Campo Climate Adaptation Action Plan

For over 10,000 years the Kumeyaay people have adapted and thrived in an environment that ranges from the coastal shores to the inland desert. Over the centuries, Kumeyaay responded to climate change by adapting to the changing conditions. New plant and animal resources replaced those that died out or were diminished. We now live in a time when the pace of climate change is accelerating while human activity is causing widespread atmospheric change. The correlation is apparent and compelling. Temperatures are increasing, glaciers are melting, snowpack has diminished, spring is arriving sooner and habitats are shifting. We have seen an increasing risk of drought, flooding, wildfires and disease. Preparing for climate change is something that must be undertaken on a case-by-case basis. There is no standard template that works for all communities. Preparedness needs to be tailored to the circumstances of different communities. It is therefore necessary that all aspects of tribal decision making take an active role in preparing for climate change. The people living in the community are the best ones to determine what is in their best interest. The purpose of this Plan is to help the decision makers from the General Council to the elected officials and departments heads as they prepare for our changing environment. This document was prepared with the assistance of research from government and non- governmental organizations, scientific consultants, technical experts, technicians and managers familiar with the local community. In addition, outreach activities sought input from elders and feedback from individual tribal members. This document is a plan. As such, it is not the final word on anything. It is, and should be, subject to question, addition, deletion and modification in response to the realization of changing conditions. It should be formally reviewed at least annually to ensure that it is still relevant to the community.