Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 2012 / Notices 2993 

Public use will be a blend of active 

and passive. Horseback riding and 

bicycling will continue, but camping 

will be eliminated. The Soda Lake 

Campground will be converted to dayuse facilities, and the area around the 

Bluebird Campground will be available 

by permit for day use as an educational 

site. Morgan Lake Road will be closed 

to overnight travel. Facilities with 

increased accessibility will be 

developed to promote compatible 

hunting and fishing. Waterfowl and big 

game hunting opportunities will be 

expanded by opening new areas; 

providing for additional hunting 

weapons; and implementing additional 

youth hunt days, areas, and seasons. 

The waterfowl hunting lottery will be 

discontinued in favor of first-come, firstserved hunting. A new hiking and 

interpretive trail will be developed 

within the Drumheller Channel National 

Natural Landmark in cooperation with 

the National Park Service. Seasonal and 

permanent wildlife observation blinds 

will be provided. New interpretive and 

educational programs and brochures 

will be developed, with an emphasis on 

building the volunteer program to 

manage them. The Sandhill Crane 

Festival will remain a priority. Fish 

stocking by the Washington Department 

of Fish and Wildlife will continue, with 

an approved fisheries management plan, 

but will be discontinued in lakes where 

there is the highest likelihood of success 

for northern leopard frog recovery. 

Step-down plans on informational 

and interpretive signs, cultural resource 

management, habitat management, and 

other management areas related to the 

goals and objectives in this CCP will be 

developed. Water rights and/or 

agreements will be pursued to ensure 

the availability of water for moist soil 

management. 

Public Availability of Documents 

In addition to the methods in 

ADDRESSES, you can view or obtain 

documents at the following locations: 

• Agency Web Site: www.fws.gov/ 

pacific/planning/. 

• Public Library: Othello Branch of 

Mid-Columbia Libraries, 101 East Main 

Street, Othello, WA 99344; (509) 488– 

9683. 

Dated: November 17, 2011. 

Michael Carrier, 

Acting Regional Director, Pacific Region, 

Portland, Oregon. 

[FR Doc. 2012–1113 Filed 1–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R2–ES–2011–N254; 

FXES11120200000F2–112–FF02ENEH00] 

Final Environmental Impact Statement 

and Record of Decision on Oncor 

Electric Delivery Company’s Habitat 

Conservation Plan for 100 Texas 

Counties 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Department of the Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, make available the 

final environmental impact statement 

(EIS), and final record of decision under 

the National Environmental Policy Act 

of 1969 analyzing the impacts of the 

issuance of an incidental take permit for 

implementation of the final Oncor 

Electric Delivery LLC’s Habitat 

Conservation Plan (HCP). Our decision 

is to issue a 30-year incidental take 

permit to Oncor for implementation of 

the preferred alternative (described 

below), which authorizes incidental 

take of animal species and impacts to 

plant species listed under the 

Endangered Species Act of 1973, as 

amended. Oncor has agreed to 

implement avoidance, minimization, 

and mitigation measures to offset 

impacts to these species, as described in 

their HCP. 

DATES: We will issue a final permit no 

sooner than 30 days after publication of 

this notice. Comments on the final EIS 

and HCP will be accepted until 

February 21, 2012. 

ADDRESSES: For where to review 

documents and submit comments, see 

Reviewing Documents and Submitting 

Comments in SUPPLEMENTARY

INFORMATION. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 Burnet 

Road, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78758 or 

(512) 490–0057. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: We, the 

Service, announce the availability of the 

final environmental impact statement 

(EIS) and record of decision (ROD), 

which we developed in compliance 

with the agency decision-making 

requirements of the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 

amended (NEPA), as well as the final 

Oncor Electric Delivery LLC (Oncor) 

Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) as 

submitted by the applicant. All 

alternatives have been described in 

detail, evaluated, and analyzed in our 

December 2011 final EIS and Oncor’s 

HCP. The ROD documents the rationale 

for our decision. 

Based on our review of the 

alternatives and their environmental 

consequences as described in our final 

EIS, we have selected Alternative 1, the 

proposed HCP. The proposed action is 

to issue Oncor an incidental take permit 

(ITP) under section 10(a)(1)(B) of the 

Endangered Species Act (Act) of 1973, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) that 

authorizes incidental take of animal 

species and impacts to plant species. 

