Karen Diver. Photo from University of Minnesota
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is launching a program to help tribes prepare for climate change. The $10 million Federal-Tribal Climate Resilience Partnership and Technical Assistance Program will provide training to tribes across the nation. It came out of recommendation from the State, Local, and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience that President Barack Obama created last November.
Karen Diver, the chairwoman of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Minnesota, is one of two tribal representatives on the task force. The other is Reggie Joule, who is Iñupiat and serves as mayor of the Northwest Arctic Borough in Alaska.
In addition to the BIA program, the Interior Department and the Environmental Protection Agency will establish an inter-agency group to share data with tribes and collaborate climate preparedness activities. Get the Story:FACT SHEET: Taking Action to Support State, Local, and Tribal Leaders as They Prepare Communities for the Impacts of Climate Change (White House 7/16)
White House Unveils Climate Change Initiatives (The New York Times 7/16)
Join the Conversation