CONSERVING FISH & & CONSERVING FISH WILDLIFE IN AN ERA OF WILDLIFE IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY IMPLICATIONS POLICY IMPLICATIONS Defenders Defenders of Wildlife of Wildlife
Western Governors’ ’ Association Association Western Governors Wildlife Corridors Initiative Wildlife Corridors Initiative Climate Change Working Group Report Climate Change Working Group Report June 2008 June 2008 http://www.westgov westgov.org .org http://www. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
POLI CY CHALLENGES POLI CY CHALLENGES AND AND RECOMMENDED RESPONSES RECOMMENDED RESPONSES 1. Over Over- - arching arching 1. 2. Science and Knowledge Science and Knowledge 2. 3. Institutional Institutional 3. 4. Private Lands Private Lands 4. 5. Funding Funding 5. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
OVER- - ARCHI NG POLI CY CHALLENGES ARCHI NG POLI CY CHALLENGES OVER Issues Are Complex Issues Are Complex � Numerous interactions and � Numerous interactions and feedbacks. feedbacks. � S � Solutions involve short olutions involve short - - term term actions and long- - term planning. term planning. actions and long � No simple fixes causes many to � No simple fixes causes many to feel overwhelmed. feel overwhelmed. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Uncertainty Uncertainty � Often equated with ignorance or � Often equated with ignorance or absence of information. absence of information. � Result may be � Result may be wa wait it - - and and- - see see approach. approach. � No action is a decision that may � No action is a decision that may carry greatest risk. carry greatest risk. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Problems of Scale Problems of Scale � Global phenomenon. � Global phenomenon. � Important effects not felt for � Important effects not felt for decades. decades. � Too large or too far off to be � Too large or too far off to be managed. managed. � Difficult for mangers and planners � Difficult for mangers and planners to address. to address. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
SCI ENCE AND KNOW LEDGE SCI ENCE AND KNOW LEDGE CHALLENGES CHALLENGES � Recognize � Recognize monitoring is central to monitoring is central to successful adaptation. successful adaptation. � Accept planning based on limited � Accept planning based on limited knowledge. knowledge. � Foster coordinated management. � Foster coordinated management. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses Create Wildlife Adaptation Advisory Council Wildlife Adaptation Advisory Council: : Create � Climate � Climate- - impact assessments. impact assessments. � R � Regional habitat priorities. egional habitat priorities. � Target species task forces. � Target species task forces. � Coordinated monitoring. � Coordinated monitoring. � Long � Long- - term, multi term, multi- - state research. state research. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Establish regional adaptation regional adaptation Establish information clearinghouse– – information clearinghouse � Access to current scientific & � Access to current scientific & policy information. policy information. � Data stewardship. � Data stewardship. � Dissemination of information � Dissemination of information about policies and analyses. . about policies and analyses Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
I NSTI TUTI ONAL CHALLENGES I NSTI TUTI ONAL CHALLENGES � Protect existing crucial habitats � Protect existing crucial habitats across jurisdictional boundaries. across jurisdictional boundaries. � Preserve options to conserve � Preserve options to conserve habitats that may become crucial. habitats that may become crucial. � Support landscape planning and � Support landscape planning and adaptation to changing patterns. adaptation to changing patterns. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
I NSTI TUTI ONAL CHALLENGES I NSTI TUTI ONAL CHALLENGES � Current legal structures favor � Current legal structures favor stability. stability. � Policies not flexible enough to � Policies not flexible enough to handle uncertainty and changing handle uncertainty and changing information. information. � Flexibility needs conflict with � Flexibility needs conflict with jurisdictional boundaries and slow jurisdictional boundaries and slow rates of change. rates of change. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Coordinate � Coordinate strategic, landscape strategic, landscape scale adaptation activities. scale adaptation activities. � Consider wildlife adaptation models � Consider wildlife adaptation models and coordinate planning under and coordinate planning under NEPA. NEPA. � Require federal plans and � Require federal plans and regulatory standards to protect regulatory standards to protect crucial habitats. habitats. crucial Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Coordinate state agency assistance � Coordinate state agency assistance to local governments. to local governments. � Evaluate state laws and statewide � Evaluate state laws and statewide policies. policies. � Require state programs and local � Require state programs and local planning to protect identified planning to protect identified habitats. . habitats Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � S � Strategically plan trategically plan and adaptively and adaptively manage for hydrologic changes. . manage for hydrologic changes � Maximize water conservation. � Maximize water conservation. � Add water storage capacity. � Add water storage capacity. � Develop State Invasive Species � Develop State Invasive Species Strategies. Strategies. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
PRI VATE LANDS CHALLENGES PRI VATE LANDS CHALLENGES � Crucial habitats increasingly � Crucial habitats increasingly threatened by fragmentation. threatened by fragmentation. � Will worsen as climate change � Will worsen as climate change shifts and shrinks habitat mosaic. shifts and shrinks habitat mosaic. � Need for greater flexibility and use � Need for greater flexibility and use of incentives. of incentives. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Enact tax benefits � Enact tax benefits for landowners for landowners who protect crucial habitat. who protect crucial habitat. � Give priority to crucial wildlife � Give priority to crucial wildlife habitats in Farm Bill conservation in Farm Bill conservation habitats programs. rams. prog � Weight carbon offsets to foster � Weight carbon offsets to foster crucial habitat protection. crucial habitat protection. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Provide outreach and assistance to � Provide outreach and assistance to help landowners enroll crucial help landowners enroll crucial habitats in offset programs. habitats in offset programs. � Make greater state and local use of � Make greater state and local use of voluntary, flexible term easements voluntary, flexible term easements and leases. and leases. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
FUNDI NG CHALLENGES FUNDI NG CHALLENGES � Insufficient funding at any � Insufficient funding at any government level. . government level � Inconsistent and short � Inconsistent and short - - term term funding. funding. � Absence of secure, long � Absence of secure, long- - term term revenue streams and mechanisms. revenue streams and mechanisms. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Dedicate revenue to wildlife � Dedicate revenue to wildlife adaptation. adaptation. � Provide long � Provide long- - term funding term funding guarantee. . guarantee � Provide matching funding for state � Provide matching funding for state and local crucial habitat protection. and local crucial habitat protection. Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses � Base expenditures on adaptation � Base expenditures on adaptation strategies/ SWAPs. strategies/ SWAPs. � Prioritize State � Prioritize State- - level funding to level funding to encourage local investments. encourage local investments. � Give priority to grant requests that � Give priority to grant requests that maintain landscape connectivity. . maintain landscape connectivity Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife
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