Incorporating spatial and temporal marine species distribution and vulnerability into tribal oil spill response decision-making: a project of the Makah Tribe oil spill response working group
Presentation Abstract
Since the 1970s, over 2 million gallons of oil have been spilled in the marine and coastal Treaty Areas of the Makah Tribe. Since time immemorial the Makah people, culture, subsistence, and economy have depended upon the ocean and its bounty. Vessel traffic on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border is expected to continue to increase, especially in areas which overlap with the Makah Treaty Area. It’s not a question of if, but when another oil spill will occur, putting culturally and economically important resources at risk. In addition to the impacts of a spill itself, response methods also pose significant risks to human and ecological health. If a spill occurs, the Makah Tribe will hold a decision-making role in the Unified Command System. To build and coordinate internal tribal capacity, support robust decision-making that protects sensitive resources, and respond effectively to a spill, the Makah Tribe created an Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG). One project of the OSWG is to assess the trade-offs of oil spill response methods and develop a decision-making framework to minimize environmental impacts. To capture the spatial and temporal distribution of culturally and economically important marine resources, the OSWG decided to incorporate this information directly into the decision-making framework, along with ocean conditions which determine response method viability. After a literature review of ecological impacts of response methods, we created a seasonal calendar and set of maps which outline the distribution of sensitive marine resources to inform tribal decision-making around spill response methods. This tool is unique in that it was created through a collaborative and cross-departmental working group, incorporates spatial and temporal aspects of resources vulnerability to spills, and is aimed at building tribal capacity to actively engage in spill response decision-making to protect Treaty Resources.
Session Title
Posters: Vessel Traffic: Risk & Impacts
Conference Track
SSE18: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE18-132
Start Date
5-4-2018 11:30 AM
End Date
5-4-2018 1:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events); posters
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Oil spills--Clean up; Indians of North America--Land tenure; Marine resources conservation; Marine Resources--Economic aspects; Makah Indian Tribe of the Mikah Indian Reservation, Washington
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Incorporating spatial and temporal marine species distribution and vulnerability into tribal oil spill response decision-making: a project of the Makah Tribe oil spill response working group
Since the 1970s, over 2 million gallons of oil have been spilled in the marine and coastal Treaty Areas of the Makah Tribe. Since time immemorial the Makah people, culture, subsistence, and economy have depended upon the ocean and its bounty. Vessel traffic on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border is expected to continue to increase, especially in areas which overlap with the Makah Treaty Area. It’s not a question of if, but when another oil spill will occur, putting culturally and economically important resources at risk. In addition to the impacts of a spill itself, response methods also pose significant risks to human and ecological health. If a spill occurs, the Makah Tribe will hold a decision-making role in the Unified Command System. To build and coordinate internal tribal capacity, support robust decision-making that protects sensitive resources, and respond effectively to a spill, the Makah Tribe created an Oil Spill Working Group (OSWG). One project of the OSWG is to assess the trade-offs of oil spill response methods and develop a decision-making framework to minimize environmental impacts. To capture the spatial and temporal distribution of culturally and economically important marine resources, the OSWG decided to incorporate this information directly into the decision-making framework, along with ocean conditions which determine response method viability. After a literature review of ecological impacts of response methods, we created a seasonal calendar and set of maps which outline the distribution of sensitive marine resources to inform tribal decision-making around spill response methods. This tool is unique in that it was created through a collaborative and cross-departmental working group, incorporates spatial and temporal aspects of resources vulnerability to spills, and is aimed at building tribal capacity to actively engage in spill response decision-making to protect Treaty Resources.
