United States

In this presentation, Maria Janowiak discusses adaptation (resistance, resilience, response) and mitigation (sequestration, substitution) strategies in the context of forest management. 

Land managers across the country face the immense challenge of developing and applying appropriate management strategies as forests respond to climate change. We hosted a workshop to explore silvicultural strategies for addressing the uncertainties surrounding climate change and forest response in the northeastern and north-central United States. Outcomes of this workshop included identifi cation of broad management strategies and approaches for creating forests that can adapt to rapidly changing conditions.

Six themes emerge from a workshop that discussed potential new climate products and services from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that could serve needs in the national security community. These themes are the following:

Agriculture in the United States produces approximately $300 billion a year in commodities with livestock accounting for roughly half the value.

The State of Adaptation in the United States, a synthesis commissioned and supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and undertaken by EcoAdapt, the Climate Impacts Group at the University of Washington’s College of the Environment, the Georgetown Climate Center at Georgetown University, and the University of California-Davis, provides examples of societal responses to climate change in our planning and management of cities, agriculture and natural resources. These examples include regulatory measures, management strategies and information sharing.

Fish, wildlife, and plants provide jobs, food, clean water, storm protection, health benefits and many other important ecosystem services that support people, communities and economies across the nation every day. The observed changes in the climate are already impacting these valuable resources and systems. These impacts are expected to increase with continued changes in the planet’s climate system. Action is needed now to help safeguard these natural resources and the communities and economies that depend on them.

In October 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13514, Federal Leadership in Environmental and Energy Performance, which sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in agency environmental, energy, and economic performance. The Executive Order charged the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force with providing recommendations on how Federal policies, programs, and planning efforts can better prepare the United States for climate change.

Climate Change Indicators in the United States 2012 presents 26 indicators to help readers better understand observed trends related to the causes and effects of climate change. This document updates a report published by EPA in 2010. Various government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations contributed data critical to the development of this report. EPA also received feedback from a diverse group of scientists, researchers, and communications experts in the public and private sectors.

As natural resource management agencies and conservation organizations seek guidance on responding to climate change, myriad potential actions and strategies have been proposed for increasing the long-term viability of some attributes of natural systems. Managers need practical tools for selecting among these actions and strategies to develop a tailored management approach for specific targets at a given location.