Book Description

Arctic amplification has resulted in increased coastal hazards such as erosion in Alaska. The remoteness of the southwest Alaska coastline hinders frequent coastal hazard surveys, requiring alternate methods for measuring change throughout the year. This study documents and evaluates a community-based monitoring program in two southwestern Alaskan communities including Chignik Bay and Dillingham. The program entitled, Stakes for Stakeholders, has been running successfully since 2016 and continues to engage with rural communities to measure and map coastal change. The Stakes for Stakeholders program promotes self-advocacy and equips local participants with the tools, information, and resources needed to respond to increasing coastal hazards. This method engages local partners through data collection, training, and reviewing and revising resulting products to address local priorities. Community engagement consists of biannual video conference meetings, annual site visits, and miscellaneous communication (i.e., calls, text messaging, and emails). Baseline data was collected with community partners in the form of coastal topographic profiles and measurements collected at locally identified monitoring sites. The process of establishing, operating, and maintaining these sites is documented in various protocols and workflows produced in this study. As part of the research, locally prioritized data products were created. One such product was a hazard assessment report that was drafted for the community of Chignik Bay outlining all relevant coastal hazards to which the community is susceptible. Assessment rubrics were drafted and used to evaluate the efficacy of the program. These evaluations highlighted some of the most relevant community-based monitoring takeaways and pointed towards areas that needed improvement. Results from this study document a successful community-based monitoring (CBM) program and serve as a model for State and Federal research agencies and Arctic and sub-Arctic communities looking to respond to global climate change.