From the Eagle’s Nest

America the Beautiful Challenge Field Liaisons

Education Update

Dąąn, the Navajo word for Spring! In Navajo the word “Spring” relates to the same word group as growth, fertility or new life. As an education coordinator of NAFWS, I reflect on Dąąn as it empowers my major responsibility to create and provide a space for learning and encouragement to our Native Youth – to help them grow. And this year, we are going to do just that with the education programs and altogether as an organization! 

Planning for the 2023 National Summer Youth Practicum (NSYP) is well on the way! So far, we have about 10 applicants, with time for more applications to trickle in as the deadline is Friday, May 5th. Our NSYP has some great activities planned such as a ropes course, university tour, learning about fish management while rocking some classy waders/wader boots and much more!

With the planning of NSYP underway and knowing that supervising high school student’s can be a great learning experience to build mentorship skills – we are hiring a Summer Intern! One responsibility and work task that our summer intern will be assigned is helping plan the NSYP and serving as a counselor. The deadline to apply for the summer internship is May 5, 2023!

Our scholarship application will be opening in the first week of May! Keep an eye out for our scholarship fliers and applications. Scholarships are for enrolled Native undergraduate or graduate students majoring within the natural resources and conservation law enforcement fields.

My big ask to all of our members is to share these awesome opportunities, the NSYP and Internship, with students that you think will be interested or are a great fit!

For more information regarding our education programs, please visit: https://nafws.org/youth-pre-professional/ or contact Ashley Mueller.

The Bio Corner

Laurel James, Director of Programs

I am happy to announce the NAFWS Biologist team is now fully staffed! We have the following five biologists onboard. We aim to provide technical assistance to Tribes in the following capacities:

• Sean Cross – Fisheries, Hunter Education
• Shailyn Wiechman – Wildlife Connectivity & Corridors & CWD
• Heather Bartlett –  Climate Change
• Hannah Juliussen – Biodiversity
• Emily Hagler – Threatened & Endangered Species

Our team has been super busy addressing National Coast Resilience Fund (NCRF) and America the Beautiful Challenge (AtBC) grant by providing technical assistance in developing pre-proposals and directly communicating with our partners from Throwe Environmental and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), to assist Tribes in applying for this funding.

Closing out our Chronic Wasting Disease project, the NAFWS will be sponsoring attendance for six Tribes that participated in our CWD project and sent samples in to be tested, in the past two years. We will provide funding assistance for them to attend the 4th International Chronic Wasting Disease Symposium that will be held in Denver, CO; May 31-June 2, 2023.

Our team also works with Dr. Tolani Francisco, DVM of Native Healing, LLC to provide information, technical assistance, and support on wildlife health related topics. This year, Tolani is hosting a bi-monthly, One Health Webinar series, addressing some of the key environmental stewardship topics that impact Tribal communities. Check out our information related to the previous topics: Prion Diseases, More than Marijuana, Invasives Species & the Diseases they Bring. Join us for the next One Health Webinar entitled: Avian Health to be held on June 7, 2023 @ 1PM Mountain time. Registration information can be found on our website

Dr. Francisco, in partnership with Tim Linder of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), will provide a wildlife disease workshop at our National Conference in Anchorage, AK. In addition, Dr. Francisco will provide the “More than Marijuana” One Health awareness training for the Conservation Law Enforcement Officers (CLEO) in Anchorage, as well. 

Also, at our National Conference and the rescheduled Great Plains Regional Conferences, Heather Bartlett in conjunction with our Alaska Climate Adaptation Team members, Kaitlyn Demoski, and Tess Hostetter, will hold a pre-conference workshop on Environmental Justice and Tribal Climate Resilience. 

We recently completed a Fundamentals of R Programming course; this was a three 3-hour workshop that covered the Introductory Fundamentals of R Programming and was taught by Dr. Colton Miller. We are currently seeking feedback from Tribes on the potential of an in-person, R programming and data handling workshop for Tribes. Please reach out to us if this is of interest to you and your Tribe.

