DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN 

2021 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Department of the Interior 

Policy Statement for Climate Adaptation and Resilience 

It is the policy of the Department of the Interior (the Department) to effectively and efficiently confront 

and adapt to the challenges that climate change poses to its mission, programs, operations, and personnel. 

The Department will use the best-available science to take concrete steps to adapt to and mitigate climate 

change impacts on its resources. In addition, the Department will increase its understanding of climate 

change impacts, ensure the integrity of Federal decision-making, and coordinate appropriate and proactive 

responses to impacts on public lands and waters, wildlife, cultural resources, and Tribal resources and 

interests, as well as issues of environmental justice in vulnerable communities. 

The Department will integrate climate change risk, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience in its policies, 

planning, programs, and operations. The Department will prepare for the effects of climate change on its 

various responsibilities, which include the following themes: 

• Promote Climate-Resilient Lands, Waters, and Cultural Resources 

• Advance Climate Equity 

• Transition to a Resilient Clean Energy Economy 

• Support Tribal and Insular Community Resilience 

• Empower the Next Generation of Conservation and Resilience Workers 

The Department is committed to working with other Federal agencies, Tribes, Insular areas, Native 

Hawaiian people, States, local communities, and other public and private partners, domestically and 

abroad, to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change. The Department recognizes its role 

in protecting and mitigating impacts to the public and Tribal lands entrusted to its stewardship for future 

generations and in ensuring that climate adaptation and mitigation strategies are implemented effectively 

and equitably. The Department also recognizes its role in supporting Tribes, Alaska Native villages, and 

Native Hawaiian communities experiencing the most extreme climate change impacts, such as those 

facing relocation, managed retreat, or protect-in-place decisions. Because climate change spans 

jurisdictions, borders, and mission areas, the Department is committed to growing these partnerships to 

establish a whole-of-government approach to tackle the climate crisis. 

The Department plays a key role in the larger federal effort to bolster adaptation, resilience, and 

mitigation to the impacts of climate change. Executive Order 14008, entitled “Tackling the Climate Crisis 

at Home and Abroad” (January 2021) calls for a government-wide approach to the climate crisis that 

reduces climate pollution in every sector of the economy; increases resilience to the impacts of climate 

change; protects public health; conserves our lands, waters, and biodiversity; delivers environmental 

justice; and spurs well-paying jobs and economic growth, especially through innovation, 

commercialization, and deployment of clean energy technologies and infrastructure. 

To implement Executive Order 14008, the Department commits to the following: 

- Approving and Implementing the Department’s Climate Action Plan. The Department’s 

Climate Action Plan evaluates climate change risks, emphasizes sustainability, bolsters adaptation 
 

 

 

and resilience, and mitigates the impacts of climate change. The Department’s Climate Action 

Plan is hereby approved. 

- Use Best-Available Science and Traditional Knowledge. Planning and decision-making will 

use the best-available information that considers existing and projected climate change 

vulnerabilities, risks, and impacts. Decision-making will also consider traditional knowledge, and 

the Department will meaningfully consult with Tribes and other indigenous communities 

throughout decision-making processes that affect their interests. 

- Mainstream Adaptation. Climate change adaptation will be mainstreamed and integrated into 

Departmental policies, planning, practices, and programs. This will ensure that the Department’s 

decisions are not solely based on historic conditions but consider future scenarios and futureoriented management. 

- Tackle Inequity and Environmental Justice. Issues of environmental justice and inequity will 

be integrated into decision-making to ensure adaptation efforts are sustainable and account for the 

impacts on all populations, including low-income communities, communities of color, Insular 

areas, and Tribes. 

- Build Strong Partnerships. Adaptation strategies will be collaborative and coordinated across 

multiple scales and will build on existing efforts and knowledge of public and private partners, 

including recreational groups, industry, international counterparts, municipalities, States, Tribes, 

and Insular areas. The Department’s network will also be expanded to include new partners with 

diverse views and values. 

- Maximize Co-Benefits. Adaptation strategies will complement or directly support other climaterelated initiatives, including respecting Tribal sovereignty and self-determination, improving 

disaster preparedness, promoting sustainable resource management, promoting environmental 

justice, restoring contaminated lands and waters, managing facilities sustainably to reduce energy 

and water consumption, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

- Enhance Climate Literacy. A climate-literate workforce capable of integrating climate 

considerations into all activities, from day-to-day operations to long-term planning, will be 

established. The workforce will share educational information about climate science and climate 

impacts with the public and engage stakeholder dialogue about mainstreaming adaptation 

strategies into actions related to the Department’s mission. 

- Apply Risk Management Methods. Adaptation planning will incorporate risk management 

methods and tools that consider potential future climate conditions to identify, assess, and 

prioritize options to reduce vulnerability to the environmental, social, and economic impacts of 

climate change. 

- Apply Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-Based Approaches. Strategies to use naturebased solutions to reduce vulnerability of human and natural systems to climate change will be 
 

 

 

 

 

emphasized to increase ecosystem resilience, sequester greenhouse gases, and protect ecosystem 

services. 

- Continuously Evaluate Performance and Practice Adaptive Management. Adaptation plans 

will include measurable goals, data collection and analyses, and performance metrics to 

continuously assess whether adaptive actions are achieving desired outcomes and to fine-tune 

best management practices to specific environmental or socio-economic conditions. 

The Department intends to formalize its policy on adaptation with the revision of Department Manual 

Part 523 – Climate Change Adaptation. The policy will provide guidance to Bureaus and Offices for 

addressing climate change impacts on the Department’s mission, programs, operations, and personnel. By 

taking a proactive, flexible approach to assessment, analysis, and adaptation, the Department will be able 

to keep better pace with a changing climate and play a central role in how the United States stewards its 

public lands and waters, increases environmental protections, pursues environmental justice, honors its 

nation-to-nation relationship with Tribes, implements its special legal relationship with the Native 

Hawaiian people, and fulfills its administrative responsibilities to the U.S. Insular Areas. 

Secretary of the Interior 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents 

List of Acronyms.........................................................................................................................................ii 

Addressing the Climate Crisis ................................................................................................................... 1 

Recent Federal and Departmental Climate Policy .................................................................................... 1 

Institutional Approaches ............................................................................................................................ 2 

Vulnerabilities to the Department’s Mission from Climate Change ...................................................... 4 

Vulnerability #1: People, Communities, and Cultural Resources............................................................. 5 

Vulnerability #2: Healthy Watersheds and Water Supplies...................................................................... 7 

Vulnerability #3: Biodiversity and Ecosystems........................................................................................ 9 

Vulnerability #4: Coastal and Marine Resources.................................................................................... 11 

Vulnerability #5: Infrastructure and Facilities ........................................................................................ 13 

Cross-Cutting Issues ................................................................................................................................. 15 

Climate Change Adaptation Actions....................................................................................................... 16 

Tracking Performance and Resource Considerations ............................................................................. 16 

Climate Literacy........................................................................................................................................ 24 

Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities .......................................................................................................... 26 

Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services................................................................................... 27 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................................. 29 

Endnotes .................................................................................................................................................... 30 

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List of Acronyms 

BIA – Bureau of Indian Affairs 

BLM – Bureau of Land Management 

BOEM – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management 

BOR – Bureau of Reclamation 

BSEE – Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement 

CASC – Climate Adaptation Science Center 

CEQ – Council on Environmental Quality 

DOE – Department of Energy 

DOI – Department of the Interior 

EPA – Environmental Protection Agency 

EJ – Environmental Justice 

FERC – Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

GAOA – Great American Outdoors Act 

GSA – General Services Administration 

LWCF – Land and Water Conservation Fund 

NEPA – National Environmental Policy Act 

NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

NPS – National Park Service 

OCS – Outer Continental Shelf 

OIA – Department of the Interior Office of Insular Affairs 

OSMRE – Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement 

OWF – Office of Wildland Fire 

USACE – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

USDA – U.S. Department of Agriculture 

USFS – U.S. Forest Service 

USFWS – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

USGCRP – U.S. Global Change Research Program 

USGS – U.S. Geological Survey 

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Addressing the Climate Crisis 

Around the world, temperature extremes and changes in precipitation patterns are increasing; 

glaciers and snow cover are shrinking; sea ice is retreating; seas are warming, rising, and 

becoming more acidic; species are shifting their ranges, habitat, and distributions; coastal 

flooding and erosion are becoming more frequent; growing seasons are lengthening; and 

wildfires are increasing in frequency and severity. These phenomena are projected to continue to 

increase, and annual losses in the United States due to climate change could reach hundreds of 

billions of dollars.1 

These trends in climate-related environmental conditions affect Department of the Interior (the 

Department, DOI) responsibilities including, but not limited to, managing 20 percent of the 

Nation’s lands; supplying water and hydropower in the 17 western States; conserving plants, 

fish, and wildlife; preserving historic and cultural resources; providing geological, hydrological, 

and biological science; fulfilling trust responsibilities to American Indians and Alaska Natives; 

providing financial and technical assistance for States, Tribes, and Insular areas; providing 

recreational opportunities to the public; working with international partners; and leasing for 

renewable and non-renewable energy development on public lands and the Outer Continental 

Shelf (OCS). 

In accordance with the direction set by the Administration, the Climate Action Plan demonstrates 

the Department’s commitment to use science as the foundation for decisions, recognizing that the 

Department’s approach to adaptation should evolve as science informs an understanding of 

climate change risks, impacts, and vulnerabilities. 

Adaptation: adjustments in natural or human systems in anticipation of or in response to a changing 

environment in a way that effectively uses beneficial opportunities or reduces negative effects.2 

Resilience: the ability to anticipate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions and withstand, respond 

to, and recover rapidly from disruptions. 

