The Obama Administration has released the first nationwide strategy on climate  adaptation. The strategy does not include any mandatory actions, but is meant to “inspire” and to help public and private decision makers address the impacts that climate change is purportedly having on natural resources and the people and economies that depend on them.

Taken together with recent recommendations by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), industry can get a better focus on what appears to be President Obama’s reinvigorated interest in climate change.

The Climate Adaptation Strategy identifies seven key steps that are meant to help safeguard the nation’s fish, wildlife and plants in a changing climate:

1. Conserve habitat to support healthy fish, wildlife, and plant populations and ecosystem functions;
2. Manage species and habitats to protect ecosystem functions and provide sustainable commercial, subsistence, recreational and cultural use;
3. Enhance capacity for effective management;
4. Support adaptive management through integrated observation and monitoring and use of decision support tools;
5. Increase knowledge and information on impacts and responses of fish, wildlife, and plants;
6. Increase awareness and motivate action to safeguard fish, wildlife, and plants; and
7. Reduce non-climate stressors to help fish, wildlife, plants, and ecosystems adapt.

The release of the Climate Adaptation Strategy comes fast on the heels of recommendations by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). The PCAST recommendations are in response to a request from President Obama for advice on preparing initiatives to tackle perceived challenges posed by climate change.

Click here for information concerning the PCAST recommendations PCAST recommendations.