The Ute Mountain Ute Climate Action Plan represents an important step in protecting the health and livelihoods of community members.
Summary
The information in this Climate Action Plan represents an important step in protecting the health and
livelihoods of Ute Mountain Ute community members. The climate in this region has warmed 2 degrees Fahrenheit (°F) in the last century. By the middle of this century, the region is expected to warm an additional 3 to 8°F. In response to the growing concerns about extreme drought events from Núchíú (UMU Tribe) Elders, natural resources managers, Tribal leadership, and community members, the Tribe initiated the climate change adaptation planning process.
The Tribe collaborated with Colorado State University to develop the project. In 2015, a community based Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment proposal, supported by Tribal Council resolution, was
submitted to the BIA Tribal Resilience Program to study the impacts of climate change on reservation
lands. The vulnerability assessment was designed to honor UMU culture and traditional ecological
knowledge. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-seven Elders and six natural resource
managers. The interview results demonstrated a growing concern about the warming climate and the
need for climate adaptation planning. In response to the vulnerability assessment results, the UMU Tribe applied for additional BIA Tribal Resilience program funding, again supported by a Tribal Council resolution, to develop this Climate Action Plan.