Should local communities contribute to NPS monitoirng?

1
Should local communities contribute to NPS
monitoirng?

• Gary Kofinas, IAB / SNRAS, UAF
• with help from many of others

2
(No Transcript)
3
Some of the realities

• History of conflict w/ NPS
• NPS staff turnover every 2 to 3 years
• Strong interest in Wilderness as part of our
  national heritage
• Parks are focused on Parks
• On-going 600 lbs/p/yr of harvest
• Park management based on sound science

4
Participation of local communities in NPS
ecological monitoring

• H1 Provides greater time depth
• H2 Serves as an early-warning system to identify
  change
• H3 Helps address the problems of scale and
  synthesis
• H5 Helps to guide research
• H4 Helps make for stronger cooperation between
  managers and local harvesters
• H6 Supports community interests in achieving
  greater legitimacy of local and traditional
  knowledge
• H7 Helps build capacity of communities to
  co-manage parks with NPS and adapt to change

5
Kotzebue Kiana Caribou Body Condition Monitorin
g Project
Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board
Monitoirng Project
6
Legally mandated to integrate local knowledge

• Section 16.1.1.7 of the Yukon First Nations
  Umbrella Final Agreement, a principal objective
  of the Yukon fish and Wildlife Board is, to
  integrate the relevant knowledge and experience
  both of Yukon Indian People and the scientific
  community in order to achieve Conservation of
  fish and wildlife resources.

7
(No Transcript)
8
Community monitoring as the hiring of local
technicians in science-based monitoring vs.
Community monitoring based on local and
traditional knowledge (i.e. observations AND
interpretation of conditions)

9
So, how?
10
(No Transcript)
11

• The US-Canadian
• Arctic Borderlands
• One ecosystem
• Two Nation States
• Three Territorial/State Jurisdictions
• Eight Native Claimant Groups
• Thirteen Villages

12
Crow Flat, Vuntut National Park, Yukon
13
Goals of the Coop

• Monitor and assess ecosystem changes
• Climate Change
• Industrial Development
• Contaminants
• Use/encourage use of science- and local
  knowledge-based studies
• Improve communications and understanding
• Foster capacity-building and training
  opportunities

14
Partnership
Five Local Communities
Native Organizations
Federal, State Territorial Agencies
Universities, Research Institutes
Co-management Bodies
15
Community-based ecological monitoring
Indicators of change
Community meetings and Annual Gatherings
Sharing and synthesis (status trends)
Special projects/review of related research
Components of the Co-op
16
Early Step Identify Indicators
Climate Precipitation at Old Crow Precipitation at Shingle Point Snow depth at Eagle Plains Snow depth at Old Crow Snow density Soil temperatures Seasonal temperatures at Aklavik Seasonal temperatures at Old Crow Seasonal temperatures at Shingle Point Summer temperatures Northern Yukon Storms UV index Tree ring analysis for past climate change information Nature Bowhead abundance Beluga abundance Organochlorines in beluga Mercury in marine mammals Seal abundance Seal productivity Polar bear abundance Early plant growth in caribou calving areas Caribou birth rate Caribou population Caribou calving habitat use Cesium in caribou Moose abundance and distribution Coastal birds abundance and distribution Waterfowl populations on Old Crow Flats Peregrine falcons Fish in the Peel River Salmon in the Porcupine River system Porcupine River break-up at Old Crow Yukon River break-up at Dawson Peel River break-up at Aklavik Porcupine River ice free period Old Crow River ice free period Water levels Old Crow Flats Long-term monitoring of plant communities in Old Crow Forest fire frequency Permafrost monitoring Unusual observations People Air traffic Community populations in Canada Community populations in United States Development permits Fur prices Greenhouse gas emissions (worldwide) Greenhouse gas levels (worldwide) Park visitors Peel River ferry Peel River ice bridge Road use Seismic lines and roads Yukon oil and gas land disposition
17
Summer Temperatures
Canadian Community Populations

• What is changing?
• Why is it changing?
• Why is it important?
• Technical notes

Indicators found at www.taiga.net
18
Community monitoring and method

• Interviewers done by locals
• Questionnaire designed with community
  interviewers
• Local experts chosen by local orgs.
• Honoraria for contributors
• community ownership and review
• Local knowledge database and hard copy reports

