ASSESSING THE LUMMI RESERVATION FOR RESTORATION SITES OF COASTAL PRAIRIE HABITAT USING GEOSPATIAL TECHNOLOGY

Through the Kiksapa/NASA 2017 Summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, my project utilizes geospatial technologies to assess the Lummi Reservation and traditional homelands, prior to the Point Elliott Treaty of 1855, for potential restoration sites of Coastal Prairie habitat. I am applying LiDAR, SSURGO soils, and National Landcover with Traditional Ecological Knowledge. Coastal Prairies are host to numerous traditional root food plants harvested by Coast Salish peoples of the Pacific Northwest. Common camas (Camassia quamash), large camas (Camassia leichtlinii), chocolate lily (Fritilaria affinis), and nodding onion (Allium cernuum) have all been traditionally harvested by Coast Salish and Straits Salish peoples for millennia. These Coastal Prairie habitats have been impacted historically by land development and agriculture, and will continue to be impacted further by our changing climate and rising sea levels. Preliminary analysis indicates limited potential restoration sites on the reservation and supports the preservation and restoration of remaining habitat sites. This REU provided me with the opportunity to learn valuable tools in geospatial technology that can be applied directly to restoration of traditional Coast Salish foods.