Vulnerability: the extent to which a species, habitat, ecosystem, cultural feature, facility, or other resource 

is susceptible to and unable to cope with direct and indirect impacts of climate change.3 

Building from strategies set forth in the Department’s 2014 Climate Adaptation Plan,4 bureaus 

and offices will maintain their principal role of identifying and addressing risks to missions and 

programs, while the Department will continue to work closely with bureaus and offices to 

identify and coordinate collaboration on cross-cutting priorities and to share information and 

resources needed to effectively respond to climate change. 

Recent Federal and Departmental Climate Policy 

Executive Order 13990: Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science to 

Tackle the Climate Crisis (January 2021)

5 describes the policy of the Administration to follow 

scientific means to promote and protect public health and the environment. The order highlights 

the need to use science to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bolster resilience to the impacts of 

climate change, and prioritize environmental justice. 

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Executive Order 14008: Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad (January 2021)6 calls 

for quick action to build resilience against the impacts of climate change and directs Federal 

agencies to promote equity and environmental justice in climate solutions and develop a Climate 

Action Plan that describes steps to bolster adaptation and increase resilience across all 

operations, programs, assets, and mission responsibilities with a focus on the most pressing 

climate vulnerabilities. The integration of climate change adaptation and resilience strategies into 

Departmental activities ensures that resources are invested strategically and that Departmental 

actions will address both current and future climate conditions. 

The Department has identified the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy and Environmental 

Management, Eric Werwa, to be the senior agency official responsible for implementation of this 

plan. 

Secretary’s Order 3399: Department-Wide Approach to the Climate Crisis and Restoring 

Transparency and Integrity to the Decision-Making Process (April 2021)7 establishes a 

Departmental Climate Task Force to emphasize the use of best available science to evaluate 

greenhouse gas emissions and associated climate change impacts of Federal land uses. The 

Secretary’s Order also promotes opportunities to adopt measures to increase the resilience and 

adaptive capacity of DOI-managed lands. 

Institutional Approaches 

Recognizing the need to respond to current climate change impacts while taking proactive steps 

to prepare for future climate conditions, the following institutional approaches will be adopted to 

integrate climate adaptation into the Department’s mission, policies, programs, and operations. 

These approaches align with approaches taken by other Federal agencies, States, and local 

jurisdictions to prepare for climate change challenges.8 

These institutional approaches affirm the Department’s commitment to integrate the best 

available science and climate adaptation strategies into programs and activities, consult and 

engage with Tribes and affected communities as part of decision-making processes that affect 

their interests, and allow flexibility to anticipate and respond to existing and projected climate 

conditions. These institutional approaches align with the Department’s Strategic Plan. 

1. Use Best-Available Science and Traditional Knowledge. Planning and decisionmaking will use the best-available information that considers existing and projected 

climate change vulnerabilities, risks, and impacts. The most effective science will 

work in co-production with the management community to provide integrated multiscale science outputs to inform decisions. Decision-making will rely on scientists 

across the government and beyond. This includes, but is not limited to, the science 

expertise of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), including its National and Regional 

Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs), bureau science programs, and other 

resources such as the U.S. Global Change Research Program’s (USGCRP) National 

Climate Assessment. Decision-making will also consider traditional knowledge, and 

the Department will meaningfully engage with Tribes and other indigenous 

communities throughout decision-making processes that affect their interests. 

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2. Mainstream Adaptation. Climate change adaptation will be mainstreamed and 

integrated into Departmental policies, planning, practices, and programs. This will 

ensure that the Department’s decisions are not solely based on historic conditions but 

also consider novel future scenarios and future-oriented management. 

3. Tackle Inequity and Environmental Justice. Adaptation choices have tradeoffs and 

communities should have a voice in their future. Issues of environmental justice and 

inequity will be integrated into the Department’s decision-making to ensure 

adaptation efforts are sustainable and consider impacts for all populations, including 

low-income communities, underrepresented communities, communities of color, 

Insular areas, and Tribes. 

4. Build Strong Partnerships. Because climate change spans all jurisdictions, borders, 

and mission areas, adaptation strategies will be more effective if they are 

collaborative and coordinated across multiple scales and will build on existing efforts 

and knowledge of public and private partners, including recreational groups, industry, 

international counterparts, municipalities, States, Tribes, and Insular areas. The 

Department’s network will also be expanded to include new partners with diverse 

views and values. 

5. Maximize Co-Benefits. Adaptation strategies will complement or directly support 

other climate-related initiatives, including efforts to respect Tribal sovereignty and 

self-determination, improve disaster preparedness, promote sustainable resource 

management, promote environmental justice, restore contaminated lands, manage 

facilities sustainably to reduce energy and water consumption, and reduce greenhouse 

gas emissions. 

6. Enhance Climate Literacy. A climate-literate workforce capable of integrating 

climate considerations into all activities, from day-to-day operations to long-term 

planning, will be established. The workforce will share educational information about 

climate science and climate impacts with the public and engage in stakeholder 

dialogue about mainstreaming adaptation strategies associated with the Department’s 

management actions. 

7. Incorporate Risk Management. Adaptation planning will incorporate risk 

management, using appropriate methods and tools to consider potential future climate 

conditions, adaptation costs, and prioritize options to reduce vulnerability to 

environmental, social, and economic impacts of climate change. 

8. Apply Nature-Based Solutions and Ecosystem-Based Approaches. Strategies to 

use nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerability of human and natural systems to 

climate change will be evaluated as cost-effective approaches to increase ecosystem 

resilience, sequester greenhouse gases, and protect ecosystem services. 

9. Continuously Evaluate Performance and Practice Adaptive Management. 

Adaptation plans will align with the Department’s Strategic Plan, where applicable, 

and include measurable goals, data collection and analyses, and performance metrics 

to continuously assess whether adaptive actions are achieving desired outcomes and 

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to fine-tune best management practices to specific environmental or socio-economic 

conditions. 

Vulnerabilities to the Department’s Mission from Climate Change 

Climate change and climate variability (henceforth “climate change”) is creating new risks and 

exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. More frequent and intense extreme weather and climaterelated events, as well as changes in average climate conditions, are expected to continue to 

damage infrastructure, ecosystems, and social systems that provide essential benefits to human 

communities. To that end, climate change is widely impacting the people the Department serves, 

the lands, waters, and natural and cultural resources the Department manages, and the missioncritical and mission-dependent infrastructure managed by the Department. 

To understand and prioritize available adaptation options, it is necessary to identify climate 

vulnerabilities and the costs and risks to the Department’s mission areas. Because the 

Department’s vulnerabilities greatly vary across its mission areas and responsibilities, it does not 

have an agency-wide, overarching vulnerability assessment. As such, the Department’s bureaus 

and offices generally develop vulnerability assessments based on their individual missions and 

responsibilities (which includes the communities they serve as well as their mission-critical 

assets) and determine bureau- or office-specific adaptation actions. While the goals of 

assessments are the same across the breadth of applications, the information, cost, effort 

required, and the threats will vary for the resource of interest. Assessments are living 

documents—as information on exposure and sensitivities are refined, vulnerability assessments 

may need to be revisited. 

A Department-wide, science-based, rapid vulnerability assessment framework is needed to 

provide a more efficient mechanism to prepare assessments. A framework that complements and 

accounts for existing assessment approaches would provide a streamlined process for making 

climate-smart and resilient decisions in a timely manner. Collaboration with the Department’s 

stakeholders and partners will facilitate development of shared tools to support vulnerability 

assessments and will accelerate the use of those tools in adaptation planning and decisions. 

The Department has identified five vulnerabilities that directly impact its mission: 

• Vulnerability #1: People, Communities, and Cultural Resources 

• Vulnerability #2: Healthy Watersheds and Water Supplies 

• Vulnerability #3: Biodiversity and Ecosystems 

• Vulnerability #4: Coastal and Marine Resources 

• Vulnerability #5: Infrastructure and Facilities 

These vulnerabilities are tied to the Department’s priority adaptation actions which are described 

in the Climate Change Adaptation Actions section of this document. The adaptation actions 

include a discussion of how the Department will address its five vulnerabilities by including 

implementation challenges, an estimated timeline, measures for tracking progress over time, and 

a determination if managing the risk and overcoming the barrier is achievable within existing 

agency resources. 

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THE IMPACTS OF STORMS, SEA LEVEL RISE, 

AND COASTAL EROSION IN TRIBAL 

COMMUNITIES AND ALASKA NATIVE 

VILLAGES 

For thousands of years, Tribal communities and 

Alaska Native villages have been living along 

coastlines and rivers that sustain their livelihoods 

and needs. However, climate change has been 

causing increased flooding, permafrost melt, sea 

level rise, and erosion, causing homes, schools, 

buildings, and other community infrastructure to 

fail, succumbing to the eroding riverbanks and 

coastlines. The warmer waters are causing 

culturally significant species such as seals, whales, 

walrus, and salmon to shift their habitat range, 

threatening food security. To that end, Tribes and 

Alaska Native villages are being forced to make the 

difficult decision to choose among protect in 

place, managed retreat, or relocation options to 

adapt to a changing climate. A whole of 

government approach is needed to work with 

Tribes and Alaska Native villages facing these risks 

to identify and expedite resources and technical 

assistance, including risk assessments that will help 

Tribes to understand the changes and make 

appropriate decisions. 

Photo Credit: USFWS 

The Department is currently developing an 

Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) process, 

which will include appropriate risk 

management processes and systems to 

identify challenges and risks proactively and 

bring them to the attention of Agency 

leadership for action. The ERM process will 

be developed in parallel with the 

Department’s forthcoming FY 2022-FY 2026 

Strategic Plan, and together with the Climate 

Action Plan, will address risks and 

opportunities as an integrated portfolio. These 

three documents together will provide 

direction for how the Department will more 

effectively prioritize and manage risks to its 

strategic objectives. 

