Montana tribes combine traditional knowledge and Western science in climate plan

"Warmer temperatures, beetle outbreaks, and an invasive fungus have killed half the population of the sacred trees since the 1990s. But whitebark pines are a symbol of hope to Durglo. The Tribes have been harvesting cones from healthy trees to regrow seedlings resistant to the fungus. Restoring whitebark pine forests will also help keep snow on the landscape longer and stave off drought and wildfires."

"Durglo is inextricably tied to this landscape; his ancestors have lived on this land for centuries. He's devoted his life to preparing his home and his people for climate change. Durglo has been the tribes' climate change coordinator for nearly 20 years; he wrote one of the first tribal climate action plans in the country over 15 years ago."

"Tribes, cities, and some states have created these plans to map out actions they can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to a warming world. Until recently, Montana even had a climate plan that was drafted in the early 2000s, but under the current Republican governor, it's been shelved, and some projects have been abandone"

Mike Durglo Jr. describes whitebark pine trees on the Flathead Indian Reservation as symbols of resilience and hope amid climate change. Warmer temperatures, beetle outbreaks, and an invasive fungus have killed about half of the sacred trees since the 1990s. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes harvest cones from healthy trees to regrow seedlings resistant to the fungus. Restoring whitebark pine forests helps keep snow on the landscape longer and reduces drought and wildfire risk. Durglo has served as the tribes’ climate change coordinator for nearly 20 years and helped develop early tribal climate action planning. Tribes, cities, and some states use climate action plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to warming conditions, while Montana’s shelved climate plan reflects shifting political support.

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