The Colville Tribes to collaborate with Inslee on climate change

NESPELEM, Washington, June 4, 2021 - Washington State Governor Jay Inslee recently called for a summit of leaders with tribal nations to discuss climate-related issues. The Confederate Tribes of the Colville Reservation are happy to accept this invitation and are committed to working with Governor Inslee on these important issues.

The governor recently signed the Climate Commitment Act, a law that represents a great step forward towards a cleaner environment and a healthy, sustainable climate. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Washington state through a gradual approach over the next three decades. It also funds management practices that increase carbon sequestration and improve resilience to climate impacts.

Importantly, the Climate Commitment Act requires that 10% of the funds generated by the program - estimated at $ 8.4 billion by 2040 - be used for programs supported by tribes, with priority for Programs administered directly or proposed by tribal states. This approach is the first of its kind in Germany.

The Colville Tribes praised the work of the governor and the Washington legislature on the Climate Commitment Act. The Colville Tribes particularly appreciate the governor's commitment to jointly developing a government-to-government consultation process with an emphasis on protecting sites of historical and sacred value to the tribes.

The Colville tribes are tragically disproportionately affected by the climate-related increase in the frequency and severity of forest fires. Since 2001, over 765,000 acres have burned on the Colville reservation. 537,000 of these hectares have been burned since 2015.

Rising temperatures have also adversely affected the health of fisheries and forests in the Colville Reserve, creating economic hardship. For example, in 2015 an estimated 85% of roach runners in the Okanogan River failed to reach their spawning grounds due to the increased water temperatures. Increased insect activity and the resulting tree deaths have led to lost timber revenue and increased fuel loads. In forest fires alone in the last 6 years, the Colville Tribes have lost approximately 1 billion board feet of wood, which would be worth more than $ 500 million in logs in today's market.

Colville Tribes Chairman Rodney Cawston said: “Governor Jay Inslee has been a constant ally of the tribes and the environment during his tenure. The Climate Commitment Act is an example of what can be achieved when tribal nations and the state work together to produce results that benefit all Washingtoners. The Colville Tribes welcome further consultations with our partners and other tribes to implement the Climate Commitment Act to protect our natural and cultural resources for our future generations. "

About the Colville Tribes: Today more than 9,448 descendants from 12 Indian tribes are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville. The twelve tribes that make up the Confederate Tribes of the Colville Reserve include: ščəl̕ámxəxʷ (deep water) or Chelan; wal̕wáma (Wallowa people) or Chief Joseph Band of Nez Perce; sx̌ʷyʔiɬp (sharp pointy trees) or Colville; šnt̕iyatkʷəxʷ (grass in the water) or entiat; snʕáyckst (speckled fish) or lakes; mətxʷu (dull hills around a valley) or methow; škwáxčənəxʷ (people living on the bank) or Moses-Columbia; nspilm (prairie) or Nespelem; Uknaqin (see over the top) or Okanogan; palúšpam (people from Palouse) or Palus; sənpʕʷilx (gray fog as far as the eye can see) or San Poil and šnp̓əšqʷáw̓səxʷ (people in between) or Wenatchi.

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