Climate Adaptation Planning: from Vulnerability Assessment to Strategy Identification

1. Climate Adaptation Planning: from Vulnerability Assessment to Strategy Identification -A New York Workshop Case Study- Chris Hilke Climate Change Adaptation Program National Wildlife Federation hilkec@nwf.org

2. Identifying Adaptation Strategies: Utilizing the “New Hampshire Method” Identify adaptation targets (species-habitats) Summarize the vulnerability of the targets Develop full range of adaptation options Prioritize adaptation options Identify potential implementation partners Group, Filter, and Highlight

3. NY Adaptation Workshop Stage 1: Summarize Vulnerability Data Stage 2: Identify Vulnerable Targets Stage 3: Delineate Breakout Groups Stage 4: Identify “Operationally Feasible” Adaptation Strategies Stage 6: Prioritize strategies

4. Adaptation Strategy Gradients Identifying “Operationally Feasible” Strategies General Specific Low cost Low engineering High cost Multi-phase Long-term Implementation Near-term Implementation

5. Stage 1: Summarize Vulnerability Data • New York Habitat Vulnerability Assessment Galbraith, H. et al. 2012 • Vulnerability of At-risk Species to Climate Change in New York Schlesinger, M. et al. 2011

6. Stage 2: Identify Vulnerable Targets • Freshwater Systems • Species: • Dwarf Wedge Mussel • Bog Turtle • Lake Sturgeon • Hellbender • Habitats: • Cold water habitats • Emergent marsh • Shrub swamp • Stratified lakes • Upland Systems • Species: • Spruce Grouse • Indiana Bat • Karner Blue butterfly • Moose • Habitats: • Montane Spruce-fir • N. Hardwood forests • Tundra • Boreal bog

7. Stage 3: Delineate Breakout Groups Upland Systems Freshwater Systems • Target Vulnerability • Summary • Climate Exposure Summary • Example Adaptation Strategies

8. Stage 4: Identify “Operationally Feasible” Adaptation Strategies • 30 minutes per target to identify as many strategies as possible that increase the resiliency and/or adaptive capacity of the targets FHWA

9. Stage 5: Prioritize Strategies

10. Group, Filter and Highlight Group strategies by common theme, category Filter groups based upon feasibility, cost, implementation potential Highlight a suite of top 5 strategies for each target

11. Upland Systems: Habitats • Montane spruce-fir • Patch clear cut management for fir regeneration • Expand Catskills to ADK to Canada connectivity • N. Hardwood forests • Manage for southern spp./promote climate-resilient assemblages • Conduct deer management based on vegetation cover metrics • Tundra • Limit visitation impacts with trail carrying capacity limits • Monitor tundra pollinators • Boreal bog • Reduce bog draining and peat harvest on private lands • Implement existing wetland protection strategies

12. Upland Systems: Species • Spruce Grouse • Facilitate range shift through connectivity • Monitor likely disappearance • Facilitate translocation for isolated populations • Indiana Bat • Landowner incentives to maintain snags • Increased investment in fungal disease research • Increased hibernacula protection measures • Moose • Improve connectivity across altitudinal gradients - over-underpass • Reduce deer population for disease management • Karner Blue butterfly • Continue/expand prescribed fire for habitat restoration • Protect/manage islands around core habitat to facilitate meta-population dynamics

13. Freshwater Systems: Habitats • Cold water habitats • Acquire intact “in fee” lands along shores and stream banks • Stream management programs for local communities • Emergent marsh • Amend state wetland maps to include > wetlands – utilize previous wetland map expansions • Increase staff to implement current program objectives • Shrub swamp • Remove obsolete impoundments to restore natural hydrology • Increase capacity-funding for existing water protection program implementation • Stratified lakes • Improve sewage facilities for lakeshore residents – stormwater • Expand watershed management focus for nonpoint discharges

14. Freshwater Systems: Species • Dwarf Wedge Mussel • Decrease in-stream disturbance • Increase aquatic connectivity - dam removal • Improve water quality • Bog Turtle • Control sediment runoff • Acquisition of habitat for key populations • Develop captive breeding program • Lake Sturgeon • Reduce length of harvest season • Minimize water withdrawal impacts - entrainment • Hellbender • Unblock migration routes – aquatic connectivity • Population re-establishment in climate-appropriate habitats

15. Thank You Lake Champlain, VT Chris Hilke National Wildlife Federation hilkec@nwf.org