The term of the permit is 30 years 

(2012–2042), and it would include the 

following species that are endangered 

and threatened (also referred to as 

‘‘covered species’’): 

Endangered 

Large-fruited sand-verbena (Abronia 

macrocarpa) 

Texas poppy-mallow (Callirhoe 

scabriuscula) 

Navasota ladies’-tresses (Spiranthes 

parksii) 

American burying beetle (Nicrophorus 

americanus) 

Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) 

Whooping crane (Grus americana) 

Golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica 

chrysoparia) 

Black-capped vireo (Vireo atricapilla) 

Red-cockaded woodpecker (Picoides 

borealis) 

Threatened 

Pecos sunflower (Helianthus paradoxus) 

Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus 

luteolus) 

Take of listed plant species is not 

defined in the Act, although the Act 

does identify several prohibitions. 

However, because covered species in 

the Oncor HCP include both plants and 

animals, in the following discussion we 

use the term ‘‘incidental take’’ when 

discussing impacts to covered plants, as 

well as actual incidental take of covered 

animals. 

Oncor will implement avoidance, 

minimization, and mitigation measures 

to offset impacts to covered species 

according to their HCP. For all but the 

whooping crane, impacts will be 

mitigated through purchase of 

mitigation credits from a Serviceapproved conservation bank, purchasing 

high-quality habitat near the impact 

area, or if purchase of land is not a 

viable mitigation option (e.g., mitigation 

necessary to offset impacts does not 

generate sufficient funds to purchase a 

reasonable amount of land to support 

the conservation of the species), 

additional options will be explored with 

the Service as described in the HCP. 

Within 1 mile of confirmed or 

potentially suitable stopover habitat for 


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2994 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 2012 / Notices 

the whooping crane, Oncor will (1) 

mark all new transmission lines with 

bird flight diverters, (2) place 

transmission or distribution lines 

underground, or (3) relocate or remove 

transmission or distribution lines. 

Additionally, existing transmission or 

distribution lines within 1 mile of 

confirmed or potentially suitable 

stopover habitat will also be marked 

with bird flight diverters, equal to the 

number of new lines constructed that 

require marking with bird flight 

diverters. 

Background 

Oncor applied to the Service for an 

ITP. As part of the permit application, 

Oncor developed the HCP to meet the 

requirements of an ITP. Our issuance of 

an ITP and implementation of the HCP 

allow Oncor to incidentally take the 

covered species during construction, 

operation, and maintenance of various 

facilities (e.g., electric transmission and 

distribution lines), as well as during 

emergency response work (covered 

activities). The proposed plan area is 

100 of Oncor’s 102-county service area, 

excluding Travis and Williamson 

counties, where any impacts to listed 

species will be authorized under 

existing permits (see map 1–1 in the 

HCP). The proposed covered area 

includes any area within Oncor’s 

service area where covered activities are 

expected to affect listed species during 

the 30-year ITP term. 

The Secretary of the Interior has 

delegated to the Service the authority to 

approve or deny an ITP in accordance 

with the Act. To act on Oncor’s permit 

application, we must determine that the 

HCP meets the issuance criteria 

specified in the Act and in the Code of 

Federal Regulations (CFR) at 50 CFR 

17.22 and 17.32. The issuance of an ITP 

is a Federal action subject to NEPA 

compliance, including the Council on 

Environmental Quality Regulations for 

Implementing the Procedural Provisions 

of NEPA (40 CFR 1500–1508). 

On July 15, 2011, we issued a draft 

EIS and requested public comment on 

our evaluation of the potential impacts 

associated with issuance of an ITP for 

implementation of the HCP and to 

evaluate alternatives, along with the 

draft HCP (76 FR 41808). We included 

public comments and responses 

associated with the draft EIS and draft 

HCP in the final EIS. 

