Foods & Community-Based Health Monitoring
Panelists: Fred Phillip – Executive Director, Bering Sea Elder’s Group; Vi Waghiyi – Environmental Health
Director, Alaska Community Action on Toxics; Todd Brinkman, Community Research Partnership, UAF.
Facilitator: Denise Pollock – Alaska Institute for Justice
This session will discuss how climate change has impacted access to traditional foods. We will also
begin the conversation on how to develop a community-based health monitoring program to assess
climate impacts on health and wellness.

NEXT STEPS: Facilitated conversation to continue collaboration between communities and
state and federal agencies to increase community adaptation to climate change.