Vulnerability #1: People, Communities, 

and Cultural Resources 

The Department is the primary Federal 

agency charged with carrying out the United 

States trust responsibility to American Indian 

and Alaska Native people, maintaining the 

nation-to-nation relationship with 574 

Federally recognized Indian Tribes, and 

promoting and supporting Tribal selfdetermination. The Department also 

effectuates and implements the United States 

special legal relationship with the Native 

Hawaiian people and has administrative 

responsibilities for coordinating Federal 

policy for the communities in the Insular 

areas. The Department also plays a key role in 

stewarding the Nation’s cultural resources, 

including archaeological sites, historic 

properties, and collections of museum objects, 

and is charged with promoting equity and environmental justice in its actions. 

Climate Risks 

Climate change impacts such as intensifying storms, sea level rise, coastal erosion, floods, 

droughts, wildfires, and invasive species threaten cultural resources and severely affect the 

socioeconomic, health, and environmental conditions of local communities. Vulnerable 

populations, including minority, low-income, rural, indigenous, Tribal, and Insular areas, are 

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disproportionately affected by these impacts. Climate change also alters the way people use the 

lands that the Department manages. For example, warming temperatures are causing shifts in 

public land visitation, which has direct and indirect effects (e.g., where, when, and how many 

people visit as a direct effect, and decreased water for recreation from snowmelt as an indirect 

effect) on the natural and cultural resources the Department manages. 

The Department must understand and address climate change impacts on the cultural resources it 

manages and the people it serves, including vulnerable communities that have limited capacity to 

prepare for and cope with extreme weather and climate-related threats. Climate change poses an 

especially acute problem for managing cultural resources because they are unique and 

irreplaceable—once lost, they are lost forever. The potential effects of climate change on 

American Indians and Alaska Natives, the Native Hawaiian community, and Insular areas are 

highly relevant to the Department’s mission areas. If no action is taken, the continued existence 

of some of these threatened communities is uncertain. Prioritizing adaptation actions that 

incorporate community-driven values, experiences, and needs will empower these communities 

to secure a more certain and equitable future. 

Highlights of Accomplishments to Date 

• Understanding Social Equity and Community Resilience: USGS funds innovative 

projects that advance understanding of risk reduction and social equity in communities 

that are disproportionately impacted by coastal hazards. USGS recently conducted coastal 

vulnerability assessments in Puerto Rico and focused on stakeholder engagement to 

foster equity and inclusion. One of the outcomes included a bilingual geo-narrative on 

shoreline change in Puerto Rico. 

• Addressing Climate Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessment Needs in Indian Country: 

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Tribal Climate Resilience Program (TCRP) 

facilitates climate preparedness and resilience in Indian Affairs programs for Federally 

recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native villages through technical and financial 

assistance, access to science, and educational opportunities through partnership with the 

CASC network. TCRP has funded over 700 awards totaling more than $60 million to 

assist with adaptation planning goals. 

• Building Tribal and Insular Capacity for Adaptation Solutions: The Office of Insular 

Affairs (OIA) provides funds to underserved communities in the Insular areas to address 

climate risks such as higher intensity storms and sea level rise. For example, OIA’s 

Technical Assistance Program funds vulnerability assessments of infrastructure in 

America Samoa and the built environment in Guam for transportation planning and other 

economic-related needs. In addition, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) works 

with Tribal and Pacific Island communities to implement adaptation actions to assist 

water security and support the traditional use of natural and cultural resources. 

• Protecting Cultural Resources from Climate Change: The National Park Service (NPS) 

Cultural Resources Climate Change Strategy provides guidance on assessing the 

vulnerabilities of cultural and historical features and sites to protect resources from 

climate impacts. As some cultural sites experiencing extreme events cannot be relocated 

due to sensitivity, bureaus may choose to stabilize or excavate exposed archaeological 

sites due to wildland fire or erosion. Facilities holding DOI’s museum collections are 

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assessed to determine needs for relocation away from areas prone to wildland fire and 

flooding. NPS also provides preservation assistance and administers historic 

preservation grants and has prepared guidance on adapting historic buildings to protect 

them from flooding. 

• Engaging Marginalized Communities in Native Seed Production: The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) engages Tribes in the Western United States to collect and produce

seeds of culturally important native plant species for ecosystem restoration, which

provides jobs, educational opportunities, and training that build climate resilience across

Indian trust lands.

• Mitigating Wildfire Risk: The Office of Wildland Fire (OWF) is investing in a data

management and information-sharing system that identifies Federal, Tribal, State, and

local lands at risk from wildfires. Sharing this information among partners supports

collaborative efforts through fuels management and other mitigation actions that reduce

carbon emissions and improve the resilience of lands and resources.

Vulnerability #2: Healthy Watersheds and Water Supplies 

Healthy watersheds provide sustainable, clean, and secure water resources, which are the 

foundation for healthy communities, ecosystems, and economies. The Department is the largest 

distributor of water in the country, bringing water to more than 31 million Americans. It 

manages water critical for many purposes, including supply for Tribal communities, irrigation, 

wildlife habitat, livestock on public lands, and 

hydropower production. 

Climate Risks 

A changing climate is impacting the health and 

functionality of the Nation’s watersheds, causing 

significant changes in water quantity and quality 

across the country. Temperature increases are 

resulting in decreased snowpack, differences in 

the timing and volume of spring runoff, and 

changes in peak flows in Western United States 

basins. Changes in precipitation patterns are 

impacting the capacity for dams to supply water 

The Bureau of Reclamation is taking a lead role, and generate electricity, while severe flooding is 

with other agencies and non Federal partners, dramatically altering water management. 

to develop sound and actionable science and Aquatic ecosystems are increasingly affected by tools needed to better understand climate changes in streamflow and the loss of wetlands. impacts on water resources. Its WaterSMART 

Basin Studies and West Wide Climate Impact The severity of drought in the Western United Assessments evaluate the risks and climate States is creating water supply shortages for impacts to water supply and demand. 

Reclamation now is incorporating climate many such as agricultural, Tribal, municipal, and 

science into its decision making processes, industrial water users. Intensifying drought is 

using climate change as a foundation upon increasingly challenging the Bureau of which policy decisions are made. 

Photo Source: Reclamation Reclamation’s (Reclamation) basic mission 

objectives to deliver needed quantities of water 

and power to a diversity of water users as well as 

INCORPORATING CLIMATE INTO 

DECISION MAKING FOR WATER AND 

POWER 

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ensure water for environmental flows. Reclamation’s response to the changing climate is 

essential to the sustainability of communities across the Western United States and the National 

economy. The SECURE Water Act authorizes Reclamation to issue vulnerability assessments 

that identify the impacts of climate on water supply and demand, and on its operational 

responsibilities. 

The Department needs to implement adaptation actions to address and resolve competing needs 

by farmers, endangered species, Tribes, and municipalities which are amplified by severe 

drought conditions in the Western United States. The Department also needs to address 

environmental justice concerns in vulnerable communities where climate change is exacerbating 

existing water supply challenges. For example, Indian Country, where water holds a strong 

cultural significance for Tribes, continues to struggle with clean and adequate water supply. 

Most BIA-owned irrigation projects were constructed over 100 years ago and are in drastic need 

of modernization. Upgraded infrastructure projects such as re-regulating reservoirs, lining canals 

to mitigate seepage losses, and automating irrigation systems are needed to ensure BIA’s ability 

to adapt and react to highly variable drought conditions. In addition, Insular areas, which are 

especially vulnerable because they cannot relocate, are also suffering from the consequences of 

drought, exacerbated by outdated infrastructure, and storms and hurricanes that are causing 

saltwater intrusion into aquifers which is limiting access to freshwater. Addressing drought is a 

cross-cutting issue that will require coordination across the Department, with other agencies, as 

well as with the communities it serves. 

Highlights of Accomplishments to Date 

• Collaborating with Partners to Improve Water Security: WaterSMART (Sustain and 

Manage America’s Resources for Tomorrow) allows Reclamation to work cooperatively 

with States, Tribes, and local entities to promote management strategies that improve 

water use efficiency, and to facilitate actions to increase water supply through 

investments to modernize existing infrastructure. Both BIA and Reclamation offer Tribes 

assistance in managing, conserving, utilizing, and protecting trust water resources. 

Similarly, USGS works with partners to monitor, assess, research, and deliver 

information on a wide range of water resources and conditions. 

• Addressing Climate Risks to Increase Tribal Resilience: Reclamation and BIA 

incorporate improved fish passage strategies into rehabilitation projects, including the 

rehabilitation of the Wapato Main Diversion Dam on the Yakima River in eastern 

Washington. BIA operates the dam and most of the water supply is received from the 

Reclamation-managed Yakima Project for irrigation needs. 

• Analyzing Projected Risks to Water Supplies: Reclamation’s 2021 SECURE Water Act 

report, finalized in March 2021, makes new tools and data resources available to water 

managers as they face uncertainties of a changing climate and drought. A synthesis of 

impacts of climate on groundwater recharge and discharge for eight case study areas, 

including a detailed analysis for the Colorado River Basin (done in collaboration with 

USGS), informs water managers on the future reliability of groundwater supplies. 

• Conserving the Nation’s Aquatic Resources: Coordinating with USGS, the USFWS Fish 

and Aquatic Conservation program conserves aquatic species, restores habitats, and 

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fulfills trust and subsistence responsibilities. USGS provides science and research support 

to make informed decisions on aquatic species response from climate change. 

• Maintaining Healthy Forests for Healthy Watersheds: BLM manages forests to minimize 

climate-related threats of fire, drought, and insect infestations, while ensuring that sourceidentified native seed is available to build native plant communities that support healthy 

watersheds. Similarly, in coordination with Tribes, BIA implements forest management 

treatments that provide variations in forest canopy cover, stand density, and openings 

which have varying influences on the accumulation of snowpack. The effective 

management of Tribal forests is a positive contributor to the availability of water. 