Purpose and Need 

The purpose of the section 10(a)(l)(B) 

permit is to authorize incidental take 

associated with the covered activities 

described above. We identified key 

issues and relevant factors through 

public scoping, working with other 

agencies and groups, and comments 

from the public. We received responses 

from three Federal agencies and one 

State agency. The National Park Service 

had no comment, the Environmental 

Protection Agency had ‘‘no objections’’ 

to implementation of the preferred 

alternative, and the Federal Aviation 

Administration encouraged Oncor to 

coordinate with them on any projects 

that would affect navigable airspace 

(Federal Aviation Regulations Part 77). 

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department 

(TPWD) had more substantive 

comments, including requesting 

clarification regarding how mitigation 

would be implemented, a request to be 

included on any committees formed to 

determine mitigation strategies, the 

control of invasive species, covering 

additional rare species within the action 

area, and obtaining any necessary 

permits from TPWD for State-listed 

species. The Service believes these 

comments are addressed and reasonably 

accommodated in the final documents. 

No new significant issues arose 

following publication of the draft 

documents. 

Alternatives 

We considered three alternatives in 

the EIS. 

Alternative 1—Preferred Alternative: 

Our selected alternative is the proposed 

HCP with a 30-year term, and the 

preferred alternative (Alternative 1) as 

described in the final EIS, which 

provides for the issuance of an ITP to 

Oncor for incidental take of the covered 

species that is anticipated to occur as a 

result of covered activities. This 

alternative includes the implementation 

of measures to avoid, minimize, and 

mitigate (mitigation measures described 

above) impacts from the potential 

incidental take to the maximum extent 

practicable. This alternative also 

provides conservation measures for 

covered species and the mechanism for 

streamlined compliance with the Act. 

No Action Alternative: Under the NoAction Alternative, the Service would 

not issue an incidental take permit for 

a programmatic HCP. Instead, Oncor 

would seek an individual section 

10(a)(1)(B) incidental take permit, or 

coverage under a section 7 consultation 

where a Federal nexus (authorized by a 

Federal agency [e.g., section 404 permit 

under the Clean Water Act]) exists, on 

a project-by-project basis over the next 

30 years if activities could result in 

incidental take of any federally listed 

species within the proposed permit 

area. 

Alternative 2 (50-year permit 

duration): Under this alternative the 

permit duration would be 50 years, 

rather than 30. The covered activities, 

proposed permit area, and covered 

species would be the same as the 

preferred alternative. The avoidance and 

minimization discussed in the proposed 

HCP would be the same, but the 

additional 20-year duration would 

likely result in a greater amount of 

incidental take. 

Decision 

We intend to issue an ITP allowing 

Oncor to implement the preferred 

alternative (Alternative 1), as it is 

described in the final EIS. Our decision 

is based on a thorough review of the 

alternatives and their environmental 

consequences. Implementation of this 

decision entails the issuance of the ITP, 

including all terms and conditions 

governing the permit. Implementation of 

this decision requires adherence to all of 

the minimization and mitigation 

measures specified in the HCP, as well 

as monitoring and adaptive management 

measures. 

Rationale for Decision 

We have selected the preferred 

alternative (Alternative 1) for 

implementation based on multiple 

environmental and social factors, 

including potential impacts and benefits 

to covered species and their habitat, the 

extent and effectiveness of avoidance, 

minimization, and mitigation measures, 

and social and economic considerations. 

We did not choose the No Action 

Alternative because, as compared with 

the preferred alternative, a project-byproject approach for complying with the 

Act would be more time-consuming and 

less efficient, and would result in 

piecemeal mitigation incapable of 

providing comprehensive or comparable 

net benefits to covered species. While 

Alternative 2 would result in a greater 

amount of mitigation, it was not chosen 

because of the uncertainties associated 

with planning and implementation over 

such an extended duration, 50 years, 

which would likely result in the need to 

modify or amend the permit, resulting 

in inefficiencies and limiting the 

effectiveness of the HCP. 

In order to issue an ITP, we must 

ascertain that the HCP meets the 

issuance criteria set forth in 16 U.S.C. 

1539(a)(2)(A) and (B). We have made 

that determination based on the criteria 

summarized below: 

1. The taking will be incidental. We 

find that the take will be incidental to 

otherwise lawful activities, including 

the proposed construction, operation, 

and maintenance of various facilities 

(e.g., electric transmission and 

distribution lines), as well as emergency 


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Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 2012 / Notices 2995 

response work. The take of individuals 

of the covered species will be primarily 

due to the indirect impacts of habitat 

destruction and/or alteration. 

