USDA Forest Service Response to Climate Change

Transcription

1 USDA Forest Service Response to Climate Change Chris Farley National Climate Change Specialist ITEP Tribal Lands Forum 20 August 2013

2 OUR MISSION AND CLIMATE CHANGE Responding to climate change is essential if the Forest Service is to fulfill its mission: To sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America s forests and grasslands for the benefit of present and future generations.

3 2012 National Report on Sustainable Forests Climate change presents profound challenges and opportunities for forests and forestry in the US. We are already seeing altered patterns of forest disturbance associated with changes in temperature, precipitation, and insect activity. The resulting changes in the distribution of forest cover and species distribution will play out over the coming decades.

4 Building climate change into: Research & Development National Forest Systems State & Private Forestry

5 National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change

6 Nationally USFS is Integrating climate change into national programs, research priorities, and guidance/directives to the field Integrating inventory, monitoring, and assessment Interagency coordination Land Management Planning Rule to include consideration of climate change; forests revising under the current rule are also including climate change Improving delivery of science and management tools to all landowners

7 Forest Service Research Adaptation Ecological understanding stressors, extreme event disturbances, and their impacts Human creating and preserving social and economic options for response Mitigation role of forests and grasslands in capturing and storing carbon and offsetting emissions in forests and grasslands, in wood products, and for use in bioenergy

8 All-Station Tribes and Climate Change Project: Catalyzed/Funded establishment of Regional Scientist-Manager Collaborative Networks Regional workshops on climate policy, TEK, and identifying Tribal information needs Development of Climate Change information resources & portfolios Contributions to the National Climate Assessment

9 Other R&D Tribal Engagement Activities Establishment of Tribal Liaisons at each regional Research Station Development of new Roadmap document to highlight and prioritize work with Tribes and indigenous groups Work with USET and South Atlantic LCC to incorporate info on culturally important species and TEK into the Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (TACCIMO) tool

10 The Climate Change Resource Center

11 National Forests & Grasslands

12 Our Nations (plural) forests USFS executes the federal government s general Trust responsibility to Indian & Alaska Native Tribes for management natural resources. Some National Forests & Grasslands proclaimed borders completely overlap Tribal lands. Over 2000 miles of shared borders with reserved lands (either treaty or Executive Order reservations) Use agreements through treaty, etc. for other specific resources Government-to-Government CONSULTATION key to USFS interactions with Tribes and Alaska Natives, but informal technical and staff collaborations are also critical.

13 Climate Change Scorecard Goal for each NFS unit: Yes to 7 out of 10 by 2015

14 FY2011 Baseline Scorecard Assessment

15 On the ground, National Forests are Assessing vulnerability at local and regional scales.

16 On the ground, National Forests are Restoring native species, reconnecting habitat, considering GHG impacts of management actions. Monitoring stream temperatures and wildlife/tree migration.

17 Forest Service State & Private Forestry Forest Legacy Program conservation easements and acquisitions Forest Stewardship Program planning and technical assistance to private landowners Urban & Community Forestry technical and financial assistance to expand green infrastructure Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program - creating markets for small-diameter and low-valued materials removed from forest restoration activities

18 Sustainable Operations FS is committed to reducing consumption of resources in our daily operations Reducing fuel, energy, and water use Increasing use of renewable energy Green purchasing, waste prevention, and recycling Annual virtual summit to share tools and information across the agency Green teams at every level of the agency Madison Ranger District Beaverhead-DeerlodgeNF Ennis, MT

19 Keys to climate change response Leadership commitment Organizational adaptability Rapid science-to-action cycle Management systems for multiple stressors/values Balanced performance-based approach Landscape scale coalitions

20 Thank you Sanford Gifford