Vulnerability #3: Biodiversity and Ecosystems 

The Department is committed to enhancing 

biodiversity; sustaining ecological 

processes;promoting the health and 

function of ecosystems by sustaining fish, 

wildlife, andplant species; restoring native 

vegetation and natural ecosystem processes; 

preventing and addressing invasive species; 

and mitigating the impacts of wildland fire. 

INVASIVE SPECIES STRATEGIC PLAN 

Climate Risks 

Higher temperatures are leading to 

increased acres burned by wildland fires, 

resulting in longer and more severe fire The Department is strengthening efforts to 

seasons and changes in abundance, density, manage invasive species more strategically in the 

face of climate change through improved and range of invasive species. Long-term 

Department wide leadership and collaboration, drought, especially in the Western United coordinated plans and policies, and extensive States, is impacting migratory waterfowl work led by bureaus. DOI’s Invasive Species production and creating novel wildlife Strategic Plan, developed pursuant to the John D. 

communities. Changes in water Dingell, Jr. Conservation, Management and 

temperature, ocean acidification, and sea Recreation Act (Public Law 116 9), lays out a five 

level rise are affecting ecosystem function year vision that includes promoting climate 

adaptation strategies and managing DOI lands and as marine species change their geographic 

waters so they are resistant to invasive species range. Subsistence hunting and fishing infestations and resilient to disturbance. practices are being threatened as site access 

Photo Credit: R. Hagerty, USFWS is lost, and culturally significant species are 

disappearing. Temperature fluctuations are 

also affecting lakes, streams, and cold-water 

fisheries, and limiting refugia for plant and 

animal communities. Climate change is 

driving ecosystems to irreversibly transform 

and displace species. 

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The Department must continue to restore and reconnect degraded aquatic and terrestrial 

landscapes through its conservation and restoration initiatives which provide both direct and 

indirect benefits. These initiatives include enhancing ecological connectivity; preserving 

Nationally significant landscapes; protecting ecosystems, biodiversity, and native species; and 

providing sustainable resources to vulnerable communities. With USFWS as lead, the 

Department will use the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy 

(NFWPCAS) as key guidance to implement climate adaptation actions for priority species and 

habitats. Success requires coordination across boundaries at the regional, national, and 

international levels. 

Highlights of Accomplishments to Date 

• Pursuing Landscape Connectivity: USFWS uses landscape conservation design and other 

decision support tools developed with USGS to identify strategies and actions that connect 

lands and waters, accommodating species distribution shifts. National Conservation Lands, 

National Parks, Refuges, and other 

Department-protected areas serve as links 

for maintaining landscape connectivity. 

• Developing Climate-Sensitive Resource 

Management Strategies: USGS, USFWS, 

BLM, and others are sustaining plant, fish, 

and wildlife communities by quantifying the 

sensitivity of ecosystems and characterizing 

responses to fire, drought, and other weather 

extremes. These strategies will inform 

terrestrial and aquatic resource conservation 

and management decisions by restoring 

habitatconnectivity and improving 

understanding of ecological responses to 

drought. 

• Facilitating Complex Decisions Through 

Decision Science: USGS is creating a 

vulnerability framework linked to 

interventions to address multiple threats and 

toevaluate how interventions achieve 

conservation goals. Understanding climate 

impacts on species is vital for estimating 

their extinction risk and prioritizing 

conservation actions. These efforts are 

leveraged by the CASCs and the fire science 

community. 

• Implementing the National Seed Strategy: 

Multiple bureaus including BLM, BIA, 

NPS, USFWS, and USGS implement the 

National Seed Strategy to ensure the 

SAGEBRUSH BIOME 

The sagebrush biome, 57% of which is managed 

by the Department, encompasses over 160 

million acres in 14 Western States. It is one of the 

most imperiled ecosystems in the U.S., impacted 

by cropland conversion, energy development, 

and invasive grasses, all of which are exacerbated 

by climate change. An average of 1.2 million 

acres of sagebrush burn each year. The 

Department’s Integrated Rangeland Fire 

Management Strategy (IRFMS) promotes science 

based adaptive management addressing fire, 

invasive species, restoration, sagebrush and 

sage grouse, and climate. The Sagebrush 

Conservation Strategy, expected by Spring 2022, 

will inform Federal decision making and 

coordination of effective responses to impacts on 

public lands and waters, wildlife, cultural and 

Tribal resources, environmental justice, and 

disadvantaged communities dependent on the 

sagebrush biome. 

Photo Credit: BLM 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

availability of native seeds. BLM leads the collection of native seed from areas vulnerable 

to natural hazards to increase native plant materials available for restoring and supporting 

resilientecosystems. This includes seed collections in areas prone to wildfire in the Great 

Basin and in coastal areas where native plant communities are damaged from storms. 

• Increasing Ecosystem Resilience through Fire Preparedness and Fuels Management: The 

National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, coordinated through OWF, 

identifies collaborative actions for all levels of government and partners to create fireadapted communities. The Department’s bureaus are implementing a variety of fuels 

management activities, and reviewing policies for fire preparedness, suppression, and 

disaster assistance payments. BIA is developing and implementing comprehensive fuels 

management strategies through forest, woodlands, and range management planning, which 

increases ecosystem resilience through the application of prescribed fire across landscapes 

with multiple landownerships. 

• Preparing and Managing for Ecological Transformation – A consortium of Federal agencies 

including the NPS, USFWS, USGS, BLM, USFS, and NOAA, as well as States,nongovernmental organizations and academia, developed a decision framework to help resource 

managers prepare for and manage ecosystems 

undergoing ecological transformation. The 

Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) decision 

framework promotes analysis of the range of 

options to respond to ecological changes 

driven by climate change and other factors. 

The framework acknowledges that resisting 

ecological change driven by climate change 

may be infeasible in many instances. In such 

cases, managers may accept ongoing changes 

or direct ecologicaltrajectories toward a 

desired future state, but with a different 

ecological community (e.g., transition of a USGS scientists integrate coastal maps and 

COASTAL CHANGE HAZARDS AND 

RESILIENCE 

models with NOAA forecasts to deliver 

boreal forest to a temperate forest). predictions of coastal erosion and shoreline 

inundation. The USGS developed the Coastal 

Vulnerability #4: Coastal and Marine Storm Modeling System (CoSMoS) to enable 

Resources decision makers to anticipate future coastal 

hazards challenges and evaluate adaptation The Department manages, protects, and provides strategies. USGS flooding and erosion access to significant ocean, coastal, and Great vulnerability products have been used by Lakes resources, including 34 million acres in diverse stakeholders, such as the Department over100 coastal and tidally influenced National of Defense’s Missile Defense Test Site in the 

Parks, more than 35,000 miles of coastline, over Marshall Islands, to inform long term 

180 marine and coastal National Wildlife infrastructure and operations plans and to 

Refuges, andmore than a million square miles of assess the sustainability of the groundwater 

marine National Monuments. In addition, the resources upon which the installation and the 

Department manages energy local community rely. and mineral 

development on the 2.5-billion-acre Outer Photo Credit: Meaghan Faletti, USGS 

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Continental Shelf. 

Climate Risks 

The Nation’s coasts face a diverse range of climatestressors and climate impacts. Ocean and 

coastal environments are experiencing sea level rise, ocean acidification, higher storm surges, 

more frequent extreme weather events, erosion, and flooding. These changes are transforming 

coastal ecosystems by putting ocean and marine species at risk, decreasing the productivity of 

fisheries, and threatening communities that rely on marine ecosystems for livelihoods and 

recreation. Climate-related impacts exacerbate pre- existing social inequities in coastal 

communities, ranging from subsistence fishing communities in Alaska, to rural and urban 

communities in the Great Lakes and on the Gulf Coast, and to everycommunity in the Insular 

areas. 

The Department needs to plan for and adapt to climate impacts on coastal and marine resources. 

This includes protecting shorelines and conserving coastal ecosystems, which would decrease 

direct losses and cascading impacts on other sectors and parts of the country. 

Highlights of Accomplishments to Date 

• Anticipating and Preparing for Coastal Wetland Transformations: USGS is advancing 

understanding of the sensitivity, exposure, and adaptive capacity of coastal wetlands to 

climate change and accelerated sea level rise, which is information that improves efforts to 

restore and manage coastal marshes and mangrove forests. 

• Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook: NPS published a Coastal Adaptation Strategies 

Handbook which summarizes the current state of climate adaptation and key approaches 

currently in practice or considered for climate change adaptation in coastal areas to guide 

adaptation planning in coastal parks. The chapters focus on policy, planning, cultural 

resources, natural resources, facility management, and communication/education. The 

handbook highlights processes, tools, and examples that are applicable to many types of NPS 

plans and decisions. 

• Adapting to Sea Level Rise at Coastal Refuges: USFWS has a long history of addressing 

vulnerabilities in coastal National Wildlife Refuges as it rethinks business-as-usual 

management practices. For example, at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, sea level 

rise is contributing to the spread of phragmites, an invasive wetland grass. USFWS is 

removing trees from certain areas of the refuge to promote the upslope migration of marshes, 

which may help reduce phragmites encroachment by establishing native salt marsh 

vegetation before phragmites can establish itself. This also would allow the marsh to better 

respond to sea level rise. 

• Protecting Shorelines and Restoring Wetlands: BOEM manages OCS sand and sediment 

resources, which play a vital role in climate adaptation through shore protection, beach 

nourishment, and wetlands restoration projects along the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and 

Pacific coasts. 

• Producing U.S. Virgin Islands Climate Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Report: OIA 

provides financial assistance to the U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States. In 2019, 

OIA funded a grant through its Technical Assistance Program to conduct a vulnerability and 

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Artificially constructed infrastructure solutions (e.g.

sea walls, dunes, beach nourishment) do little to

protect against the long term impacts of climate

change because these projects do not adapt to

changing conditions through time. USFWS has been

increasingly using nature based infrastructure, such

as living shorelines, oyster reefs, and barrier island

restoration in coastal communities. These often cost

significantly less than their hardened alternatives,

while also growing through time and adapting to

changing conditions when natural functions and

processes are restored. Additional co benefits of 

nature based solutions include community

protection, wildlife habitat conservation, and

climate resilience. Pilot projects with traditional and

nontraditional partners in small impacted areas

using the RAD framework will inform and improve

the long term value of specific ecosystem

infrastructure projects, including the economic,

ecologic, and social impacts on coastal communities.