2. The applicant will, to the 

maximum extent practicable, minimize 

and mitigate the impacts of such 

takings. Oncor has committed to a wide 

variety of conservation measures and 

other strategies designed to avoid and 

minimize harm to the covered species, 

including monitoring and adaptive 

management, and will mitigate for any 

unavoidable loss through purchase of 

conservation credits and/or land 

acquisition. The mitigation will be 

commensurate with the actual level of 

take. In addition, Oncor has included 

provisions for changed circumstances 

that are reasonably foreseeable during 

the term of the permit. These strategies 

will ensure that impacts from the 

proposed taking are minimized and 

mitigated to the maximum extent 

practicable. Mitigation will be in place 

prior to occurrence of the take (i.e., 

construction through habitat). 

3. The applicant will develop an HCP 

and ensure that adequate funding for 

the HCP will be provided. Oncor has 

developed and will implement their 

HCP. Section 6 of the HCP describes 

avoidance and minimization measures, 

including conservation measures and 

best management practices that will be 

written into project descriptions and 

budgets. These are standard practices 

and expenses that Oncor funds on all of 

their existing projects. It also describes 

the mitigation Oncor has agreed to 

undertake for unavoidable impacts that 

will be provided prior to occurrence of 

anticipated take (i.e., construction 

through habitat). 

The Service’s no surprises assurances 

are discussed in the HCP and measures 

to address changed circumstances have 

been identified. Adaptive management 

will be used to direct changes to 

conservation, mitigation, or 

management measures and monitoring 

when needed. Unforeseen 

circumstances would be addressed 

through the Service’s close coordination 

with Oncor in the implementation of the 

HCP, and Oncor has committed to a 

coordination process to address such 

circumstances. We have, therefore, 

determined that Oncor’s financial 

commitment and plan, along with their 

willingness to address changed and 

unforeseen circumstances in a 

cooperative fashion, is sufficient to meet 

this criterion. 

If needed, Oncor will arrange for an 

unconditional irrevocable stand-by 

letter of credit to be issued to the 

Service in the amount of the expected 

mitigation cost, as calculated in Section 

6 of the HCP that will be issued by a 

nationally recognized banking 

institution acceptable to the Service 

with an expiration date that extends 

through the expected completion date of 

the mitigation measures. 

4. The taking will not appreciably 

reduce the likelihood of the survival and 

recovery of any listed species in the 

wild. As the Federal action agency 

considering whether to issue an ITP to 

Oncor, we have reviewed the proposed 

action under section 7 of the Act. Our 

biological opinion, dated January 5, 

2012, concluded that issuance of the ITP 

will not jeopardize the continued 

existence of the covered species in the 

wild. No areas designated as critical 

habitat for the Houston toad or 

whooping crane are expected to be 

affected. The biological opinion also 

analyzes other listed species within the 

planning area and concludes that the 

direct and indirect effect of the issuance 

of the ITP will not appreciably reduce 

the likelihood of survival and recovery 

of other listed species or adverse 

modification of any designated critical 

habitat within the permit area. 

5. The applicant agrees to implement 

other measures that the Service requires 

as being necessary or appropriate for 

the purposes of the HCP. We have 

assisted Oncor in the development of 

the HCP. We commented on draft 

documents, participated in numerous 

meetings and conference calls, and 

worked closely with Oncor during every 

step of plan and document preparation, 

so that conservation of the covered 

species would be assured and recovery 

would not be precluded by the covered 

activities. The HCP incorporates our 

recommendations for minimization and 

mitigation of impacts, as well as steps 

to monitor the effects of the HCP and 

ensure success. Annual monitoring, as 

well as coordination and reporting 

mechanisms, have been designed to 

ensure that changes in conservation 

measures can be implemented if 

proposed measures prove ineffective 

(adaptive management) or impacts 

exceed estimates (changed 

circumstances). It is our position that no 

additional measures are required to 

implement the intent and purpose of the 

HCP to those detailed in the HCP and 

its associated ITP. 

