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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 199 (Tuesday, October 15, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 83040]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-23649]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Geological Survey

[GX24EN05ESBJF00]

Assessment of Biodiversity and Climate Change; Request for Public 
Comment on the First Draft of Assessment Chapters

AGENCY: U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior.

ACTION: Notice with comment period.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is giving notice of a 
comment period on draft chapters of the Biodiversity and Climate Change 
Assessment.

DATES: Comments regarding the draft chapters of the assessment must be 
submitted by December 16, 2024.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

 Electronic portal: https://contribute.globalchange.gov/ Email to [email protected] Mail to Kate Malpeli, 12201 Sunrise Valley Dr., MS-516, 
Reston, VA 20192, United States

    Instructions: Public comments should be accompanied by the 
commentor's name, phone number, email address, and affiliation (at the 
commentor's discretion).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kate Malpeli by email at 
[email protected] or by telephone at 919-896-5029. 
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of 
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or 
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals 
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within 
their country to make international calls to the point of contact in 
the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Biodiversity underlies nature's 
contributions to people (also known as ecosystem services), including 
food, water, health, hazard protection, and cultural values. Climate 
change is among the primary drivers of biodiversity loss, and well-
managed biodiversity conservation can contribute to climate-change 
mitigation and adaptation. Understanding the interplay between climate 
change and biodiversity is critical for the implementation of effective 
and lasting solutions to climate change and for maintaining 
biodiversity and nature's contributions to people.
    The USGS, the nation's largest water, earth, and biological science 
agency, was charged by the United States Congress in the Fiscal Year 
2022 budget with conducting an assessment that characterizes the state 
of understanding concerning linkages between climate change and 
biodiversity for the United States. Climate change impacts and 
biodiversity drivers cross national boundaries, and accordingly the 
geographic scope of assessment will include neighboring nations, 
particularly Canada and Mexico. The assessment process and report 
production will be led by the USGS, in collaboration with Environment 
and Climate Change Canada and Mexico's La Comisi[oacute]n Nacional para 
el Conocimiento y Uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), and is being 
undertaken by scientists, knowledge holders, practitioners, and policy 
experts from all three countries. Participation includes engagement 
from governments at all levels, universities, nonprofit organizations, 
the private sector, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. The 
assessment will characterize the state of understanding concerning key 
linkages between climate change and biodiversity, identify critical 
knowledge gaps, and summarize implications for biodiversity and 
climate-change policy. The assessment will build on the recently 
completed Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem 
Services (IPBES) global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem 
services and represent a continental contribution to upcoming IPBES 
(and other) knowledge products. The primary product will comprise an 
assessment report, planned for release in early 2025, evaluating the 
relationships between climate and biodiversity in the United States, 
Canada, Mexico, and adjacent regions as appropriate, and identifying 
policy options to conserve biodiversity in the face of climate change.
    As the first milestone, USGS and its partners seek public comments 
on the draft chapters (https://contribute.globalchange.gov/) for the 
assessment of biodiversity and climate change.

Thomas Beard,
Senior Administrator, National Climate Adaptation Science Center.
[FR Doc. 2024-23649 Filed 10-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338-11-P
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