Photo Credit: Mary Conti, USFWS

MOBILIZING NATURE BASED

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION

risk assessment for the U.S. Virgin Islands and develop a preliminary Territorial Adaptation 

Strategy and Action Plan. Grant funding assisted in the development of a multi-sector climate 

adaptation strategy that considers the U.S. Virgin Islands’ vulnerability to natural hazards 

and effects of climate change. 

Converting Decommissioned Offshore Oil and Gas Structures into Artificial Reefs: The 

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) facilitates the conversion of 

appropriate structures to artificial reefs through its Rigs-to-Reefs policy, which enhances 

offshore fish habitat and supports traditional coastal communities through fishing, jobs, and 

tourism dollars. Reefed offshore facilities have also proven to be resilient to extreme 

hurricanes. A total of 559 platforms previously installed on the OCS have been reefed in the 

Gulf of Mexico. 

Vulnerability #5: Infrastructure and Facilities 

Critical to the Department’s mission is the 

management of infrastructure and facilities and 

related property such as motor vehicles. The 

Department’s real property inventory is diverse 

and includes office buildings, visitor centers, 

schools, museums, scientific laboratories, dams, 

water delivery systems, fish hatcheries, roads, 

and trails. These assets require significant 

lifecycle investments in operations, maintenance, 

modernization, renewal, and potentially 

divestiture. Poorly maintained assets exacerbate 

existing vulnerabilities, placing them at higher 

risk of failure. In some cases, these assets are 

historic and include cultural resources that are 

irreplaceable due to their locations and sensitive 

construction materials. 

Climate Risks 

Climate change is altering the operations, 

efficiency, and the safety of the Department’s 

infrastructure and equipment. Other impacts 

from climate change include damages to energy 

infrastructure from extreme weather events, 

flood impacts to facilities and real property, loss 

of facilities and infrastructure from wildfire, and 

higher storm surges damaging coastal 

infrastructure and eliminating coastal access. 

These impacts can have severe ripple effects to 

the National and international economies as 

supply chains are interrupted. As such, the 

Department needs to consider existing stressors 

MOBILIZING NATURE BASED 

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION 

Artificially constructed infrastructure solutions (e.g. 

sea walls, dunes, beach nourishment) do little to 

protect against the long term impacts of climate 

change because these projects do not adapt to 

changing conditions through time. USFWS has been 

increasingly using nature based infrastructure, such 

as living shorelines, oyster reefs, and barrier island 

restoration in coastal communities. These often cost 

significantly less than their hardened alternatives, 

while also growing through time and adapting to 

changing conditions when natural functions and 

processes are restored. Additional co benefits of 

nature based solutions include community 

protection, wildlife habitat conservation, and 

climate resilience. Pilot projects with traditional and 

nontraditional partners in small impacted areas 

using the RAD framework will inform and improve 

the long term value of specific ecosystem 

infrastructure projects, including the economic, 

ecologic, and social impacts on coastal communities. 

Photo Credit: Mary Conti, USFWS 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on aging infrastructure, develop appropriate tools and strategies for facility managers to readily 

assess climate risk, and evaluate potential future scenarios whereby structures may need to be 

retrofitted or relocated to ensurecontinuity of the Department’s operations. 

Highlights of Accomplishments to Date 

• Applying the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD)Framework: In addition to supporting 

managers in analyzing options for responding to ecological changes driven by climate 

change and other factors, the RAD Framework can also support decisions regarding 

adaptation of infrastructure. For infrastructure located in an area susceptible to flooding, 

“resisting” may be protecting theasset in place, “accepting” may be closing infrastructure 

due to high relocation costs, and“directing” could involve relocating the infrastructure to 

another site. 

• Adapting Infrastructure: Bureaus consider the impacts of climate change when planning, 

siting, designing, and constructing real property assets. Innovative and unique solutions are 

being devised throughout the National Park System to adapt to climate change, especially in 

coastal parks. USGS also invests in elevating its observational equipment, such as its 10,300 

stream gauges, which may be vulnerable to climate-related impacts. 

• Identifying Modernization Needs of Irrigation Projects: BIA plans to modernize irrigation 

projects (e.g., re-regulating reservoirs, water measurement devices, and long-crested weirs), 

prioritizing vulnerable infrastructure. Most BIA-owned irrigation projects were constructed 

over 100 years ago and need modernization. Without improvements, there will be challenges 

to ensuring the equitable distribution of water. BIA completed irrigation project 

modernization plans to identify and prioritize vulnerable infrastructure. 

• Using Data to Manage Offshore Energy Facilities: BSEE maintains a Structural Integrity 

Management (SIM) application that relies on data to identify offshore facilities with the 

greatest risk for structural failure due to extreme weather. Information from this tool is used 

to help inform risk-based inspection approaches and prioritize decommissioning of the most 

vulnerable, idle facilities. BSEE also monitors field reported data to ensure adequate facility 

preparation and response to curb significant environmental impacts during hurricanes, 

tropical storms, and other severe weather events. 

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Cross-Cutting Issues 

Cross-jurisdictional issues require coordination across the Department and other Federal agencies as well as collaboration with American Indian and 

Alaska Native communities; State, local, and territorial governments; and other entities. In the implementation of this plan, the Department will 

elevate these three priority cross-cutting issues holistically with our federal partners, stakeholders, and the broader community, and will advocate for 

a coordinated National climate adaptation approach. 

PUBLIC HEALTH INVASIVE SPECIES WILDLAND FIRE 

Changes in weather and climate can degrade air and 

water quality; affect the geographic range, 

seasonality, and intensity of infectious diseases; and 

increase stresses that affect mental health and well 

being. While all Americans are vulnerable to 

experiencing adverse climate related health 

outcomes, certain populations (including low 

income communities, communities of color, older 

adults, and children) are disproportionately 

vulnerable.9 Public lands are public health resources 

that enable physical activity, promote mental 

health, and foster community through the 

preservation of ecosystems and interpretation of 

shared heritage. Moreover, native plants on public 

lands improve the air and water quality of the 

surrounding communities. Given the role that public 

lands play in supporting public health, it is 

importantfor the Department to incorporate public 

health considerations into its climate adaptation, 

resilience, and equity related activities. 

Photo Credit: NPS 

Invasive species impose substantial costs on the 

environment and society: they outcompete native 

species and are a major contributing factor in 

native species extirpation and extinction, disrupt 

ecosystem functions, deplete resources important 

to cultural heritage and subsistence living, 

exacerbate the threat of wildfire, increase the cost 

of delivering water and power, damage 

infrastructure, diminish recreation activities, and 

spread pathogens that transmit disease in both 

wildlife and human populations. Climate change 

exacerbates risks from invasive species. It can 

accelerate their spread and amplify adverse 

impacts and costs. Invasive species can also 

dramatically reduce the resilience of lands and 

waters to climate change. It is important that 

Departmental actions for climate adaptation and 

resilience consider and mitigate the risk of invasive 

species introduction, establishment, impact, and 

spread. 

Photo Credit: NPS 

Wildfire is a natural and essential component of 

many healthy ecosystems. However, the rising 

temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, 

and resulting increased drought conditions caused 

by climate change can increase the frequency, 

extent, and severity of wildfires. As more than half 

of U.S. land area is covered by grasslands, 

shrublands, and forests that sequester carbon 

dioxide, wildfire can turn these carbon sinks into 

carbon sources and cause smoke emissions that 

harm human health. It is important that the 

Department’s climate adaptation actions and 

resilience activities consider the impacts of 

changing wildfire as well as the need for wildfire 

preparedness, suppression, response, fuels 

management, and post fire recovery across the 

hundreds of millions of acres of National Parks, 

refuges, other public lands, and Indian Country. 

Photo Credit: Nick Pieper, BLM 

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Climate Change Adaptation Actions 

Over the years, the Department has taken a variety of actions to implement climate change 

adaptation in its management of the Nation’s lands, waters, and natural and cultural resources. 

Given the broad responsibilities of the Department, many of the Department’s bureaus and 

offices have developed their own policies and actions to guide adaptation planning in the 

management of their resources. These actions range from larger, Department-wide initiatives to 

establish the USGS-administered CASCs and the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Exchange 

Networks that share adaptation solutions across multiple landowners and agencies, to bureaulevel initiatives such as BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring Strategy; BIA’s National 

network of Tribal Resilience Liaisons; and NPS toolkits to build an adaptative planning 

framework in park planning and management. 

Adaptation actions, in conjunction with the Department’s institutional approaches, have and will 

continue to shape the way the Department makes decisions and adapts to the effects of climate 

change. Adaptation will require that the Department examine climate projections and actively 

consider a range of plausible future scenarios, some of which may significantly differ from 

current conditions. This ensures Department decisions are forward-looking and consider climate 

change as a baseline scenario in the development of future management plans and actions. The 

Department will also evaluate how ongoing natural capital accounting efforts can be used and 

developed to measure changes in natural resource stocks and associated services from these 

adaptation actions. 

For Fiscal Years 2021 – 2026, the Department has identified five adaptation themes and 

corresponding priority actions for integration into its mission, programs, and operations. These 

priorities represent the Department’s commitment to address known vulnerabilities to climate 

change and to continue identifying other vulnerabilities its programs may have to climate 

change. 

Tracking Performance and Resource Considerations 

The Department is currently developing a Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2022 – 2026, which 

will contain strategic goals that integrate climate considerations into Departmental activities. The 

Department will prepare an Annual Performance Plan and Report to track how climate change 

performance goals, measures, and associated actions contribute to overall strategic objectives. 

