The Environmental Justice Program is set in place to ensure everyone has equal access to a healthy environment. Climate change has become a significant concern to environmental justice on the reservation due to its impacts on vulnerable populations. The environmental justice program partners with the United States Environmental Protection Agency and other organizations to ensure environmental justice is being achieved.
Environmental Special Projects Coordinator: Payton Lefthand
Email: Payton.lefthand@cskt.org
Phone: (406) 883-2888 ext. 7211
Hours: Mon-Thu 7:00am – 5:30pm
Current Projects
CSKT’s Environmental Justice Program has partnered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Flathead Lakers, City of Polson Parks Department, Salish Kootenai College, and the University of Montana to install rinse stations and outdoor message boards at six public use beaches and install an ADA compliant community dock at a Tribally owned beach property.
Goals of the Project
The intended beneficiaries include low-income community members that only have a limited access to the Flathead Lake at limited public beaches along the southern half of the Lake which is on the Flathead Indian Reservation. These community members will benefit from the project by being notified of cases of swimmer’s itch that may affect the health of community members. Community members will benefit from the project by being able to rinse themselves off after swimming, which is intended to decrease the negative health effects of swimmer’s itch and consequently increase people’s ability to cool down in the water during warming temperatures as a form of climate adaptation and resilience.
Resources
Water at Flathead Lake’s beaches are monitored for recreational water quality during the swimming season.