The overarching goal of the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy is to provide a nation-wide unified approach—reflecting shared principles and science-based practices—to safeguard the nation’s biodiversity, ecosystem functions and sustainable human uses of fish, wildlife and plants in a changing climate.
Our Vision
Ecological systems will sustain healthy, diverse, and abundant populations of fish, wildlife, and plants. These systems will provide valuable cultural, economic, and environmental benefits in a world impacted by global climate change.
Purpose
The purpose of the Strategy is to inspire and enable natural resource professionals and other decision makers to take action to conserve the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystem functions, as well as the human uses and values these natural systems provide, in a changing climate. The Strategy provides a basis for sensible actions that can be taken now, as well as guidance on climate adaptation measures to safeguard natural resources against future climate change impacts. It also describes mechanisms for encouraging collaboration among all levels of government, conservation organizations and private landowners.
Goals
The Strategy identifies seven goals to help fish, wildlife, plants and ecosystems cope with the impacts of climate change. These goals were developed collectively by diverse teams of federal, state, and tribal technical experts, based on existing research and understanding regarding the needs of these valuable resources.
Goal 1: Conserve habitat to support healthy fish, wildlife and plant populations and ecosystem functions in a changing climate.
Goal 2: Manage species and habitats to protect ecosystem functions and provide sustainable cultural, subsistence, recreational, and commercial use in a changing climate.
Goal 3: Enhance capacity for effective management in a changing climate.
Goal 4: Support adaptive management in a changing climate through integrated observation and monitoring and improved decision support tools.
Goal 5: Increase knowledge and information on impacts and responses of fish, wildlife and plants to a changing climate.
Goal 6: Increase awareness and motivate action to safeguard fish, wildlife and plants in a changing climate.
Goal 7: Reduce non-climate stressors to help fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems adapt to a changing climate.
Guiding Principles
We adopted the following principles to lead and implement the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy:
- Build a national framework for cooperative response.
- Foster communication and collaboration across government and non-government entities.
- Engage the public.
- Adopt a landscape/seascape-based approach that integrates best-available science and adaptive management.
- Integrate strategies for natural resources adaptation with those of other sectors.
- Focus actions and investments on natural resources of the U.S. and its Territories.
- Identify critical scientific and management needs.
- Identify opportunities to integrate climate adaptation and mitigation efforts.
- Act now.
