Lying at sea level, the Quileute Nation is already experiencing the effects of climate change through greater winter run-off and higher sea level. These threats are compounded by the high risk for tsunami damage on tribal lands. In Feburary, Congress voted to allow the National Park Service to transfer land to the Nation so they can relocate to higher ground. Research from the Climate Impacts Group is cited.

In related news, the Hoh, Makah and Quileute tribes and the Quinault Indian Nation are hosting a national conference on climate change impacts to native peoples. The “First Stewards Symposium” will take place Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. from Tuesday through Friday. Read more about the conference, and its importance to local tribes, in this Peninsula Daily News story.