Progress will also be reported to the Department’s Climate Task Force. Many of the actions 

described below may require additional resources and personnel. The Department will 

periodically evaluate resource considerations in its tracking of performance, recognizing that 

ERM and evidence-building plans may identify additional opportunities for evaluation. The 

Department will implement adaptation actions within available resources and the President’s 

FY22 budget but will also look to partner with other Federal agencies to collaborate and share 

resources. Having a variety of tools and resources will enhance the Department’s ability to 

increase its own resilience. For example, this can include pooling of resources across all land 

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management agencies for a whole-of-government approach to fire science and wildland fire 

management. 

Action #1. Promote Climate-Resilient Lands, Waters, and Cultural Resources 

Outcome: Lands, waters, and cultural resources threatened by climate change are managed, 

protected, and/or preserved for current and future generations 

Action #2. Advance Climate Equity 

Outcome: Vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by climate change have 

equitable access to opportunities, services, and resources. 

Action #3. Transition to a Resilient Clean Energy Economy 

Outcome: Climate-resilient infrastructure supports current energy and mineral resource needs 

and future energy needs will be increasingly met through renewable and sustainable sources. 

Action #4. Support Tribal and Insular Community Resilience 

Outcome: Tribes and Insular areas are provided technical and financial resources to support 

climate-resilient investments. 

Action #5. Empower the Next Generation of Conservation and Resilience Workers 

Outcome: A new generation of Americans are empowered and equipped to bolster resilience and 

tackle the climate crisis. 

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Action 1: Promote Climate Resilient Lands, Waters, and Cultural Resources 

Outcome: Lands, waters, and cultural resources threatened by climate change are managed, protected and/or preserved for current and future generations 

Department Leads: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Assistant Secretary for Water and Science; Assistant Secretary for Fish and 

Wildlife and Parks; Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management 

Intergovernmental Coordination: Federal (e.g., USDA, USACE, NOAA), States, Local, Tribes 

Scale: National Timeframe: Strategies to foster resilience on lands, waters, and cultural 

resources are currently being implemented across the Department. However, 

these efforts will continue to evolve into the foreseeable future as the 

Department increases its understanding of climate science and potential impacts. 

Resource Implications: 

Strategies will build on use of existing 

resources. The President’s FY 2022 Budget 

will support an expansion of efforts to 

conserve, protect, and restore public lands 

and waters and engagement in climate 

adaptation practices. 

Climate Change Risks / 

Vulnerabilities 

Example Implementation Strategies Measuring Performance 

Wildfire 1.1 Resource Resilience. Engage Department bureaus and offices to identify, The Department proposes to review and 

Sea Level Rise assess, and prioritize lands, waters, and cultural resources threatened by climate update performance metrics as adaptation 

Drought change for management, conservation or restoration actions that promote climate implementation continues. Example metrics 

Invasive Species resilience. include: 

Shoreline Erosion 1) Lands, waters, cultural resources 

Flooding 1.2 Landscape Mitigation. Implement a landscape approach to mitigation that identified as degraded or at-risk priority 

Heavy Precipitation Events 

Higher Storm Surges 

Water Supply Shortage 

promotes landscape connectivity to increase ecosystem resilience and 

adaptability. 

areas due to climate-related impacts 

(e.g., drought, wildfire, sea level rise, 

etc.) 

Further description of climate 

risks in: 

1.3 Ecosystem Services. Enhance land and water management to expand 

beneficial ecosystem services and build resilience. 

2) Adaptation actions developed for 

priority areas identified for 

conservation, restoration, and 

--Vulnerability #1- People, management to build regional resilience 

Communities, and Cultural 3) Acres of abandoned mine lands 

Resources reclaimed to support ecosystem and 

--Vulnerability #2- Healthy watershed health 

Watersheds and Water 4) Partnerships (e.g., Federal, state, tribal) 

Supplies and strategies developed (e.g., National 

--Vulnerability #3- Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate 

Biodiversity and Ecosystems Adaptation Strategy) to address habitat 

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--Vulnerability #4- Coastal fragmentation and connect the Nation’s 

and Marine Resources lands and waters 

5) Policies and guidance developed to 

incorporate observed and expected 

climate change in land, water, and 

cultural resource management decisions 

Challenges/Further Considerations: To be effective at the landscape scale, natural and cultural resource managers at the Federal, state, tribal, and 

local levels must coordinate to better understand resilience as it applies to: 1) resources being managed; 2) actions to build resilience for those resources; 3) 

areas and resources most important to protect and restore; and 4) incorporate relevant information into decision-making. This may require new information, 

tools, and policy approaches to ensure these considerations are taken into account. 

Action 2: Advance Climate Equity 

Outcome: Vulnerable communities disproportionately impacted by climate change have equitable access to opportunities, services, and resources. 

Department Leads: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance 

Intergovernmental Coordination: Federal (e.g., CEQ, EPA), States, Local, Tribes 

Scale: National Timeframe: Strategies to advance equity are currently being implemented. 

However, these efforts will continue to evolve into the foreseeable future as the 

Department increases its understanding of climate science and potential impacts, 

how the benefits of its investments flow toward disadvantaged communities, and 

how those investment might be adjusted to achieve the goals of the Justice40 

Initiative. 

Resource Implications: 

Strategies will build on use of existing 

resources. The President’s FY 2022 Budget 

will support an expansion of environmental 

justice, equity, and engagement in climate 

adaptation practices. 

Climate Change Risks / 

Vulnerabilities 

Example Implementation Strategies Measuring Performance 

Flooding 

Heavy Precipitation Events 

Extreme Temperatures 

Heat-Related Illness 

Incidence of Diseases 

Higher Storm Surges 

Poor Air Quality 

Water Supply Shortage 

Further description of climate 

risks in: 

--Vulnerability #1- People, 

Communities, and Cultural 

Resources 

2.1 Prioritizing Vulnerable Communities. Update Departmental guidance to 

advance policies that assist bureaus and offices in identifying priority needs for 

vulnerable communities. Ensure that future guidance and policies do not 

increase community vulnerability to climate change. 

2.2 Providing Equitable Access. Ensure that climate equity and fairness are 

embedded in Department mission, policies, and programs. Provide equitable 

access to funding opportunities, technical services, and resources. 

2.3 Collaboration. Develop partnerships with other government agencies, 

nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to facilitate training, create jobs, 

and increase resilience in vulnerable areas and populations. 

The Department proposes to review and 

update performance metrics as adaptation 

implementation continues. Example metrics 

include: 

1) Departmental guidance and resources 

updated (e.g., EJ data gap analysis, 

geographic information system (GIS) 

data, data-driven community needs 

assessments) 

2) EJ screening tools developed. 

3) Funding streams and academic 

partnership programs/grants developed 

or reprioritized to address EJ 

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--Vulnerability #2- Healthy 

Watersheds and Water 

Supplies 

--Vulnerability #4- Coastal 

and Marine Resources 

4) Revised DOI EJ Action Plan and 

implemented Stakeholder Engagement 

Strategy 

5) Percent of benefits delivered to EJ 

communities 

6) Multilingual communications to reach 

populations with limited English 

proficiency 

Challenges/Further Considerations: Addressing climate equity requires meaningful community engagement. The Department will need to establish additional 

outreach to promote awareness of potential funding opportunities among EJ organizations and communities. Additionally, the Department will need to 

coordinate with other federal agencies to address barriers in the application process, as many eligible grantees may not have the capacity or technical expertise to 

complete complex applications. 

Action 3: Transition to a Resilient Clean Energy Economy 

Outcome: Climate-resilient infrastructure supports current energy and mineral resource needs and future energy needs will be increasingly met through 

renewable and sustainable sources. 

Department Leads: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Assistant Secretary for Water and Science; Assistant Secretary for Land and 

Minerals Management 

Intergovernmental Coordination: Federal (e.g., FERC, DOE), State, Local, Tribes 

Scale: National Timeframe: Strategies to transition to a clean energy economy are currently 

being implemented. However, these efforts will continue to evolve into the 

foreseeable future as the Department increases its understanding of climate 

science and potential impacts. 

Resource Implications: 

Strategies will build on existing use of 

resources. The President’s FY 2022 Budget 

will support an expansion of efforts to 

transition to a clean energy economy and 

engagement in climate adaptation practices. 

Climate Change Risks / 

Vulnerabilities 

Example Implementation Strategies Measuring Performance 

Water Supply Shortage 

Flooding 

Heavy Precipitation Events 

Sea Level Rise 

Higher Storm Surges 

Extreme Temperatures 

Further description of climate 

risks in: 

3.1 Climate-Resilient Energy Infrastructure. Assess the viability of current 

energy infrastructure to operate in extreme climate conditions, including 

drought, severe weather, and temperature extremes. Identify opportunities to 

promote climate-resilient infrastructure or adopt new technologies to improve 

climate resilience. 

3.2 Clean Energy Expansion. Build the future clean energy economy by 

providing an environment that facilities the expansion of renewable energy 

development (e.g., solar, wind, hydropower). Ensure that renewable energy 

The Department proposes to review and 

update performance metrics as adaptation 

implementation continues. Example metrics 

include: 

1) Actions taken to enhance energy 

security, reliability, and resilience to 

establish a climate-ready energy system 

that addressed present and future risks 

2) Studies conducted to evaluate 

renewable energy development on 

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--Vulnerability #1- People, resources can connect to the grid to diversify our national energy portfolio while public lands and waters (e.g., tradeoffs, 

Communities, and Cultural at the same time combatting climate change and investing in communities. hydropower valuation, grid 

Resources optimization, electric vehicle charging 

--Vulnerability #2- Healthy 3.3 Balanced Resource Use. Evaluate diverse energy and water needs of assessment) 

Watersheds and Water communities and collaborate with States, local and Tribal governments to 3) Mitigation strategies developed to 

Supplies 

--Vulnerability #4- Coastal 

and Marine Resources 

--Vulnerability #5-

Infrastructure and Facilities 

promote climate-resilient investments that meet current and future demand. offset potential adverse effects of 

renewable energy development 

4) Lands and future predicted water 

supplies mapped for potential 

renewable energy development 

Challenges/Further Considerations: The Department plays a critical role in meeting our Nation’s energy demand and national security. While conventional 

energy will continue play a major role in America for years to come, the expansion of renewable energy opportunities will need to be carefully evaluated to 

minimize impacts to the communities that the development proposes to support. The Department will work with all stakeholders to employ a broad engagement 

strategy that includes fishermen, outdoor enthusiasts, sovereign Tribal nations, States, U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, local officials, agricultural 

and forest landowners, and others to identify strategies and goals that reflect the priorities of all communities. 