We have determined that the 

preferred alternative best balances the 

protection and management of habitat 

for covered species, while allowing and 

providing a streamlined process for 

compliance with the Act for continued 

construction, operation, and 

maintenance of electric facilities within 

Oncor’s service area. Considerations 

used in this decision include whether 

(1) mitigation will benefit the covered 

species; (2) mitigation lands will be 

managed for the species in perpetuity; 

(3) other conservation measures will 

protect and enhance habitat; (4) 

mitigation measures for the covered 

species will fully offset anticipated 

impacts to the species and provide 

recovery opportunities; and (5) the HCP 

is consistent with the covered species’ 

recovery plans. 

A final permit decision will be made 

no sooner than 30 days after the 

publication of this notice of availability 

and completion of the record of 

decision. 

Reviewing Documents and Submitting 

Comments 

You may obtain copies of the final 

EIS, final ROD, and final HCP by going 

to http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/ 

AustinTexas/. Alternatively, you may 

obtain compact disks with electronic 

copies of these documents by writing to 

Mr. Adam Zerrenner, Field Supervisor, 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 10711 

Burnet Road Suite 200, Austin, TX 

78758; calling (512) 490–0057; or faxing 

(512) 490–0974. A limited number of 

printed copies of the final EIS and final 

HCP are also available, by request, from 

Mr. Zerrenner. Copies of the final EIS 

and final HCP are also available for 

public inspection and review at the 

following locations (by appointment 

only): 

• Department of the Interior, Natural 

Resources Library, 1849 C. St. NW., 

Washington, DC 20240. 

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 500 

Gold Avenue SW., Room 6034, 

Albuquerque, NM 87102. 

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 

10711 Burnet Road, Suite 200, Austin, 

TX 78758. 

Persons wishing to review the 

application may obtain a copy by 

writing to the Regional Director, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 

1306, Room 6034, Albuquerque, NM 

87103. Written comments may be 

submitted to Mr. Adam Zerrenner (see 

above). 

Public Availability of Comments 

Written comments we receive become 

part of the public record associated with 

this action. Before including your 

address, phone number, email address, 

or other personal identifying 

information in your comment, you 

should be aware that your entire 

comment—including your personal 

identifying information—may be made 

publicly available at any time. While 

you can request in your comment that 

we withhold your personal identifying 

information from public review, we 


wreier-aviles on DSK5TPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
2996 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 13 / Friday, January 20, 2012 / Notices 

cannot guarantee that we will be able to 

do so. We will not consider anonymous 

comments. All submissions from 

organizations or businesses, and from 

individuals identifying themselves as 

representatives or officials of 

organizations or businesses, will be 

made available for public disclosure in 

their entirety. 

Authority 

We provide this notice under section 

10(c) of the Act (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) 

and its implementing regulations (50 

CFR 17.22) and NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321 

et seq.) and its implementing 

regulations (40 CFR 1506.6). 

Dated: December 28, 2011. 

David C. Mendias, 

Acting Regional Director, Region 2, 

Albuquerque, New Mexico. 

[FR Doc. 2012–830 Filed 1–19–12; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–55–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Fish and Wildlife Service 

[FWS–R9–SATD–2011–N263; 

FXSC142009000009A–123–FF09S0000] 

National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants 

Climate Adaptation Strategy 

AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability; request 

for comments; announcement of public 

workshops. 

SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (Service), along with 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration (NOAA, Department of 

Commerce) and other Federal, State, 

and tribal partners, announce that we 

are seeking public comments and input 

regarding the draft National Fish, 

Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation 

Strategy (Strategy). The purpose of the 

Strategy will be 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. In addition to this request for 

written comments, several public 

workshops will be conducted in order to 

provide additional opportunities for 

public involvement and discussion of 

the draft. The draft Strategy is available 

at the following link: http://www.

wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/publicreview-draft.php. 

DATES: Submitting Comments: To ensure 

that we are able to consider your 

comments, we must receive them by 

March 5, 2012 (see ADDRESSES). 