We have exciting news!!!! Keep your eyes peeled for information as we work out the details to offer a lot of training this year:

IN PERSON TRAINING: 

Wildlife Crossing workshop (Shailyn): Durango, Co. June 11-13, 2023, details to follow

Chemical Capture: hosted by Penobscot Nation (Laurel), July 11-13, 2023

Pacific Northwest Tribal Bat Workshop (Sean): August 7-11, 2023, details to follow

Electrofishing (Sean): Vancouver, WA, late September, or early October

Chemical Capture (Emily): site and date to be determined (possibly in the southwest?)

Riparian Restoration (Heather): site and date to be determined
GIS & GPS w/ Wildlife Field Techniques (Hannah): site and date to be determined

Drone Training (Laurel): site and date to be determined

VIRTUAL TRAINING: 

NEPA: June 13-15, 2023

As a membership benefit, we provide all the virtual training resources and webinars on our website via the Events & Trainings page. We look forward to seeing everyone at the National Conference!

Invasive Species

If you have been paying attention to national news lately, invasive species have been mentioned in some shape, form, or fashion almost daily. There have been news stories that involve invasive species that include folks expressing to their lawmakers their wish to see unwanted species removed from their local waterways, specific species being highlighted and recognized as problems in areas, and even a news story of a young girl having a run in with law enforcement as she was spraying lanternflies with a her own version of an insect repellent and collecting specimens to help stop the spread after learning about a “Stomp It Out” campaign at school. From the concerns of “super” pigs coming into the United States from Canada, the expanding spread of ranges for the Burmese python and Tegu, and the increasing concern of the risk of diseases, invasive species have been represented in some type of news media more and more. Whether it be local or national, talk of invasives is spreading as well, but will this talk ever catch up to the actual spread of these species?

There is no question that areas are experiencing climate shifts which in turn, are accompanied by species shifts as well. Invasive species are being identified in areas hundreds to thousands of miles from where they are normally found. As if not to compound the situation even more, the concerns of disease, especially zoonotic and foreign animal diseases, after the COVID pandemic has been a real concern for us all. With new species being identified in areas they have never previously been, invasive species have become an everyday concern with the public attention they are receiving. This only furthers the need to know what we have in our own backyards.

Invasive species are not detoured by land boundaries so the spread of these species into tribal lands is a real concern. It is time to be proactive rather than reactive. Time to begin inventorying what species we have on our respective lands and start planning on what course of management do we want to, or even need to, pursue to help minimize the spread of any non-native species that is present within our boundaries. Not to get too metaphorical, we must think of things as a sports team. To have a successful team, we must know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone involved, keep everyone is shape, and work as a team. This is the same for our respective lands, we must know what we have, where they are located, and what are their risks of impact.

The NAFWS Invasive Species Program is in the process of building staff for the program to vamp up our tribal engagement and technical assistance for Tribes regarding Invasive Species Management and Control. The program was introduced in February to our memberships via a webinar to give a brief overview of what to expect from the Invasive Species Program. In the end of this webinar, we asked attendees to participate and share this Invasive Species Questionnaire Link for better understanding of tribal programs, so that needs and strategies could be prioritized to assist Tribes as the program begins to grow. For access to the Invasive Species Questionnaire link, please use the QR Code or website address. Let’s work together to identify problems and needs to prevent the spread of non-native species that are negatively impacting our tribal lands. For more information, please feel free to contact Mitzi Reed, Invasive Species Coordinator.

Alaska Tribal Climate Resilience Liaisons

Kaitlyn Demoski, M.A., Interim Senior Tribal Climate Resilience Liaison 

The first few months of this year flew by! We’ve been busy attending conferences, conducting outreach, and planning up great ideas with our partners. After the National Conference we hope to get some major programs off the ground that will support Native Youth, Tribal conservation work, and Tribal Climate Adaptation in Alaska. We’ve continued to grow and expand the ways that we provide climate information to Tribes, including a new upcoming training series on community adaptation, this work is engaging and always evolving. It’s been a very encouraging few months going out and talking with people from all over the state who are excited to hear about our work in Alaska. We enjoy talking with people and listening to what they have to share 😊 After all, this is what guides our work and helps us make connections, hearing from tribal members.