Action 4: Support Tribal and Insular Community Resilience 

Outcome: Tribes and Insular areas are provided technical and financial resources to support climate-resilient investments. 

Department Leads: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs; Assistant Secretary for 

Indian Affairs 

Intergovernmental Coordination: Federal (e.g., HUD, FEMA, NOAA), State, Tribes, U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States 

Scale: National Timeframe: Strategies to support climate-resilient investments for Tribes and 

Insular areas are currently being implemented. However, these efforts will 

continue to evolve into the foreseeable future as the Department increases its 

understanding of climate science, traditional knowledge, and potential future 

impacts. 

Resource Implications: 

Strategies will build on existing use of 

resources. The President’s FY 2022 Budget 

will support an expansion of resources 

provided to Tribes and Insular areas, and 

engagement in climate adaptation practices. 

Climate Change Risks / 

Vulnerabilities 

Example Implementation Strategies Measuring Performance 

Flooding 4.1 Technical and Financial Resources. Provide technical and financial The Department proposes to review and 

Heavy Precipitation Events resources, as well as planning and design tools needed, to Tribes and Insular update performance metrics as adaptation 

Extreme Temperatures areas to advance climate adaptation strategies. Ensure that investments will implementation continues. Example metrics 

Heat-Related Illness improve quality of life, create economic opportunity, and promote efficient and include: 

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Incidence of Diseases 

Higher Storm Surges 

Loss of Sea Ice 

Poor Air Quality 

Water Supply Shortage 

Coastal Erosion 

Permafrost Degradation 

Flooding 

Further description of climate 

risks in: 

--Vulnerability #1- People, 

Communities, and Cultural 

Resources 

--Vulnerability #2- Healthy 

Watersheds and Water 

Supplies 

effective governance, especially those facing relocation, managed retreat, and 

protect-in-place decisions in response to changing climatic conditions. 

4.2 Tribal Consultations. Promote Tribal sovereignty and self-determination by 

empowering Tribes and engaging in meaningful consultation, to ensure Tribal 

voices are part of decision-making related to climate resilience. 

1) Identification of Tribal and Insular 

areas most at risk of climate change 

impacts 

2) Number of Tribes and Insular areas 

with completed adaptation plans, risk 

assessments, hazard mitigation plans 

3) Number of infrastructure/facilities 

moved to or built in a new community 

site for vulnerable communities 

desiring relocation or managed retreat. 

4) Number of communities that have 

access to science and data to inform 

planning and resource management 

decisions 

5) Number of communities that receive 

financial and technical assistance to 

address climate resilience 

--Vulnerability #3-

Biodiversity and Ecosystems 

--Vulnerability #4- Coastal 

and Marine Resources 

--Vulnerability #5-

Infrastructure and Facilities 

Challenges/Further Considerations: Funding limitations are often identified as a barrier to the planning or implementation of climate adaptation or mitigation 

actions. As such, increased economic revenues could create opportunities for Tribes and Insular areas to choose to pursue climate actions. Additionally, the 

Department may not have sufficient staff capacity to support funding recipients in applying for financial assistance and developing projects. 

Action 5: Empower the Next Generation of Conservation and Resilience Workers 

Outcome: A new generation of Americans are empowered and equipped to bolster resilience and tackle the climate crisis 

Department Leads: Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget; Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Assistant Secretary for Water 

and Science 

Intergovernmental Coordination: Federal (e.g., OPM, USDA), State, Local, Tribes 

Scale: National Timeframe: Strategies to foster resilience on lands, waters, and cultural 

resources currently being implemented. However, these efforts will continue to 

evolve into the foreseeable future as the Department increases its understanding 

of climate science and potential impacts. 

Resource Implications: 

Strategies will build on existing use of 

resources. The President’s FY 2022 Budget 

will support an expansion of efforts to 

empower the next generation of 

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conservation and resilience workers and 

engagement in climate adaptation practices. 

Climate Change Risks / 

Vulnerabilities 

Example Implementation Strategies Measuring Performance 

Wildfire 5.1 Civilian Climate Corps. Utilize the Civilian Climate Corps to tackle the The Department proposes to review and 

Sea Level Rise issues of the 21st century, such as: 1) conserving and restoring public lands and update performance metrics as adaptation 

Flooding waters, 2) bolstering community resilience, 3) increasing reforestation, 4) implementation continues. Example metrics 

Heavy Precipitation Events increasing carbon sequestration in the agricultural sector, 5) protecting include: 

Biodiversity Loss biodiversity, 6) improving access to recreation, and 7) addressing the changing 

climate. 

1) Number of Civilian Climate Corps 

workers employed and/or the number of 

Further description of climate 

risks in: 

--Vulnerability #1- People, 

Communities, and Cultural 

Resources 

5.2 Climate Professional Pipeline. Leverage internship programs and other 

opportunities to provide a pathway to permanent positions in climate, 

conservation, and science. 

5.3 Capacity Building. Prioritize funding streams and academic partnership 

hours worked 

2) Number of accessible training 

opportunities developed for Civilian 

Climate Corps workers 

3) Number of jobs created for Civilian 

Climate Corps workers --Vulnerability #2- Healthy programs/grants, such as the CASCs, that allow for training, capacity building, 4) Internship programs with pathways for Watersheds and Water and economic investments in local communities. permanent employment 

Supplies 

--Vulnerability #3-

Biodiversity and Ecosystems 

--Vulnerability #5-

Infrastructure and Facilities 

Challenges/Further Considerations: With the establishment of the Civilian Climate Corps, the Department stands ready to support efforts to create goodpaying jobs, rebuild the Nation’s infrastructure, and address pressing climate challenges. The Department will strive to ensure climate workers receive climate 

education and training appropriate for their occupations. Collaboration with academic programs, universities and CASCs will ensure the next generation of 

conservation and resilience workers are equipped with the knowledge and tools necessary to respond to changing climatic conditions. 

23 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Climate Literacy 

A comprehensive, coordinated workforce training program across all bureaus and offices is 

necessary to effectively meet challenges posed by climate change. 

The Department will build adaptive capacity through a national climate education and training 

program that has the capability to be tiered to regions and local communities. A special emphasis 

will be placed on training decision-makers within the Department’s various bureaus and offices 

that have responsibilities associated with land use and resource management. Decision-makers 

will be equipped with an understanding of anticipated climate change scenarios, adaptation best 

management practices, and other decision support tools developed by the Department and 

CASCs. The CASC network supports early-career scientists and managers through 10+ 

fellowship and training programs, where they can conduct research on climate impacts and 

adaptation, develop skills in science communication and partner engagement, and build networks 

CLIMATE ADAPTATION SCIENCE CENTERS 

of peers and mentors to support their career 

development. In addition, the Department 

will convene a standing Departmental 

Climate Training Working Group with 

representation from all bureaus and offices. 

The working group will be chaired by 

training leads from designated bureaus and 

offices across the Department. Meeting at 

least quarterly, the working group will 

incrementally advance key steps for 

building a more robust climate training 

program including the following: 

• Inventory of Current Climate Training: 

Current climate training efforts are 

diffused widely across bureaus and 

offices and few efforts are coordinated 

programs, where they can conduct research on between providers. The working group 

climate impacts and adaptation, develop skills in willdevelop a comprehensive inventory 

science communication and partner engagement, and of existing curricula with the goal of build networks of peers and mentors to support their identifying opportunities to collaborate 

career development. South Central CASC affiliated across bureaus and jointly develop researchers developed hands on training to improve trainingmaterials and events. planners’ and decision makers’ confidence in 

incorporating climate model projections into their • Promotion of Holistic Understanding: In 

adaptation plans. The CASC network places emphasis the development and delivery of 

on generating actionable science, information, and training, the working group willpromote 

products that address identified science needs and a more expansive understanding of 

are directly usable in supporting resource climate change as an issue that intersects 

management decisions, actions, and plans. with nature’s contributions to people, 

Photo Credit: USGS human health, systems of production, the 

The CASC network supports early career scientists and 

managers through 10+ fellowship and training 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

economy, the importance of cultural resources, and environmental justice. Fully 

understanding the implications of the climate crisis for communities helps reckon with causes 

and inequities and highlights opportunities and strategies for collaborative solutions for the 

benefit of all. 

• Subject Area and Competency Mapping: Current climate training efforts span a wide variety 

of depth, focus, and content. The working group will create conventions for cataloging 

existing and intended climate change training across subject areas and mapping relevant 

training to common competencies. Cataloging will lend itself to the development of climate 

literacy “learning progressions” to guide training for occupational categories across the 

Department. 

• Identification of Gaps and Priorities: Considering existing and intended course offerings—as 

well as Departmental priorities and core operations—the working group will identify known 

gaps in workforce climate literacy for which training development should be prioritized. 

• Training Development Coordination: Workforce literacy efforts should be developed with an 

eye to serve the widest possible cross-section of employees. The working group will 

collaborate on the development, delivery, and refinement of training curricula to foster 

knowledge transfer and skill development across bureaus and offices to the fullest extent 

practicable. The working group will also develop agreed-upon means to track Departmentwide training efforts and employee engagement. 

