In this broadcast, Maria Carrillo will review The Tribal Engagement & Climate Change Working Group, which has existed for 10+ years, as a National Park Service (NPS) working group. The group recently expanded to include partners at the Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, United States Geological Survey, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration! As a growing group, they are seeking to empower park staff and partners to mitigate the impacts of climate on public lands, including those of significance to Indigenous Peoples.
About Our Presenter, Maria Carrillo :
Maria Carrillo is the Assistant Tribal Liaison for NPS’ Northeast Region, and she hosts the national working group, Tribal Engagement & Climate Change, for NPS. She also has worked as a Disaster Analyst on Maui and in Belgium, and as a Lecturer of Anthropology at Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Richmond. Maria’s career with public lands has included work with cultural communities in Hawai’i, the Pacific Northwest, California, the Intermountain Region, and now the Northeast Region. Her research and stewardship interests include the intersection of culture and climate change, including mitigation and response to natural and anthropogenic hazards.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the oldest federal conservation agency, tracing its lineage back to 1871, and the only agency in the federal government whose primary responsibility is management of fish and wildlife for the American public. The Service helps ensure a healthy environment for people by providing opportunities for Americans to enjoy the outdoors and our shared natural heritage.
We manage the National Wildlife Refuge System with more than 560 National Wildlife Refuges as well as small wetlands and other special management areas encompassing more than 150 million acres. Under the Fisheries program we also operate over 70 National Fish Hatcheries and 65 fishery resource offices. The Ecological Services program has 86 field stations across all 50 states.
The vast majority of fish and wildlife habitat is on non-federal lands. Voluntary habitat protection and restoration programs like the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and the Coastal Program and other partnership programs are the primary ways we deliver habitat conservation on public and private lands.
The Service employs approximately 9,000 people at facilities across the U.S. The Service is a decentralized organization with a headquarters office in Washington, D.C., with regional and field offices across the country. Our organizational chart shows structure and also provides information on senior management.
