Defenders Defenders of Wildlife of Wildlife Western Governors - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Defenders

• f Wildlife

CONSERVING FISH CONSERVING FISH & & WILDLIFE IN AN ERA OF WILDLIFE IN AN ERA OF CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

POLICY IMPLICATIONS POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

• f Wildlife

Western Governors Western Governors’ ’ Association Association Wildlife Corridors Initiative Wildlife Corridors Initiative Climate Change Working Group Report Climate Change Working Group Report

June 2008 June 2008

http://www. http://www.westgov westgov.org .org

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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POLI CY CHALLENGES POLI CY CHALLENGES AND AND RECOMMENDED RESPONSES RECOMMENDED RESPONSES

1.

• 1. Over

Over-

• arching

arching 2.

• 2. Science and Knowledge

Science and Knowledge 3.

• 3. Institutional

Institutional 4.

• 4. Private Lands

Private Lands 5.

• 5. Funding

Funding

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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OVER OVER-

• ARCHI NG POLI CY CHALLENGES

ARCHI NG POLI CY CHALLENGES Issues Are Complex Issues Are Complex

• Numerous interactions and

Numerous interactions and feedbacks. feedbacks.

• S

Solutions involve short

• lutions involve short -
• term

term actions and long actions and long-

• term planning.

term planning.

• No simple fixes causes many to

No simple fixes causes many to feel overwhelmed. feel overwhelmed.

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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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

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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

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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

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Recom m ended Policy Responses Recom m ended Policy Responses Create Create Wildlife Adaptation Advisory Council Wildlife Adaptation Advisory Council: :

• 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

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Establish Establish regional adaptation regional adaptation 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

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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

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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

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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 crucial habitats. habitats.

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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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

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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

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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

• f incentives.
• f incentives.

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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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 habitats in Farm Bill conservation in Farm Bill conservation prog programs. rams.

• Weight carbon offsets to foster

Weight carbon offsets to foster crucial habitat protection. crucial habitat protection.

Defenders of Wildlife

Defenders

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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

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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

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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

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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