Project Summary

For the Metlakatla Indian Community (MIC), TBEC assisted with updating of their 10-year Invasive Species Management Plan (ISMP) and the accompanying Environmental Assessment (EA). Collaborating with MIC’s Special Projects team and the Alaska Fish and Wildlife Department TBEC documented current invasive species/noxious weeds nearby the community, as well as identified species of concern in the region that the community may want to start addressing before an infestation occurs.

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To see which parts of the plan needed updating, TBEC first reviewed Metlakatla’s prior ISMP. Research was conducted to confirm the continued presence of previously listed species, to determine if any species could be removed, or if any species needed to be added. Additional research was conducted to determine new regulatory compliance requirements or additional management/mitigation strategies.

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TBEC assisted with the construction of the ISMP and EA, as well as data collection and analysis. Throughout the course of the project, TBEC met with the MIC project team to review progress and address questions or concerns, as well as any changes that needed to be made to the plan. Input from partners such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was also considered during the writing and editing process. ArcGIS Pro was used to create maps of locations of known invasive species in the community and around the island.

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The EA was submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and showed that the mitigation strategies and action plans laid out in the ISMP would not cause significant impact on the surrounding environment. The plan was approved after the BIA returned a finding of no significant impact (FONSI).

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The final Invasive Species Management Plan highlights the core species of concern and discusses the impacts they have on MIC and the surrounding environment. It also outlines potential mitigation and management strategies that MIC can take to minimize the impact invasive species have on the community and discusses the effects each of these strategies will have on MIC, the environment, and the species they are targeting.

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Project Deliverables:

• Invasive Species Management Plan

• Environmental Assessment for submittal to the BIA

• GIS maps depicting locations of invasive species around Annette Island

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External Links:​

MIC Website - A copy of the completed plan may be obtained by reaching out to MIC