The Northwest and Rocky Mountain BIA regions serve 54 Tribes in 22 local agencies throughout the states of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming. The region has warmed substantially—nearly 2°F since 1900—and this warming is partially attributable to human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases. Average winter precipitation is expected to increase over the long term, but year-to-year variability in precipitation is also projected to increase. Years of abnormally low precipitation and extended drought conditions are expected to occur throughout the century, and extreme events, like heavy rainfall associated with atmospheric rivers, are also anticipated to occur more often (NCA4, Ch. 24). Tribes in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions depend on natural resources, both on and off reservations, and are among the first to experience climate impacts. In the United States, the history of colonization, coupled with ongoing management barriers (such as land fragmentation and limited authority and control over natural resources) has led to many challenges for Tribal and Indigenous climate adaptation (NCA4, Ch. 24).
Northwest: Resources
- Northwest Regional Map (bia.gov)
- Northwest Tribal Fact Sheets (bia.gov)
- National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) - Tribal Nations (drought.gov)
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Climate Hubs (usda.gov)
Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) Regional Resources
- Northwest CASC Host University: University of Washington (uw.edu)
- Northwest CASC - Tribal Partners (uw.edu)
- Northwest CASC Projects (cascprojects.org)
- Northwest CASC (usgs.gov)
Organization Resources
- Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) Climate Change (atnitribes.org)
- Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) Climate (critfc.org)
- Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) Climate (nwifc.org)
- Upper Snake River Tribes (uppersnakerivertribes.org)
- Oregon Climate Service (oregonstate.edu)
University Resources
- University of Oregon Tribal Climate Change Project & Tribal Climate Change Network (uoregon.edu)
- Oregon Climate Change Research Institute (oregonstate.edu)
- Oregon State University Tribal Climate Change Guidebook (oregonstate.edu)
- University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (uw.edu)
- University of Washington Tribal Vulnerability Assessment Resources (uw.edu)
- University of Washington Tribal Climate Change Tool (uw.edu)
- University of Idaho Climate Lab (climatologylab.org)
Climate Report Resources
- Climate Adaptation Barriers and Needs Experienced by Northwest Coastal Tribes (uw.edu)
- Oregon Climate Assessment Report (oregonstate.edu)
Northwest: Bureau of Indian Affairs
Connect with the BIA Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience Regional Coordinator:
Matthew Laramie
Regional Coordinator
Email: Matthew.Laramie@bia.gov
Phone: (208) 830-8530
Northwest: Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison
Tribes in the BIA Northwest region are served by the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center partnering with Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians.
Patrick Freeland
Senior Liaison
Email: patrickfreeland@atnitribes.org
Phone: (816) 591-7441Kylie Avery
Assistant Liaison
Email: kavery@atnitribes.org
Phone: (760) 855-6179
Rocky Mountain: Resources
- Rocky Mountain Regional Map (bia.gov)
- Rocky Mountain Tribal Fact Sheet (bia.gov)
Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) Regional Resources
- North Central CASC Host University: University of Colorado (colorado.edu)
- North Central CASC – Tribal Partners (colorado.edu)
- North Central CASC Projects (cascprojects.org)
- North Central CASC (usgs.gov)
Organization Resources
- Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance (tribalwateralliance.org)
Rocky Mountain: Bureau of Indian Affairs
Connect with the BIA Branch of Tribal Climate Resilience Regional Coordinator:
Matthew Laramie
Regional Coordinator
Email: Matthew.Laramie@bia.gov
Phone: (208) 830-8530
Rocky Mountain: Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison
The BIA Rocky Mountain region is served by the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center partnering with Great Plains Tribal Water Alliance.
Kynser Wahwahsuck
Senior Liaison
Email: Kynser.Wahwahsuck@colorado.edu
Phone: (913) 704-5690Janna Black
Assistant Liaison
Email: Janna.Black@colorado.edu
Phone: (360) 797-8871
Contact Us
1001 Indian School Rd NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104
