Chumash Climate Change Transportation Vulnerability Assessment
SB1 Adaptation Planning Grant: Final Case Study
Summary
The Chumash Climate Change Transportation Vulnerability Assessment project assesses potential vulnerabilities from climate change to Chumash sites and environmental resources of significance across the traditional Chumash territory. Through internal research, outreach to tribal leaders, and surveys from the Chumash community, specific areas, plants, and animal species of importance were identified. Climate change impact projections were evaluated to identify risks to Chumash sites and resources. Transportation routes were mapped to assess accessibility concerns of the Chumash to identified sacred and gathering sites.
The project start date and duration was: May 2018 – May 2020.
The main goal of this project was to develop a climate change vulnerability assessment of the transportation system to resources of cultural significance to the Chumash people.
The Chumash Climate Change Transportation Vulnerability Assessment directly addresses recommendations specified through Safeguarding California: Reducing Climate Risk plan and the Climate Adaptation Strategy, which resulted from directives of Executive Order S-13-18. Specifically, this project focuses on transportation networks for, “identifying climate-related vulnerabilities in the transportation infrastructure, developing adaptation plans to define types of actions, and working to prioritize those actions to make the most of limited funds for capital investments.”
This project also supports the strategic vision of the California Transportation Plan 2040 Policy Framework for: A Prosperous Economy, Social Equity, and Human & Environmental Health. By developing a vulnerability assessment that identifies Chumash resources and sites at-risk from climate change impacts, potential adaptation efforts to the multimodal transportation routes needed for accessing these locations can be planned (Goal 2; Policy 3). This project relied on public outreach to solicit insight from the Chumash community that is being underserved through current adaptation planning efforts (Goal 5; Policies 1, 3). Information developed through this project is critical for developing mitigation measures to protect these natural and cultural resources important to the Chumash from potential climate change impacts (Goal 6; Policies 1, 2).
The CA 2017 Regional Transportation Planning guidelines specify consultation and coordination with Tribal Governments, notably a federally recognized tribe that is located within the boundary of an RTPA. Within these guidelines, federally recognized or non-federally recognized tribes are noted for inclusion in the participation plan and RTP for State compliance with Title 23 CFR part 450.216(j). With the Chumash scattered across multiple RTPA jurisdictions, there are challenges and shortfalls in meeting the needs of the Chumash people. This project will fill these gaps and help facilitate the State requirements noted in the 2017 RTP.
This project directly benefits native Chumash communities across the California central coast. The Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Mission Indians is a Federally-recognized Indian Tribe and led the implementation of the project, and engaged with various Chumash bands that are underrepresented in planning and public works projects. By fostering collaboration with the greater Chumash community, this project was able to achieve a broader geographic reach and greater extent of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) that will aid in the protection of Chumash resources from climate change impacts.
The project culminated in a Tribal Climate Vulnerability Assessment report. The report includes data and findings from the Vulnerability Assessment as well as information and feedback provided during the community workshops (three were held during the scope of the project). The final report includes relevant maps, figures, tables, and pictures to adequately communicate the information developed during the Vulnerability Assessment.
Lead Agency and Partnerships
Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office (SYCEO) is the lead agency and grant recipient. The grant to perform the Vulnerability Assessment was awarded by the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) through its Adaptation Planning Grant Program. SYCEO oversaw the implementation of the project, led in the community outreach, and managed grant administration.
SYCEO worked alongside Blue Tomorrow, LLC (Blue Tomorrow) who performed technical aspects of the project. Blue Tomorrow also was responsible for performing mapping and analysis associated with the vulnerability assessment and authoring the final report.
To assist with grand administration and contracting requirements, SYCEO partnered with the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments – the local Regional Transportation Planning Agency.
This project involved partnerships with various bands of Chumash in the traditional extent of Chumash territory. This area spans over 7,000 square miles across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, Ventura and Los Angeles counties.
Drivers
This project was driven by the needs of the Chumash people. The Chumash have long understood the necessity of climate adaptation, and presently, cultural sites and resources essential to the Chumash people are threatened by climate change. While many of the potential impacts of climate change pose risks to society as a whole, current adaptation strategies in particular leave unmet needs for native populations seeking to maintain their cultural heritage. Cultural sites of importance are threatened by sea level rise, storm-surges, and increased wildfire intensity. Access to gathering sites are at risk due to plant and animal migration from temperature and precipitation changes. Gathering sites are vital to Chumash people as they provide vital traditional plant medicines and foods to the Chumash community.
This project was funded through the California Adaptation Planning Grant Program. This program was especially timely, as there was no coordinated effort for assessing the vulnerabilities from climate change impacts to sites and resources important to the regional Chumash community. While the Santa Ynez Mission Band of Chumash are the only federally recognized tribe, there are 14 bands of Chumash across San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties.
Additionally, though regional climate change adaptation planning has strengthened the resiliency of transportation systems, the specific transportation needs and vulnerabilities of Chumash sites had not been evaluated. These areas are served by several transportation authorities, each with their own priorities and objectives for adaptation planning, making this project even more critical for identifying transportation needs for maintaining accessibility of the Chumash people to cultural sites.
