Tribal-FERST A Web-Based Geospatial Decision Support Tool

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1 Tribal-FERST A Web-Based Geospatial Decision Support Tool 1

2 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Issue Tribes face unique and numerous environmental and human health challenges As tribal leaders work to build and enhance environmental safeguards in their communities, user-friendly, science-based tools may contribute to sustainable solutions 2

3 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Issue Tribal-focused tools are needed to: Prioritize environmental issues Understand exposure pathways Conduct comprehensive impact assessments all of which are important in decisions to improve public health and the environment 3

4 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Action EPA s Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) is a web-based geospatial decision support tool designed to serve as a research framework to provide tribes with easy access to the best available human health and ecological science 4

5 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Action Tribes and partners throughout the United States, representing a wide range of interests and issues in Indian Country, are providing input on the design and content of Tribal-FERST The United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) is partnering with EPA to develop the Tribal-FERST guidance document and connect its water quality exchange database and data transfer network with Tribal-FERST 5

6 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Action The Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe of Maine is currently piloting Tribal-FERST as part of its sustainable and healthy community effort This collaboration draws together tribal members, EPA, and the Tribe s sustainable community planning consultants, in order to make informed environmental and economic decisions about solid waste, sea level rise, and subsistence diet At the same time, the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribe provides input to improve Tribal-FERST 6

7 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Action EPA is taking the Information collected and lessons learned in this and other pilot studies, making it broadly applicable for other tribes 7

8 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Results/Impact In Tribal-FERST, users will be able to: Follow step-by-step guidance for identifying priority issues Compiling data, ranking and addressing risks Assess impacts of actions taken 8

9 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Results/Impact At each step, relevant information will be provided, such as: Fact sheets and reports about environmental issues of concern A tribal environmental data table providing quantitative information to support risk prioritization Decision-making guides integrating traditional ecological knowledge and western science A geospatial mapping component Access to best practices and guidance for addressing risks Links to other tools relevant to tribal environmental decision-making 9

10 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Results/Impact The Tribal-FERST geospatial mapping component will enable the user to view and overlay demographic information with publicly available data, including: Environmental concentrations Human exposures Health risks Ecosystem services Sustainability indicators Sources of pollution In the future, tribes will have the option to overlay locally collected data and determine whether or not to make it publicly available 10

11 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Results/Impact Tribal-FERST is intended to empower tribes by providing access to relevant science that can be used to develop sustainable, cost-effective solutions for reducing environmental exposures and health risks Using this web-based geospatial decision support tool, tribes may employ a holistic approach to address environmental concerns and plan for the future 11

12 Research in Action Tribal-Focused Environmental Risk and Sustainability Tool (Tribal-FERST) Results/Impact In Tribal-FERST, users will be able to: Follow step-by-step guidance for identifying priority issues Compiling data Ranking and address risks Assessing impacts of actions taken At each step, relevant information will be provided 12

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17 What is the USET Tribal-FERST Roadmap? It is intended to provide your tribe with a process to: Mobilize a community partnership to take action to reduce impacts and risks Build long-term capacity within your community to understand and reduce environmental impacts and risks Connect ecological functions to an adaptive management planning process for assessing, monitoring and restoring sustainable ecosystem services. 17

18 Tables of Environmental Issues of Exposure Guidance developed by Other Groups Guidance for Collecting Local Measurements 18

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22 Consider Traditional Ecological Knowledge Consult with Tribal Elders/Medicine Men/Healers/Gatherers/Basket Weavers Discuss changes in the environment they have seen Example Questions 1. Have animals, such as frogs, crustaceans, etc. disappeared from streams/wetland? 2. Have cultural/medicinal plants decreased, increased, or stayed the same? 3. Are these plants in the same location/locale/ecosystem? 4. If location has changed, is this due to disturbance caused by development? 5. Has ecosystem changed over time, i.e. from grassland to brush to now a forest ecosystem or vice versa? Continued 22

23 Consider Traditional Ecological Knowledge Consult with Tribal Elders/Medicine Men/Healers/Gatherers/Basket Weavers Discuss changes in the environment they have seen Example Questions 6. Are there algae blooms in the streams and wetlands where none occurred before? 7. In the uplands, are the insects more, less, or about the same? Same question about birds or other common animals in your area. 8. What did the Reservation look like when your elders were young? What did their elders tell them? When you were young? Can they explain any changes to the ecosystem because of natural causes, such as fire, flood, blizzards, drought, etc. 9. When did things change (i.e., dates/years)? Are they still visible? 23

24 Community and Tribal/Reservation Reports and Profiles Factsheets on Environmental Issues and chemicals Strategies of other tribal/reservation communities and outside communities with similar problems 24

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29 Traditional tools for tribal/reservation community assessment Additional tools for tribal/reservation community assessment Adapt and/or develop your own tools based on TEK Local Tribal demographics, and health resources U.S. Census data for additional demographic information Weather and climate information 30

30 Promising practices for solutions implemented by other tribal/reservation communities and outside communities Guidance developed by other similar groups Local environmental, health, socioeconomic, and TEK information Other sources of environmental, health, socioeconomic and TEK information Comparing health status indicators across tribal/reservation communities Connection between alterations of ecosystem functions and environmental, health and socioeconomic conditions. 31

31 Environmental Issue Profiles to view health issues related to specified environmental concerns Understanding of ecological issues related to specified environmental concerns Your tribal community's data tables to compare and rank issues as a first step view and identify gaps in available environmental, health and demographic data to be as thorough as possible 32

32 Maps identifying environmental stressors and vulnerabilities Overlay maps with sources, concentrations, exposures and health risks Overlay maps with health and demographic information 33

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34 Map Presentation 35

35 Local environmental data onto maps (see guidance). 36

36 Analyze all data collected with emphasis on TEK Review sources Consider alternatives Develop action plan (i.e., adaptive management plan) 37

37 Action Plan presented to tribal/reservation community Tribal/reservation community input considered and added Action plan implemented 38

38 Receive feedback from tribal/reservation community on implemented Action Plan Review new sources of information (i.e., monitor) Compare with plans developed by tribal/reservation communities with similar problems Revise Action Plan/Adaptive Management Plan as needed 39

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49 Tribal-FERST A Web-Based Geospatial Decision Support Tool Thank You! Steve Terry, Senior Project Coordinator United South and Eastern Tribes, Inc. (615) Sterry@usetinc.org 50

50 Have a Question? 51

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