Public Workshops: Five workshops 

are being planned for the public. One 

workshop will be held in Washington, 

DC, and four additional workshops will 

be held at various regional venues 

around the country (Albany, NY; 

Charleston, SC; Madison, WI; and 

Sacramento, CA). Dates and addresses of 

the public workshops will be posted on 

the Strategy Web site (www.

wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov) as they 

become available. For more details, see 

ADDRESSES. 

There will be two additional public 

workshops held as online web 

conferences or ‘‘webinars,’’ during 

which interested members of the public 

will be able to participate remotely. 

These web conferences will be held on 

January 26, 2012, and February 22, 

2012. 

We request that all persons planning 

to attend a workshop in person or 

participate via a webinar register at 

http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.

gov/public-workshops.php prior to the 

event. For more information or to 

register, please see ‘‘IV., Meeting 

Participation Information,’’ under 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION. 

Tribal Consultation Sessions: Eight 

Tribal consultation sessions are being 

planned for January and February 2012. 

These consultation sessions will be held 

in Anchorage, AK; Albany, NY; 

Albuquerque, NM; Charleston, SC; 

Madison, WI; Oklahoma City, OK; 

Sacramento, CA; and Shelton, WA. 

Dates and addresses for the tribal 

consultation sessions will be posted on 

the strategy Web site (www.wildlife

adaptationstrategy.gov) as they become 

available. 

ADDRESSES: Public Comments: To 

provide comments and feedback on the 

draft Strategy, please visit http://www.

wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/publiccomments.php. Alternatively, you may 

send comments by U.S. mail to the 

Office of the Science Advisor, Attn: 

National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants 

Climate Adaptation Strategy, U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax 

Drive, Suite 222, Arlington, VA 22203. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Mark Shaffer, Office of the Science 

Advisor, at (703) 358–2603 (telephone) 

or wildlifeadaptationstrategy@fws.gov 

(email), or via the Strategy Web site at 

http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.

gov/contact-us.php. If you use a 

telecommunications device for the deaf 

(TDD), please call the Federal 

Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 

(800) 877–8339. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 

cooperation with NOAA and other 

Federal, State, and tribal partners, we 

are soliciting public comments on the 

draft National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants 

Climate Adaptation Strategy (Strategy). 

The adverse impacts of climate 

change transcend political and 

administrative boundaries. No single 

entity or level of government can 

safeguard wildlife and society against 

the effects of climate change. When 

finalized, this draft Strategy will present 

a unified approach—reflecting shared 

principles and science-based practices— 

for reducing the negative impacts of 

climate change on fish, wildlife, plants, 

habitats, and our natural resource 

heritage. The Strategy will provide a 

basis for sensible actions that can be 

taken now, in spite of the uncertainties 

that exist about precise impacts of 

climate change. It also will provide 

guidance about what further actions are 

most likely to promote natural resource 

adaptation to climate change, and will 

describe mechanisms that will foster 

collaboration among all levels of 

government, conservation organizations, 

and private landowners. 

I. Background 

Climate change affects more than 

temperature. According to the U.S. 

Global Change Research Program, 

impacts include shifts in rainfall and 

storm patterns, increasing wildfires, and 

more frequent water shortages, as well 

as rising sea levels, loss of sea ice, ocean 

acidification, and coastal flooding and 

erosion. Given the magnitude of the 

observed changes in climate, it is not 

surprising that fish, wildlife, and plant 

resources in the United States and 

around the world are already being 

affected. The impacts can be seen 

everywhere, from working landscapes 

like tree farms and pastures to 

wilderness areas far from human 

habitation. As the climate continues to 

change over the next century, so too will 

the effects on species, ecosystems, and 

their functions. Furthermore, climateinduced changes are also likely to 

exacerbate existing stresses like habitat 

loss and fragmentation, putting 

additional pressure on our nation’s 

valued living resources. 

Rapid warming may also begin to 

threaten the benefits that natural 

systems provide to people and 

communities, creating new challenges 

for human health, infrastructure, 

agriculture, transportation, and energy 

supplies. At risk are clean air and water; 

flood and erosion control; natural 

resource jobs and income; hunting, 

fishing, and wildlife-related recreation; 

and, ultimately, our quality of life. 


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