Resources

The Ojai Community Defense Zone Project: A Southern California Climate Change Adaptation Case Study

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Sector Addressed:

Land Use Planning

Water Resources

Summary:

Climate change may affect the ability to achieve on-the-ground project goals and objectives. The following case study demonstrates how climate change vulnerability and adaptation information can be integrated into existing and future fire and fuels management projects to increase overall project resilience.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Policy

Water Resources

Summary:

State agencies and regional stakeholders in Alabama are in the process of creating a state water management plan to ensure sustainable management of Alabama’s water resources in the face of a growing population and increasing climatic variability.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Disaster Risk Management

Water Resources

Summary:

Tampa Bay Water is a drinking water utility servicing over two million residents in Hillsborough County, Pasco County, Pinellas County, New Port Richey, St. Petersburg, and Tampa. The utility is working to assess how climate change will affect local hydrology and water supply, provide forecasting tools to inform decision making, and diversify water supply sources in the region.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the United States Army Corps of Engineers. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Disaster Risk Management

Land Use Planning

Policy

Water Resources

Summary:

Chatham County is vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, and erosion. Increasing the ability of the county to adequately prepare for and recover from the impacts of climate change are important goals of the Chatham County – Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission.

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Summary:

In 2012, the U.S. Forest Service released a Planning Rule requiring the integration of climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation into revisions of forest management plans.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Education / Outreach

Research

Water Resources

Summary:

Newport News Waterworks is a water provider for several cities and counties in the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain of Eastern Virginia near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Climate change is projected to cause issues for local water supply and quality.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the National Park Service. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Fisheries

Wildlife

Summary:

To better understand and address climate change in its 2015 State Wildlife Action Plan update, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VA DGIF) applied downscaled climate change modeling in a vulnerability assessment for 20 different species.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the United States Coast Guard. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Education / Outreach

Wildlife

Summary:

The Elizabeth River Project is practicing climate-informed restoration of the Elizabeth River and adjacent watersheds in Virginia.

Photo attributed to lessandro Cai (OliverZena). This work has been released into the public domain by its author. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Forestry

Policy

Wildlife

Summary:

In 2012, the U.S. Forest Service released a Planning Rule requiring the integration of climate change impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation into revisions of forest management plans. The El Yunque National Forest began the forest plan revision process in 2014.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Development (socioeconomic)

Fisheries

Tourism / Recreation

Transportation / Infrastructure

Summary:

In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency selected the Casco Bay Estuary Partnership (CBEP) as one of eight projects to support as part of the Climate Ready Estuaries Program, whose goal is to build local adaptive capacity to climate change.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Development (socioeconomic)

Forestry

Tourism / Recreation

Transportation / Infrastructure

Summary:

To help survey and assess the vulnerability of British Columbia lands to climate change, the BC Ministry of Environment has used GIS technology to create sensitivity maps of the Province. These projects have been conducted in collaboration with students at the Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, BC under the mentorship of BC Ministry of Environment staff.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Fisheries

Summary:

The Massachusetts Bays Project (MBP) was one of six pilot projects to receive a technical assistance award in 2008 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Ready Estuaries Program.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Transportation / Infrastructure

Summary:

As a pilot project of the Climate Ready Estuaries Program, this study addresses climate adaptation on a watershed scale and provides a methodology for other coastal watersheds seeking to incorporate future climate conditions in planning and development.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Aquaculture

Summary:

In response to persistently low shellfish harvests from 2005-2008, the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) proposed the “Oyster Emergency Project,” a collaboration between regional shellfish growers, NOAA, Oregon State University, and The Nature Conservancy.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Summary:

In June 2008, Michigan Sea Grant hosted forty representatives from Great Lakes foundations, non-governmental organizations, agencies, and universities at a one-day symposium entitled “Preparing for Climate Change in the Great Lakes Region.” Collaborators included the Mott Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kresge Foundation, the Great Lakes Fishery Trust, and the University of Michigan.

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Adaptation Phase:

Awareness

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Education / Outreach

Fisheries

Tourism / Recreation

Summary:

In 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will host a series of meetings to create tools and strategies to help natural resource managers and decision makers prepare for changes in climate. These meetings will be focused on selective habitat conservation as a tool for climate change adaptation.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Development (socioeconomic)

Land Use Planning

Policy

Tourism / Recreation

Transportation / Infrastructure

Summary:

Wilmington, North Carolina is in the process of writing a sea level rise adaptation report, which is expected to be released in 2010. The report will assess the likely impacts of sea level rise and present adaptation strategies. Information from this report may be incorporated into the county’s coastal zone management plan update and will be used to educate city officials.

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Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Development (socioeconomic)

Disaster Risk Management

Tourism / Recreation

Water Resources

Summary:

The Florida Oceans and Coastal Council was created by the State of Florida to guide research priorities for Florida’s vulnerable coasts and oceans. The Council's mission is to coordinate public and private research to address emerging management needs in the state and develop a statewide research plan.

This image has been released into the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. No endorsement by licensor implied.

Sector Addressed:

Conservation / Restoration

Summary:

The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, one of Mass Audubon’s protected areas in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has initiated an oyster reef habitat restoration project on the intertidal flats of Lieutenant Island. This project was created to boost local populations of the wild American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and to restore oyster reef habitat and the ecological services it provides.

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Sector Addressed:

Development (socioeconomic)

Forestry

Tourism / Recreation

Transportation / Infrastructure

Summary:

In 2008, the City of Kimberley, British Columbia, was selected as a pilot project for the Columbia Basin Trust’s initiative called Communities Adapting to Climate Change. The project identified climate change impacts of local concern, prioritized areas of vulnerability, and developed recommendations for adaptation strategies that the city of Kimberley can implement.