Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribes’ Planning and Uphill Development Team recently hosted a large three-day event that gathered nearly 80 local, state, and federal partners to discuss grant and fundraising opportunities to support the Tribe.

During the event, directors from various tribal departments shared their Uphill Development plans and goals.

The event also included workshops that facilitated collaboration on how to best support and fund the Tribe. Community members may have noticed some partners during the UTV tour of the Tribal lands.

“The outcome of the event was overwhelmingly positive, and we look forward to meeting with many of these groups soon to discuss our next steps on several fantastic opportunities, from training to grants,” according to a news release.

The upland expansion

The Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe is facing extremely rapid erosion, rising sea levels, and a plausible earthquake and tsunami inundation that together threaten their community and future.

In response, the Tribe is now in the planning stage to develop housing and services at nearby higher elevations above inundation levels. The Tribe calls this initiative the “upland expansion” instead of “relocation.”

Upland expansion is as much an effort to meet current housing needs for members on and off reservation as it is a preparation for hazards-driven relocation in the future. Just as an earthquake or tsunami hazard may present the need for a safety tower and uphill assembly area, it also presents transportation and mobility challenges.

Using community engagement, secondary data analysis, and a community survey, a study by the Transportation and Mobility Needs Assessment for the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe by the University College of Built Environments identifies the Tribe’s transportation needs and challenges; some of the immediate, short and long-term transportation-related opportunities that will contribute to Tribal goals and values, specifically as related to upland expansion; and how the Tribe may enhance mobility and transportation to support hazards resilience, self-reliance, regional accessibility, and economic development.

The view at the North Cove overlook in North Pacific County.

The day included a trip up to the future upland home of the Shoalwater Bay Tribe.