National Park Service Climate Change Strategy 2023 Update

Amanda Babson, Rebecca Beavers, John ‘Tad’ Britt, Janet Cakir, Wylie Carr, Kirk Cordell, Jenifer Eggleston, Alan Ellsworth, Andy Ferrell, John Gross, et al.
Posted on: 10/31/2023 - Updated on: 10/31/2023

Posted by

CAKE Team

Abstract

The American public increasingly recognizes climate change as a challenge to the mission and work of the National Park Service (NPS). Driving these perspectives is the fact that climate change exacerbates many other concerns: habitat and biodiversity loss, declining freshwater availability, invasive species, outbreaks of pests and diseases, damage to—or loss of—cultural resources, and deteriorating infrastructure, among others. Climate change is a systemic threat that affects everything we manage and protect in national parks.

The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update builds on longstanding attention by the NPS to climate change, including the first NPS Climate Change Response Strategy published 2010 and reaffirms and strengthens its commitment to addressing the challenge of climate change. The Strategy retains the overarching and integrated components of science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication while offering important new approaches that reflect considerable growth in knowledge and experience.

This is a high-level blueprint to guide NPS work to address the ongoing climate crisis. The strategy stands on four cornerstones of action that organize our efforts across the NPS and each has its own section and vision statement, followed by supporting goals, examples of progress, and priority next steps.

Citation

National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update. National Park Service, Washington, D.C.

Affiliated Organizations

Since 1916, the American people have entrusted the National Park Service with the care of their national parks. With the help of volunteers and park partners, we are proud to safeguard these nearly 400 places and to share their stories with more than 275 million visitors every year. But our work doesn’t stop there.

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