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Report: Tribes in the Pacific Northwest face climate change funding barriers
Tribes in the Pacific Northwest struggle to access funds for climate change adaptation due to bureaucratic challenges, despite being on the frontline of climate impacts.
In short:
- Pacific Northwest tribes face severe climate impacts, like rising seas and extreme heat, but encounter bureaucratic obstacles when seeking government funds to address these issues.
- Many tribes cannot provide matching funds or staff to meet grant requirements and find that the funds they receive are limited and restrictive.
- Tribes emphasize the need for federal agencies to address these barriers and fulfill their trust responsibilities to support tribal adaptation efforts.
Key quote:
"This is a time of historic state and federal investment in climate action, and tribal priorities really need to be considered when making decisions around how we’re going to be directing this investment."
— Meade Krosby, senior author of the report by the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative.
Why this matters:
Coastal tribes in the U.S. face some of the most significant threats from climate change, impacting their communities and traditional ways of life. Ensuring equitable access to funding and resources is crucial for their adaptation efforts and to support broader climate resilience.
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Newsletter
Oregon's coastline's fate linked to 'Dune' landscape
The iconic dunes of the Oregon coast, which inspired the desert planet in 'Dune,' are now facing their own ecological crisis as invasive species and erosion reshape the landscape.
In short:
- Coastal Oregon's dunes, the inspiration for 'Dune,' face invasive species and erosion issues.
- Efforts to stabilize the dunes with non-native beachgrass have backfired, threatening local ecosystems.
- Restoring the open dunes requires balancing environmental preservation with community protection.
Key quote:
"We’re losing about five feet [1.5m] of open sand every year."
— Dina Pavlis, Author of Secrets of the Oregon Dunes
Why this matters:
Erosion on Oregon's central coast poses significant challenges to the ecosystem and the natural landscapes that define this region. The Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, among other dune ecosystems along the central coast, is experiencing a complex interplay of natural and human-induced factors that exacerbate erosion, leading to a range of environmental impacts.
National parks aren’t faring so well, either. Derrick Z. Jackson writes: If there is anywhere in the nation that holds the promise to inspire unified action on climate change, it is the national parks.
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Newsletter
The Oregon timber industry won huge tax cuts in the 1990s. Now it may get another break thanks to a top lawmaker
As the cost of fighting wildfires increases, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner has proposed a bill — developed in consultation with the logging industry — that would shift millions in expenses away from the biggest landowners and onto taxpayers.
The Oregon timber industry won huge tax cuts in the 1990s. Now it may get another break thanks to a top lawmaker
As the cost of fighting wildfires increases, state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner has proposed a bill — developed in consultation with the logging industry — that would shift millions in expenses away from the biggest landowners and onto taxpayers.
Newsletter
Climate change, drought, wildfires reduce value of private forestland in the West by billions
Oregon State University researchers said private timberland values have declined $11 billion due to the threat of drought and wildfires.
Oregon water officials say permitting must change to keep tens of thousands of wells from going dry
The Oregon Water Resources Department must update its 68-year-old rules for permitting new wells or double down on regulating existing ones, department officials said. If it doesn’t, the growing problem of the state’s depleted groundwater reserves “is going to get very expensive,” said department director Doug Woodcock.
Newsletter
Oregon agencies support floating offshore wind project, but ask for more federal engagement
Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek, along with six state agencies, declared their support this week for the federal government’s proposal to allow floating offshore wind energy projects off Oregon’s south coast, despite mixed feelings from local communities, the fishing industry and Tribes.
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