Lynn Helbrecht Climate Change/SWAP Coordinator Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

1. Making Climate Change part of everyday decisions Lynn Helbrecht Climate Change/SWAP Coordinator Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2. “Talk is not enough Climate Changing; heat is on, Time to do something.” Lynn Helbrecht Climate Change/SWAP Coordinator Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

3. FOR TODAY -- TWO TOPICS: • Brief overview of WDFW’s approach to addressing climate change. • Lessons learned in the last 3 years – and how we are modifying our program as a result

4. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change EDUCATION Building our capacity to respond COLLABORATION With agencies, tribes, conservation partners SCIENCE Assessing the vulnerability of fish, wildlife and their habitat to climate change INTEGRATION integrating adaptation into core work

5. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change WDFW lead a stakeholder advisory group to develop recommendations for fish, wildlife and plants for the Washington State Integrated Climate response Strategy. Prepared in response to 2009 state legislation – the Climate Leadership Act

6. Washington’s Climate Change Response Strategy Table of Contents Integrated State Climate Change Response Strategy released March, 2012

7. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change EDUCATION Building our capacity to respond COLLABORATION With agencies, tribes and conservation partners SCIENCE Assessing the vulnerability of fish, wildlife and their habitat to climate change INTEGRATION Identifying adaptation opportunities and integrating to our core work

8. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change SCIENCE Assessing the vulnerability of fish, wildlife and their habitat to climate change EDUCATION Building our capacity to respond COLLABORATION With agencies, tribes and conservation partners INTEGRATION Identifying adaptation opportunities and integrating into our core work

9. Examples of Climate Science at WDFW • Pacific Northwest Climate Change Vulnerability Study [in progress]

10. Pacific Northwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment • Designed to answer the questions: • Which species and systems are most sensitive to climate change? • Which places are likely to see the most change? • Which species and systems will be able to adapt? • How can managers use this information to inform their work? Partners: USGS, UW, TNC, WDFW, IDFG, U of I, NWF Results and Data can be found at: http://www.climatevulnerability.org/

12. American Pika Sensitivity & Confidence Scores https://courses.washington.edu/ccdb/drupal

13. Sensitivity Index for WA’s SGCN 58 Birds

14. Climate Gradient Corridors Analysis Statewide product identifies areas for species to move from warmer to cooler temperatures. KEY ASSUMPTIONS Species ranges will move to track suitable climates. Climatic gradients between core areas will remain largely constant. Species range shifts will be more likely to occur through natural areas. For more information: waconnected.org/climate-change-analysis/

15. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change COLLABORATION With agencies, tribes and conservation partners SCIENCE Assessing the vulnerability of fish, wildlife and their habitat to climate change EDUCATION Building our capacity to respond INTEGRATION Identifying adaptation opportunities and integrating into our core work

16. How will climate change affect WDFW? • Acquisition of new lands for habitat • Restoration projects – will our investment continue to provide expected benefits over time? • Technical Assistance and Grants– are we providing appropriate guidance for marine and riparian areas? • Species management and recovery planning • Permitting – are we adequately considering the risk of increased/low flows? • Planning processes – SWAP, wildlife management areas, business plans • Infrastructure; culverts, roads, hatcheries, stream crossings.

17. PART II – WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED?

18. Lesson #1 Identify “Climate Sensitive” decisions first, THEN figure out what science or other tools are needed to inform those decisions.

19. HOW? • Two-day workshop with WDFW managers in fisheries and aquatic resources, focused on the Skagit Watershed • Small groups identify climate sensitive decisions: • Harvest Management, • Hatcheries • Habitat Restoration • Fish Passage • Habitat Acquisition • Hydraulic Permit Approvals

20. HARVEST MANAGEMENT

21. HARVEST MANAGEMENT

23. Lesson #2 The “inquiry” – asking the climate question is a critical step. Providing guidance and tools to do this in a structured, systematic manner is key. Identifying and documenting “why” a decision, project, species or habitat is climate sensitive, rather than a relative ranking or absolute score.

24. Sensitivity Index for WA’s SGCNs 58 Birds (12 incomplete)

25. Lesson #3: Climate change data has to be presented in the context of existing stressors

26. Pacific Northwest Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment • Designed to answer the questions: • Which species and systems are most sensitive to climate change? • Which places are likely to see the most change? • Which species and systems will be able to adapt? • How can managers use this information to inform their work? Partners: USGS, UW, TNC, WDFW, IDFG, U of I, NWF Results and Data can be found at: http://www.climatevulnerability.org/

27. Lesson #4: Successful adaptation to climate change means doing more of what we already do (selectively), NOT a wholesale new approach • . Climate change information should help us target existing efforts. Possibly also to bring more support to efforts that will increase resilience.

28. WDFW and its partners spend billions of dollars restoring salmon habitat in Washington. How could we use a climate change lens to target those resources? Slide credit: Tim Beechie, NW Fisheries Science Center

29. Salmon Restoration and Climate Adaptation Slide credit: Tim Beechie, NW Fisheries Science Center

30. WHAT’S NEXT? WHERE ARE WE HEADED? • Develop a Climate Adaptation Handbook – consisting of a series of real life pilot projects. • Work with active projects • Focus on integration – not climate as a stand-alone. • Pilot projects include: • Culvert replacement • State Wildlife Action Plan • Nearshorerestoration grant program, • Oak-prairie restoration projects, • Wildlife area management plans • Technical assistance – riparian/marine shoreline • Departmental policy requiring consideration of climate change in project design.

31. WDFW: responding to the challenge of climate change EDUCATION Building our capacity to respond COLLABORATION With agencies, tribes and conservation partners SCIENCE Assessing the vulnerability of fish, wildlife and their habitat to climate change INTEGRATION Identifying adaptation opportunities and integrating to our core work

32. Lynn Helbrecht Climate Change/SWAP Coordinator WDFW 360-902-2238 Lynn.helbrecht@dfw.wa.gov