In January we welcomed 2 new AK Liaisons Tess and Jerilyn who both have excellent experience to bring to the team, we also kicked off the first virtual meeting for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Relocation, Managed Retreat, Protect in Place (BIA RMP) Cohort. February, we had a booth and attended the Alaska Forum on the Environment, where one conference participant said that our booth was the most popular booth in the whole conference, and everyone wanted to talk with us. We promoted our new training series Strengthening Resilience Today; Looking Forward Looking Back. Our staff gave a presentation at our partners conference the Alaska Rural Small Business Conference hosted by Alaska Village Initiatives. Alaska Staff also attended a Climate Camp hosted by Chickaloon Village Traditional Council in Palmer AK, it was a good turnout for the community to come together and share the impacts of climate change they are seeing. We also helped facilitate the first in person BIA RMP Training Retreat. This was a 3 day retreat where communities who are facing RMP due to environmental impacts of climate change on their communities came together and shared their stories and resources with one another and learned from each other. Our March consisted of lots of exciting prep for the National Conference! Staff also attended the Alaska Tribal Conference on Environmental Management, The American Fisheries Society Alaska Chapter Conference in Fairbanks AK..

We have encountered some challenges in recent months, such as encouraging diverse entities involved in community planning to come together and form a team for community climate adaptation. Additionally, finding effective ways to address the training and technical needs of those working in Tribal Conservation Districts has been a priority. Nevertheless, there are also exciting prospects to anticipate, including the upcoming Community Climate Adaptation training series – “Strengthening Resilience Today.” Moreover, the National Conference Field Trips offer a unique opportunity to hear from local Tribes and learn about their work, allowing for meaningful exchanges with people from various Tribal Nations.

In summer 2023, NAFWS is sponsoring two Alaska Native participants to joinInspiring Girls* Expeditions Alaska (IG*E). Programs of Inspiring Girls* are unique, free 12-day expeditions for high school-aged youth that combine field science, artistic inquiry, and outdoor exploration in inspiring locations around Alaska. Programs are led by a team of professional scientists, artists, and outdoor guides, and focus on alpine ecosystems through glacier mountaineering (Girls* on Ice), coastal marine ecosystems by sea kayak (Girls* on Water), and the boreal forest ecosystem through packrafting and hiking (Girls* in the Forest), Participants from around Alaska and beyond are supported in stepping outside of their comfort zones in an encouraging and fun environment with peers from all different geographies, backgrounds, and identities, while connecting to nature during a once-in-a-lifetime science and outdoor learning experience.

(IG*E  Alaska is housed within the AK CASC, see it linked on our website here https://akcasc.org/engagement/inspiring-girls-at-uaf/ )

Funding Sources

NAFWS serves as a hub for funding opportunities available to Tribes. Below are current opportunities for funding. We work to consistently keep you apprised of new funding so be sure to check our Funding Resources Page periodically!

Equity in Conservation Outreach:This is the second year that Equity in Conservation Outreach funding has been available. In 2022, seventeen proposals submitted by Tribal Nations and tribal organizations were funded for a total of 7.5 million dollars. The funding for 2023 is pretty robust, (up to 70 million dollars) for this round. It might be a while until we see this productive opportunity to increase our market penetration for NRCS programs with tribal producers and tribal community agriculture in general. Projects should support outreach activities that encourage diverse and inclusive participation in NRCS programs and introduce conservation planning and climate smart practices to protect farmland ecosystems, watersheds, and wildlife habitat in geographical areas of underserved communities ranging from rural agriculture to urban and small acreage producers. Projects which provide opportunities for students to pursue careers in agriculture, natural resources, and related sciences are also strongly encouraged. Federally recognized Tribal Nations, State recognized Tribal Nations, and tribal organizations are all eligible entities. The link below has more information, including links to a prerecorded webinar and links to four live webinars for applicants coming up in March. The proposal submission deadline is April 27, 2023. Specific questions from applicants should be submitted to [email protected].