• Building Technical Competency in Climate Adaptation: Climate adaptation action will 

require a new approach to adaptive management. Building capacity will require a case- or 

problem-based approach to training, supported by a network of practitioners committed to 

continuing education and learning. The Department will explore ways to create a network of 

practitioners, who would provide training through a series of steps that begin with facilitated 

case study learning, followed by smaller-group collaborative learning, and individual 

problem presentation by participants. 

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Climate-Ready Sites and Facilities 

The Department owns more than 42,000 buildings and 80,000 structures. Recognizing that the 

potential effects of climate change can be significant to some of these buildings and structures, 

and unevenly distributed across Departmental regions, there is a need to ensure that adaptation 

and resilience are factored into management decisions at the National, regional, and local level, 

particularly in areas more susceptible to extreme weather events and sea level rise. 

The Department also proposes to undertake the following actions to address climate change 

vulnerability and resilience broadly across its facilities and infrastructure portfolio: 

• Revitalize a Facilities and Infrastructure Climate Change Working Group to coordinate 

efforts across bureaus and offices and align with the goals and efforts of the existing 

STRATEGIC HAZARD IDENTIFICATION AND RISK 

ASSESSMENT 

In collaboration with USGS, the Department’s Office of Emergency 

Management is building the tools and capabilities of the Strategic 

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (SHIRA) project to better 

understand hazards and threats that affect employees, visitors, 

facilities, and resources, and to support emergency management 

and resilience planning. Once completed, a suite of SHIRA products 

will collectively aim to help Department managers identify and plan 

for potential hazards and threats to Department employees, lands, 

and other assets. The products will allow users to: 

• Visualize hazard exposure for units, facilities, personnel, assets, 

and resources; 

• Prioritize threats; 

• Identify buildings, personnel, office sites, and lands exposed to 

hazards in real time for slow and rapid onset incidents; and 

• Develop emergency response and other contingency or 

resilience plans. 

Photo Source: OEM, USGS 

Sustainability Council. 

• Address vulnerabilities of 

mission-critical buildings and 

structures to climate change, 

taking a whole-of-lifecycle 

approach to identify 

opportunities to increase 

resilience. 

• Continue implementation of 

mitigation actions reported in 

the Department’s annual 

Sustainability Plan, such as 

energy and water conservation 

measures, carbon-free 

renewable energy, and 

sustainable buildings. 

• Develop strategies to 

identify, quantify, and estimate 

the costs associated with risks 

to existing infrastructure and 

compare those costs to the 

potential costs associated with 

adaptation measures. 

• Evaluate, prioritize, and share 

available adaptation options, 

and ensure that investments 

associated with Departmentmanaged facilities meet the 

Federal standards for energy 

efficiency and greening 

applications per Secretary’s 

Order 3399. 

26 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Engage the Department’s Museum and Cultural Resources Program to incorporate a 

broad range of adaptation strategies that include documentation and consultation for atrisk cultural resources and historic structures. 

• Consider scenarios for managed retreat, relocation, protect-in-place, and other adaptation 

strategies for assets exposed to encroaching and expanding hazards (e.g., sea level rise, 

flooding, fire) and changing environmental conditions. 

• Promote use of nature-based solutions wherever appropriate, feasible, and cost-effective. 

• Ensure that adaptation actions for facilities are not maladaptive and do not increase the 

environmental burden on vulnerable communities. 

• Explore the development of a Department-wide rapid vulnerability and risk assessment 

framework, building on existing approaches as a foundation to streamline the process and 

allow for expedited decision-making for more resilient facilities and infrastructure. 

Undertaking actions such as these to enhance the climate resilience of the Department’s assets 

will not only protect facilities, but also the people who use these facilities. The Department will 

continue to work with the Council on Environmental Quality, General Services Administration, 

Federal Real Property Council, and other interagency partners to account for climate change 

when new facilities are designed, constructed, or leased to ensure protection of the Department’s 

employees and visitors. 

Climate-Ready Supply of Products and Services 

Supply chains cover the entire network of goods and processes that originate with raw materials 

and end with the delivery of goods and services. A climate-ready supply chain ensures that key 

suppliers for the Department can still operate despite changing climatic conditions. The 

Department is taking steps to assess and manage the climate change risks to its supply chain, 

starting with the evaluation of procurement processes for goods and services that allow the 

Department to meet mission needs. 

In order to understand risks to the supply chain more broadly and how these risks can impact the 

Department’s mission areas, the Department will utilize the Framework for Managing Climate 

Risks to Federal Agency Supply Chains developed by GSA.9 The framework will help determine 

whether changes to existing risk management practices may be necessary to accommodate 

observed and expected climate and weather-related risks. At a high level, the steps include: 

1. Identify climate change risks to critical supply chains. 

27 
2. Assess likelihood and

consequence of climate change

threats.

3. Develop plans to mitigate

impacts of climate change.

4. Monitor and modify risk

management strategies.

Five critical supplies or 

services at risk of disruption 

from extreme weather events or 

long-term climatic change have 

been identified to pilot the 

framework: 

• Data Centers:

Dependable and fast

transmission of data, as

well as secure storage of

data, is essential to

carrying out the

Department’s mission.

Data centers may be

located in areas that are

more susceptible to

climate risk. Facilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

susceptible to flooding

and frequent storms will

need to be prioritized to ensure resilience and continuity of the Department’s operations.

• Construction Materials: The reliance of the construction industry on the global supply

chain makes it particularly sensitive to external factors such as extreme weather events.

Physical damage to facilities, production equipment, and inventories can lead to

shortages in supplies of materials such as steel, resulting in delayed or higher costs for

construction projects managed by the Department.

• Electric Fleet Vehicles: The Department is increasing its deployment of electric vehicles

(EV). These vehicles will require a dependable network of charging stations, which could

be impacted by storms, flooding, and other climate-related events. Additionally, the

proliferation of EVs will result in greater demand for the raw materials used in batteries

(i.e., lithium, cobalt, nickel), much of which is produced abroad. Extreme weather events

may impact the production of these materials, leading to uncertainty in availability of

supply in the short- and long-term.

• Emergency Management Services: Availability of emergency management services,

such as aerial support contracts for fire suppression, may be strained from extreme

28 
 

 

 

 

 

 

weather and climate change impacts. Increases in the frequency, severity, and duration of 

storms and wildfires will significantly impact the Department’s resources, contracts, and 

personnel supporting emergency management. 

• Communications Infrastructure: Communications infrastructure, particularly in the

field, is vulnerable to climate change impacts, creating gaps in the ability to acquire,

move, and process information vital to decision support, community awareness, and

securing Department lands during emergency management events. Increases in the

severity and frequency of storms, flooding, and wildland fire risk may damage existing

infrastructure and drive the need to implement resilient modern connectivity

communications and IT solutions to for real time distribution of information.

The Department plans to evaluate these five critical supplies and services using the GSA 

framework to develop and implement risk management strategies in a changing climate. Future 

adaptation actions may also include the development of acquisition strategies that evaluate the 

critical minerals supply chain used to advance renewable energy production and the 

Department’s renewable energy goals, as well as transportation routes that may be impacted by 

climate change. The Department can work with major suppliers to identify risks and appropriate 

measures to support climate resilience. 

Conclusion 

The Climate Action Plan describes the Department’s ongoing and planned activities to address 

climate change by building resilience in natural and cultural resources and the communities 

impacted by the Department’s management and operations. Climate change adaptation is a longterm endeavor requiring scientific understanding of vulnerabilities and a sound, yet flexible, plan 

to address the impacts. The Department is committed to incorporating adaptation and resilience 

into planning and operations and looks forward to working with Federal and other partners to 

improve understanding, develop effective tools, and identify and implement best practices. 

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Endnotes

1 USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate

Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. 

Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 

Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018. 

2 Executive Order 13653 – Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change. 

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2013-11-06/pdf/2013-26785.pdf. November 

2013 

3 NPS, 2021. Planning for a Changing Climate: Climate-Smart Planning and Management in the 

National Park Service. NPS Climate Change Response Program, Fort Collins, CO.

https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2279647 

4 DOI, 2014: Department of the Interior Climate Change Adaptation Plan. U.S. Department of 

the Interior, Washington, DC, USA, 50pp. Available from: 

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/greening/sustainability_plan/upload/2014_DOI 

_Climate_Change_Adaptation_Plan.pdf. Accessed May 4, 2021. 

5 Executive Order 14008 – Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. 

https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-25/pdf/2021-01753.pdf. January 2021 

6 Executive Order 13990 – Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science 

to Tackle the Climate Crisis. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-25/pdf/2021-

01753.pdf. January 2021 

7 Secretary’s Order 3399 – Department-Wide Approach to the Climate Crisis and Restoring

Transparency and Integrity to the Decision-Making Process.

https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/elips/documents/so-3399-508_0.pdf. April 2021 

8 CEQ, 2010: Progress Report of the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task ForceRecommended Actions in Support of a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy. White 

House Council on Environmental Quality, Washington, DC, USA, 72 pp. Available from: 

https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2015-12/documents/interagency-climate-changeadaptation-progress-report.pdf. Accessed May 4, 2021. 

9 USGCRP, 2018: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States: Fourth National Climate

Assessment, Volume II [Reidmiller, D.R., C.W. Avery, D.R. Easterling, K.E. Kunkel, K.L.M. 

Lewis, T.K. Maycock, and B.C. Stewart (eds.)]. U.S. Global Change Research Program, 

Washington, DC, USA, 1515 pp. doi: 10.7930/NCA4.2018. 

10 GSA, 2021. GSA Framework for Managing Climate Change Risks to Federal Agency Supply 

Chains. Available from: https://sftool.gov/plan/553/framework-managing-climate-risksfederal-agency-supply-chains. Accessed May 1, 2021 

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