Samish people have been stewards of the environment in the San Juan Archipelago for hundreds of generations. As ocean people, Samish culture and traditions are intimately tied to resources and places in the Salish Sea. There is not a single beach in Samish Traditional Territory that has not seen the footprints of the ancestors. Honoring traditional ways while preserving cultural use materials and foods for future generations is a cornerstone that guides the work of Samish DNR. Preparing and planning for Climate Change ensures that Samish People will be able to continue utilizing the bountiful natural resources of the Salish Sea that is such an important part of their cultural identity.

Samish is currently engaged in a multi-phase climate change adaptation planning process. The objective of this project is to identify topics of significant concern and how they’ll likely be impacted by climate change, assess how vulnerable they are to climate impacts in the future, and build an adaptation plan to ensure these resources are protected for the seventh generation. The vulnerability assessment phase is currently underway and on track to be completed in the Summer of 2018, at which point Samish staff will begin prioritizing planning areas and evaluating possible adaptation strategies.

Through outreach and interdepartmental collaboration, Samish staff and community members identified a number of topics of concern.

Due to the project’s ambitious timeline and budget, this vulnerability assessment is largely based on qualitative analysis. The Samish Climate Resiliency Working Group determined the best course of action for this project was to complete a high level analysis of a large amount of planning items rather than an in-depth study of a few key topics. The purpose of this vulnerability assessment is to provide a baseline understanding of how climate change may impact Samish Traditional Territory so the Tribe can begin planning for resiliency.

It’s meant to serve as an interim study to 1. establish a baseline of climate change knowledge among staff; 2. identify topics of significant concern, and; 3. inform future, more in-depth vulnerability assessments.

Once complete, this will help guide planning across the Tribe, from land acquisition to resource and habitat management strategies.

The Samish Tribe is committed to providing a bright, sustainable future for the seventh generation. In the spirit of this philosophy, the Tribe is dedicated to climate change mitigation efforts to reduce the long-term severity of climate change impacts. Samish has invested in solar photovoltaic generation, energy efficiency upgrades, and low emission vehicles to reduce its greenhouse gas footprint. The Tribal Council also supports state and federal policy changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, most recently working with Gov. Jay Inslee on a statewide carbon tax initiative.

For more information on Climate Change and Samish Indian Nation please visit our Climate Change page below:

Samish Climate Change