2023 Tribal Wildlife Grants (TWG) Program Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA, Funding Opportunity Number F23AS00257) : The FY 2023 TWG FOA closing date is June 23, 2023. In FY 2023, Congress has appropriated $6.2 million to fund TWG. Since its inception in 2003, TWG has awarded more than $111.6 million to Federally recognized Tribes supporting 626 conservations projects throughout Indian Country. These projects have benefited a wide range of fish, wildlife, and habitat, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. To fulfill Executive Order 14008 and meet Department of the Interior and Service priorities  and commensurate with available appropriations, the Service is implementing a Third-Tier funding process. Third Tier grants target Tribes that have not received TWG Program funds in the past. The purpose is to increase Tribal fish and wildlife management capacity to address threats to tribally identified species, including threats associated with climate change. Additionally, the Service has implemented an electronic performance reporting system called TRACS (Tracking and Reporting Actions for the Conservation of Species – https://tracs.fws.gov) in order to document recipient performance and for reporting on national program accomplishments that deliver meaningful results consistent with the TWG Program’s authorizing legislation. TRACS data entry facilitates development of a complete Project Narrative that you may use as part of your application in GrantSolutions, if you choose to use TRACS prior to submission of your application. As outlined in the attached FY 2023 TWG FOA (F23AS00257) , please note that Tribes are encouraged but not required to use Standard Objectives or enter data in TRACS. If you elect to use Standard Objectives and the TRACS system, you may wish to review the TRACS Performance Matrix for examples of typical project objectives used in other WSFR programs. We encourage you to work with your Tribal Liaison or WSFR Regional Office if you have questions about selecting and articulating objectives in your Project Narrative, or you may review WSFR’s TRACS Training Options. For more information, please visit the Service’s Tribal Wildlife Grants Program website or Grants.gov.

America the Beautiful Challenge Grant: America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC), which was launched in 2022, is dedicated to funding landscape-scale conservation and restoration projects that implement existing conservation plans across the nation. ATBC grant pre-proposals are due April 20, 2023, and the full RFP can be found here. Awards are expected to be announced in November 2023. ATBC is a partnership between NFWF and the Department of the Interior through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Department of Agriculture through the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Department of Defense, and Native Americans in Philanthropy. In its first year, the program awarded 55 grants totaling $91 million, leveraging an additional $50 million in grantee match for a total conservation investment of $141 million. In 2023, ATBC has additional funding available as the program expects to award up to $116 million in grants. NFWF expects to award at least ten percent of ATBC funding to Tribal and Native Nations and three percent to U.S. territories. Competitive grants will conserve, restore and connect habitats for wildlife while improving community resilience and access to nature. Proposals are reviewed by a public-private committee of partners and technical experts, and funding decisions are based on the extent to which they meet the criteria listed in the RFP. NAFWS will conduct direct outreach, host conversations with potential applicants to develop project ideas, troubleshoot with previous applicants as they consider reapplying for funding, and be a resource hub for Tribes in the process of applying for funding. NAFWS will also host virtual and in-person peer-to-peer learning event(s) throughout the 2023 grant cycle. For more information on webinars, resources, and assistance in applying for funding, visit our America the Beautiful Challenge Member Resource page.

The Zoonotic Disease Initiative is a grant program focused on wildlife disease prevention and preparedness. Authorized under the American Rescue Plan (2021, H.R. 1319, Section 6003.3), the Initiative will provide up to $9 million in available funding to states, Tribes and territories to strengthen early detection, rapid response and science-based management research to address wildlife disease outbreaks before they cross the barrier from animals to humans and become pandemics. The highest priority for the funding is to increase organizational readiness and ensure a network of state, Tribal and territorial wildlife managers across the nation are prepared for zoonotic disease outbreaks. Strengthening partner capacity for wildlife health monitoring will allow for the early detection of diseases.The 2023 Zoonotic Disease Initiative Notice of Funding Opportunity is now available. Proposals will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. EST on April 20, 2023. Please reach out to Anna-Marie York ([email protected]) with questions.

