Strategically Speaking: The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants, Climate Adaptation Strategy

Today, Matt Lettrich (NOS Estuarine Reserves Division) brings us a guest blog post about climate adaptation strategy, hot off the press and ready for public comment.  What he doesn't say though, is that this has been accomplished largely through his hard work throughout the fellowship year.  Way to go, Matt!

 

After much hard work and with over 100 researchers and managers from across the country contributing, the draft National Fish,Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (NFWPCAS or Strategy for short) has been released for public comment. This draft national strategy will help decision makers and resource managers prepare for and help reduce the impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people and economies that depend on them.

With a changing climate, we must develop new (and adopt some not-so new) techniques and approaches to ensure that our natural resources will remain for future generations.  The Strategy represents a draft framework for unified action to safeguard fish, wildlife and plants, as well as the important benefits and services the natural world provides the nation every day, including jobs, food, clean water, clean air, building materials, storm protection, and recreation.

The draft Strategy includes:

• Descriptions of current and projected impacts of climate change on the eight major ecosystems of the United States, the fish, wildlife and plant species those ecosystems support, and the vital ecosystem services they provide;
• Goals, strategies, and actions to reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of fish, wildlife, plants, and the communities that depend on them in the face of climate change;
• Collaborative strategies and actions that multiple sectors can take to promote adaptation of fish, wildlife and plants, and utilize the adaptive benefits of natural resources in their climate adaptation efforts; and
• A framework for coordinated implementation of the strategy among government and non-governmental entities from national to local scales.

Read up on this strategy and submit public comments here through March 5, 2012.