Karuk Tribe awarded $250K grant for clean energy projects
The Karuk Tribe is one of 10 California Native American Tribes to receive grant funding to support clean energy projects on tribal lands. The Karuk Tribe received $250,000 for eco-cultural revitalization and climate resilience monitoring.
Nearly $2 million awarded through the Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant Program will help “tribes conduct planning to identify Solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve clean energy access, and advance climate adaptation and resiliency on tribal lands and in tribal communities,” according to its website. The grant funding will also contribute to alternative energy planning and assessment of socioeconomic impacts related to removing the Klamath hydroelectric facility.
“The country in general needs to shift to more clean energy projects,” said Karuk Tribal Chairman Russell “Buster” Attebery. “There’s a possibility that we could create possible cogeneration projects that would help provide energy for the communities here on the Klamath River.”
“It’s the wave of the future,” Attebery added. “We do need to shift to more natural energy and try to get away from taking away from our natural resources in a negative way.”
Highlighting an increase in energy and food independence in rural communities, Karuk Tribe natural resources consultant Craig Tucker said this grant funding will provide muchneeded support to move towards eco-revitalization and returning to traditional practices.
“So, it’s better understanding the traditional practices and how to maintain those food and fiber plants — everything from huckleberries to mushrooms to bear grass for weaving — amid global warming,” Tucker said. “It’s about making sure that those resources remain on the landscape for Karuk to use and to also understand how the change in the climate is affecting it.”
Tucker added that the grant funding along with Klamath dam removal could present an opportunity to increase fisheries and ecotourism for a healthier Klamath River.
“Studying opportunities for solar, wind and microhydro to understand what we can do,” Tucker said. “Along the Klamath, ironically, the people who are off the grid oftentimes have more dependable electricity than the people who are on the grid. It’s folks who have either micro-hydro or a combination of microhydro and solar tend to fare pretty well in rural areas.”
Although tribes may be taking the lead in some of these projects, Tucker pointed out that the benefits are not exclusive to tribal members.
“All these Karuk communities are integrated communities,” he said. “Sometimes tribes can lead on these kinds of projects so the things we learn and the projects we implement start setting an example for other communities. The benefits are not exclusive to tribal folks or to Karuk folks…These are communities where the tribes have a big presence, but they’re very diverse communities and the things we learn things we’re going to share and hopefully that will be something that folks all over California and all over the country can use.”
The Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant Program is funded by the California Energy Commission and administered in partnership with the California Strategic Growth Council.
California Energy Commission spokesperson Lindsay Buckley told the TimesStandard the commission strives to promote “clean air standards and the state’s climate and energy goals by supporting tribal efforts directly.”
“Many of the projects will evaluate economic development opportunities and financial benefits including creating jobs through the construction of projects, reduced energy bills and new revenue sources from clean energy production,” Buckley said.
Additional recipients of the $2 million grant include the Big Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians, the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California, the
Pit River Tribe, Pala Band of Mission Indians, the Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians and the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians and the Tule River Tribe.
“The California Strategic Growth Council team looks forward to building relationships and collaborating with the Tribal Government Challenge grantees to ensure projects advance Tribes’ goals and priorities around climate change, energy, and resilience,” said executive director Louise Bedsworth. “We commend all of the applicants for submitting thoughtful proposals and are eager to support the awardees as they begin their planning processes.”
More information on the Tribal Government Challenge Planning Grant Program can be found at https://www.energy.ca.gov/ programs-and-topics/programs/tribal-program/ tribal-government-challenge.