The National Science Foundation: Planning Proposals to Catalyze Innovative and Inclusive Wildland Fire Science through Diverse Collaborations. NSF is calling for planning proposals focused on catalyzing innovative and inclusive wildland fire science through collaboration among diverse stakeholders and rights holders. Participants may include Tribal Nation and Tribal College and University (TCU) representatives, local community members, Indigenous researchers, and/or cultural knowledge holders. Budget requests must not exceed $100,000 per year (including indirect costs) for a total of $200,000, with a duration of up to 24 months. Prior to submission of a proposal, prospective investigators must submit a two-page description of the proposal concept to ascertain its suitability in responding to this DCL [email protected]. Planning proposals can be submitted at any time but should be submitted no later than May 31, 2023 for consideration during Fiscal Year 2023. Questions on planning proposal preparation or this DCL may be sent to [email protected]. Two webinars will be hosted by NSF Program Officers about the DCL and to answer questions. Webinar is over, you cannot register now. If you have any questions, please contact Webinar host Phillip Moulden: [email protected].

40th Annual National Conference- Anchorage, AK

The staff and board over here at the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society is getting excited to see you all at the 40th annual National Conference in Anchorage next week. April 24-27 is about to be our best conference yet! We want to set y’all up for success so here is a rundown of things you should know and keep in your arsenal to have a great time at this year’s conference! Online registration is now closed but you can still register in person!

• First and foremost: BE CAREFUL OF THE WILDLIFE. We always want to maintain proper distance from the wildlife and be respectful of our non-human neighbors at all costs. No selfie is worth putting yourself in harms way so please be cognizant and keep your distance
• Be sure to keep up with the Weather in Alaska as it is subject to change at ANY time. The Weather is expected to be in the low to mid 40’s while we are there with lows in the 20’s with some light showers and some clouds. Below is a list of things you might want to bring to prepare yourself for the weather and mud season in AK.
• Here is a short list of what we think would be helpful to bring to Alaska 
  • Running/ jogging/ walking shoes for the Salmon Fun Run/ Walk 
  • Rain Jacket 
  • Warm insulated coat 
  • Hiking boots that can double as Mud boots 
  • Reusable waterbottle 
  • Warm clothes/ layers 
  • Traditional casual and Traditional Formal wear for the traditional feast and banquet
  • Business Cards for networking 
  • Silent auction items
• We have an amazing slate of presenters, workshops, and abstracts this year with so much to learn! Be sure to check out the agenda beforehand to make a plan of all the presetnations you want to attend. Access the agenda here.
• Workshops are free to attend for conference registrants! Please be sure to attend any you find interesting at no additional cost.
• Before the conference, please be sure to review our Conference Code of Conduct as well as our Covid Guidelines.
• Cash, Credit Card, and Check will be accepted at conference Registration with Heidi McCann. 
• Additional Thursday banquet tickets for family members can be purchased at the registration desk.
• Please keep in mind that this is a professional conference. We want to be mindful and respectful of those that have children while also extending that same courtesy to those that paid a lot of money for this professional development opportunity. 
  • Children will only be allowed at the banquet. They are not to be in any concurrent sessions, workshops, presentations or natural resource tours. 
• There is no hotel shuttle to and from the airport. Please plan to make your own accommodations to and from the airport. Uber, Lyft and taxis operate in Anchorage.
• If we are lucky, we might be able to see the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) this time of the year! Check in at the Aurora Forecast with the Geophysical Institue daily if you are wanting to see what the likelihood of witnessing them.
• Our education Coordinator, Ashley Mueller, has put together a list of restaurants in the area for quick reference. You can find the list here for your use. 

We are excited to see you all in Anchorage! Please do not hesitate to reach out with questions with the caveat that we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Upcoming Events & Jobs

As always, we have so much on our calendars to look forward to. Be sure to check out our events page regularly for in person trainings, events, and webinars to help in your professional development! We also have our job board that is chalk full of new internal as well as external jobs updated daily!

NAFWS in the News

The Vanishing of Biden’s Biodiversity Agenda | The New Republic