Conferences and Meetings

Tribal Consultation Sessions for the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy - A series of tribal consultation sessions will be held during the public comment period in January and February of 2012. These sessions are opportunities for consultations between the federal government and tribal leaders and/or their designated representatives. The goal of these sessions is to provide more information about the development and goals of the Strategy, respond to questions, and receive tribal comments verbally or in writing. For more information, including session times and addresses, please visit The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy website.

• January 30 in Sacramento, CA
• February 3 in Madison, WI
• February 8 in Anchorage, AK
• February 14 - Webinar (online)
• February 14 or 15 in Arlington, VA
• February 16 in Shelton, WA
• February 23 in Albuquerque, NM
• February 28 in Tulsa, OK

Echoes of the Earth in Times of Climate Change - Seventh Generation Fund for Indian Development (SGF) and Hopa Mountain will present this two-day event where Native leaders, artists and visionaries will express and elevate regional, national and international perspectives on Climate Change, one of the most significant environmental and cultural sustainability issues facing humanity and the Natural World today. The event starts with a public Native arts show and reception to be held at the Indian Uprising Gallery in Bozeman, Montana on Thursday, April 5. Following the art show, a day of presentations and performances will be held at the Emerson Center for the Arts and Culture on April 6. For more information, visit the Facebook page for this event.

• April 5 - 6 in Bozeman, MT

EPA Region 10 Tribal Leaders' Summit - The theme of this event is "Common Ground: Sharing Successes, Experiences, and Resources." The Summit will bring together federal and tribal governments to explore opportunities to partner and leverage shared resources. In this time of budget cuts and limited resources, agencies and tribes need to pull together to find creative and effective solutions to important issues that frequently overlap jurisdictions. This would be a valuable opportunity for leaders and environmental staff from Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington tribes and regional federal agencies to exchange ideas, views, and experiences. On April 30 and May 1, agency and tribal leaders are invited to discuss the topic "Balancing Traditional Knowledge and Western Science." On May 1 through May 4, tribal and federal environmental staff are invited to join the Summit in order to learn and share information through technical sessions. For more information, visit The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde website.

• April 30 through May 4 in Grand Ronde, OR

National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (NTF) - The purpose of the NTF is to provide environmental professionals from tribes, EPA, and other organizations an opportunity to meet and discuss current policies, regulatory initiatives, funding, and technical topics in air quality. The NTF is a cooperative endeavor co-sponsored by The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA). The NTF is a cost-share event. Attendees are responsible for travel expenses, however a limited number of scholarships to cover transportation/lodging costs are available. For more information, visit the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals website. You may also view the 2011 National Tribal Forum presentations.

• May 22-24, in Tulsa, OK

University of Oregon Indigenous Peoples and Climate Change Conference - The University of Oregon and its Robert D. Clark Honors College will host a student-focused conference on Indigenous People, Climate Change, and Environmental Knowledge. Students from a variety of disciplines will present research related to climate and culture in the Americas alongside faculty and graduate students. Students will present their research in either oral paper panels or poster sessions, and a broader local and regional community will be invited to participate, including American Indian and Alaska Native students from tribal colleges and others from native communities. The conference will also have keynote lectures from indigenous leaders involved in climate change issues from Alaska to the continental United States. For more information, visit the conference website.

• May 23-24 in Eugene, OR

Tribal Climate Change Symposium - Event details to come.

• July 16-19 in Washington, DC

IDAH2O - Master Water Steward training program - University of Idaho Extension is offering an innovative program to train citizen volunteers about regional water quality issues. The IDAH2O Master Water Steward program was launched in fall 2010 and already has 20 certified volunteers. Participants in the program attend an 8 hour workshop which combines classroom instruction and hands-on field work. Once a volunteer becomes a certified Master Water Steward, they then adopt a stream location to conduct regular monitoring on. Monitoring includes habitat, biological, chemical and physical assessments. All data collected from the Stewards is uploaded to a web site that is made publicly available. The main focus of the program is to educate citizens on the status of their water quality and to help them understand the effects on streams, rivers and lakes. Youth involvement is also strongly encouraged. The data that is collected may also someday assist Agencies in establishing water quality standards and priorities. To find out when the program is being offered, or for more information or to register, contact Ashley McFarland at idah2o@uidaho.edu or 208-215-0407.