Engagement Process
This project benefits the Chumash people located throughout the California central coast, and focused on unmet needs in current adaptation planning for traditional and environmental resources of Chumash significance. Climate change threatens Chumash cultural heritage that depends on environmental resources such as plants and animals that are integral for medicines, food, building materials, and traditions. Plant and animal species are susceptible to climate change effects of temperature, wildfire, drought, erosion, and other environmental shifts. Much of current adaptation planning efforts focus on the built environment. Protecting sacred sites and gathering places were overlooked in previous adaptation planning efforts that focused on the built environment.
Stakeholders for this project included: Tribal members and descendants of Chumash bands within the traditional Chumash territory that spans San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern, Ventura, and Los Angeles counties; Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) and Regional Transportation Planning Agencies (RTPAs); University faculty specializing in climate change and biological resources; and resource managers from local, State, and Federal Agencies that were working on adaptation plans.
Meetings were conducted with tribal leaders from Santa Ynez, Chumash, Coastal Chumash, Northern Chumash, and Ventureño/Barbareño Chumash to gather traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) through interpersonal teaching, stories, and sharing of traditions on plants, animals, and other parts of the landscape that the Chumash depend on. Several workshops were then conducted at Santa Ynez Chumash Earth Day, a Coastal Chumash community meeting, and Wishtoyo community meeting. At these workshops, surveys were developed and disseminated to the Chumash community to identify and map sites and resources of significance. Correspondence with University faculty and other resource managers from local, State, and Federal agencies were conducted to better understand climate exposure and various adaptation planning strategies that informed the vulnerability assessment.
Climate Impact Area
This project focused on specific primary impacts (e.g. temperature, precipitation, sea-level rise) and secondary impacts (e.g., drought, wildfire, plant migration). The project builds resilience against climate change by identifying specific vulnerabilities to Chumash culture. This step is necessary for developing and prioritizing actionable adaptation strategies to mitigate identified impacts. This project also established a coalition of leaders within various Chumash bands that fostered community support and shared traditional knowledge to improve the effectiveness of adaptation efforts. This project will be monitored by 1) evaluating vulnerabilities over time, with respect to shifts in climate trends; and 2) tracking implementation of next steps (i.e. adaptation plan, mitigations, etc.). Resilience indicators include site, resource, and transportation vulnerabilities, and the projects planned to address these risks. This project did not include a greenhouse gas reduction component.
Funding Source
This project was fully funded by the Department of Transportation, Climate Change Adaptation Planning Grant Program. This project required $208,699.
Research and Data
A literature review was conducted on potential local and regional impacts of climate change, including data from Cal-Adapt. Other sources, including research from local universities, were reviewed to fill information gaps of projected impacts at given locations. Archaeological data from Caltrans was obtained to map proximity of artifacts and sacred sites with respect to anticipated climate change impacts, including cliff erosion, sea-level rise, and coastal flooding. Tribal records were researched on plant and animal species that were used for medicinal, food, building, ceremonial, or other traditional purposes. A survey was developed and distributed to participants of the community meeting and other Chumash groups to identify locations of cultural sites and resources important to various Chumash bands. Transportation projects that were considered to address adaptation needs were researched to identify potential adaptive capacity. The project followed the overall structure of the California Adaptation Planning Guide for Vulnerability Assessments. Completions of specific deliverables were used as metrics for tracking project progress.
Challenges
While climate models are generally consistent in predictions on effects to temperature and sea-level, given various emissions scenarios, other environmental effects driven by precipitation have more uncertainty. Other secondary impacts of concern in the area, including wildfire and debris flows, are difficult to predict in terms timing and location of when they occur. There is a lack of available empirical data on climate change effects to plants and animals of interest to the Chumash, of which there are several hundred individual species. The geographical extent of the project also presented a challenge, as the project area covered over 7,000 square miles across five counties.
The best available and accessible data was used in developing the Vulnerability Assessment. Due to data availability and planning objectives, the number of individual plant and animal species were grouped to qualitatively assess impacts to ecosystems in the project area. This was further supported by working with tribal leaders and the Chumash community to incorporate Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and represent the various Chumash bands throughout the project area.
Outcomes
The primary objective of this project was to develop a vulnerability assessment for cultural sites and environmental resources of importance to the Chumash people. Final deliverables include a summary report and database containing the inventory of resources identified through record review and community input. No cost-benefit analysis was conducted through this project.
Next steps following this project are to develop an adaptation strategy, specified in the following procedures from the California Adaptation Planning Guide:
Phase 3:
- Prioritize Adaptive Needs: Based on the vulnerability assessment, prioritize the adaptive needs.
- Identify Strategies: Identify strategies to address the highest priority adaptation needs.
- Evaluate and Prioritize: Prioritize strategies based on the projected onset of the impact, projected cost, co-benefits, and other feasibility factors.
Phase 4:
- Phase and Implement: Develop an implementation plan that includes phasing of strategies and a monitoring system to assess effectiveness.
Replicability
The project methodology for combining scientific and traditional knowledge can be replicated in other tribal communities. This includes combining modeled projections on climate impacts with local information on resources and experiences to develop a vulnerability assessment that serves tribal interests. This methodology allows for vulnerabilities to be identified and future planning efforts prioritized to meet unmet needs for native peoples and other disadvantaged communities.
Additional Resources
None at this time