Tribal Perspectives on Preventing the Introduction of Zebra Mussels into Flathead Lake, Montana

Dreissenid mussels are known to alter ecological processes and thus the provision of ecosystem services. Few studies exist linking changes in ecosystem services from aquatic invasive species (AIS) to changes in human welfare. Preventing AIS introduction is a priority for protecting ecosystem services. However, monetization of AIS disruptions to ecosystem services is rare, producing incomplete cost estimates for AIS-related damages and, by extension, inadequate public policy decisions. Non-Anglo American value systems are also absent from public policy. Including indigenous peoples’ nonmarket values is necessary for a more comprehensive accounting of the distributional consequences of management decisions across affected parties. In co-development with the the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) of the Flathead Reservation (Montana), we have designed a survey instrument and research approach with cultural relevance and methods appropriate to a Tribal setting. Based on a physical/chemical/ecological simulation model of the Flathead Lake ecosystem, we developed a set of scientifically plausible characterizations of ecosystem services affected by dreissenid mussel invasion. We pretested the salience of these hypothetical outcomes in focus groups.