As climate change continues to accelerate, the Pacific Northwest's coastal tribes find themselves on the frontlines, facing severe impacts such as rising sea levels, extreme heat, and increasing wildfire risks. Despite their leadership in climate adaptation, these tribes are encountering significant challenges in accessing government funding meant to support their efforts.

A recent report from the Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative highlights that while these tribes have been proactive in combatting climate change, they often face bureaucratic barriers when seeking financial assistance for projects like relocating villages threatened by rising waters or restoring salmon habitats impacted by warming streams. The report underscores the difficulties tribes face in meeting grant requirements, such as providing matching funds or navigating stringent application processes, often with limited staff.

“Trying to do projects by piecing together grants that all have different requirements and different strings attached, without staff capacity is a challenge,” said Robert Knapp, environmental planning manager at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe in Washington.

The study, funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), involved listening sessions with 13 tribes along the Pacific Coast, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Puget Sound. It revealed that in addition to funding challenges, these tribes often struggle to partner with state and local governments due to their remote locations. This isolation further complicates their ability to communicate the real-time impacts of climate change on their communities.

Even with these obstacles, the tribes continue to push forward with their climate adaptation plans, often relying on a patchwork of federal and state grants. The Quinault Indian Nation, for instance, has developed a comprehensive plan to relocate its largest village, though the project remains heavily dependent on fragmented funding sources. “This is a time of historic state and federal investment in climate action, and tribal priorities really need to be considered when making decisions around how we’re going to be directing this investment,” said Meade Krosby, senior author of the report.

The report also pointed out that the competition for limited funding among tribal nations can hinder collaborative efforts, which are vital given that the impacts of climate change do not stop at territorial borders. Despite these challenges, the tribes' commitment to climate adaptation serves as a model of resilience, demonstrating that even against considerable odds, progress can be made.

As the effects of climate change intensify, it is crucial for policymakers to remove these barriers and ensure that tribes have the resources they need to protect their lands and communities. The federal government's trust responsibility to these tribes must be honored, ensuring that they can continue to lead in climate adaptation efforts.