19
(No Transcript)
20
Types of findings

• Unusual Observations/Events
• Long-Term Trends
• Emergent patterns
• Implications of change
• Adaptive Human Processes
• Rules of Thumb

21
Unusual Observations
Year Observations Comments
96-97 Silver Salmon in the Porcupine River. Isn't uncommon, but doesn't occur every year.
96-97 Grayling in Lord Creek and up the Crow River. Unusual at these locations.
96-97 About 15 muskoxen in a group. Moving south of Old Crow River near Blue Fish Creek.
97-98 Eagles on the Porcupine. Greater frequency
97-98 Horned Beetles in Ft. McPherson area. Greater frequency.
97-98 Polar Bear at confluence of MacKenzie and Tsigachik Uncommon.
98-99 Red-winged black bird seen on Herschel Island. Has been recorded at least once before.
98-99 Muskox starting to have young ones on Herschel Island  
99-00 Report of unusual beetles Observer said it was "...first time... they were noticed"
99-00 Chum salmon in Mackenzie and Peel Rivers Caught by most people fishing this year - used to appear occasionally
22
PCH Calving
23
Spring 2001 (April through June)
24
Fall 2001 (through October)

• Different migration route, further back, too hard
  to hunt.
• In order to get caribou people had to travel to
  the coast or Shingle Point to get caribou.
  Caribou were in very good shape.
• Only got about 4 caribous along the Yukon coast
  last fall. Had to share with 4 other hunters so
  thats all we got.

• Long way, expensive, low water.
• Long travelling on river.
• Caribou were around Rampart House area
• Because the caribou was travelling in different
  direction.

25

• Caribou were scattered and hard to get. Price of
  gas was high and it was costly to go hunt.
• People did not meet their needs this past fall
  and winter. Lots of overflow on rivers so it is
  not possible to travel the normal routes and
  hunt. I now have to go the long way to my cabin.

26
Assessing the quality of local knowledge
27
Beverly-Qamanirjuak Caribou Monitoring Program
Observed Caribou Abnormalities Spring/2001
Arviat and Baker Lake 40 hunters
28
(No Transcript)
29
Dichotomous key for monitoring caribou body
condition
Backfat
No
Yes
Kidney fat
Backfat thickness
No
Yes
Intestinal fat
No
Yes
lt1"
gt1"
Bone marrow
All other fat areas "yes Bone marrow "yellow"
Red runny
Pink
1-3 body fat Poor/animal dying Pregnancy 50
3-5 body fat Poor (recovering?) Pregnancy 50-70
5-12 body fat Good Pregnancy 70-90
12 body fat Excellent Pregnancy gt90
30
Western Arctic Caribou Body Condition Monitoring
Pilot Project
31
Annual Gatherings

• Regional system for
• Sharing observations,
• Understanding change,
• Discussing the implications of change
• Not a management meeting or
• forum for political debate

32
Yukon Game Guardians Program
33
Building a database of local knowledge

• Old Crow (10 yrs)
• Fort McPherson (10 yrs)
• Aklavik Gwichin Inuvialuit (10 yrs)
• Arctic Village (5 yrs)
• Kaktovik (1 yr)

34
(No Transcript)
35
(No Transcript)
36
(No Transcript)
37
Design features for successful community
monitoring

• Staying relevant to local needs and concerns
• Thinking long-term
• Economizing and diversify
• Agreeing to disagree
• Using multiple methods of communication
• Constructing sound systems for data management
  and reporting
• Limiting political posturing Inform policy,
• Going slowly to build capacity and trust
• Experimenting for innovation
• Coordinating local with regional programs
• Working towards inter-regional comparisons

38
Towards the practice of adaptive
co-management Monitoring gt simulation modeling
gt scenario planning
39
Northern Distribution of Rangifer
40
Bodies for caribou co-management in NA
Western Arctic Herd Working Group
James Bay Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing
Coordinating Committee
Bathurst Planning Committee
Canadian Porcupine Caribou Management Board
Beverly Quaminuriak Caribou Management Board
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)