(K) altered patterns of rain, snow, runoff, 
and streamflow; and 
(L) habitat loss, degradation, fragmenta-
tion, and movement; and 
(3) the Federal Government should provide 
leadership in preparing for and responding to the ef-
fects described in paragraph (2) to ensure that 
present and future generations continue to receive 
the benefits of the abundant and diverse fish, wild-
life, and plant resources of the United States. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purpose of this Act is to estab-
lish an integrated national approach— 
(1) to respond to ongoing and expected effects 
of extreme weather and climate change by pro-
tecting, managing, and conserving the fish, wildlife, 
and plants of the United States; and 
(2) to maximize Government efficiency and re-
duce costs, in cooperation with State, local, and trib-
al governments and other entities. 
(c) NATIONAL FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS CLI-
MATE CHANGE ADAPTATION POLICY.—It is the policy of 
the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and 
local governments, Indian tribes, and other interested 
stakeholders to evaluate and reduce the increased risks 
and vulnerabilities associated with climate change and ex-
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treme weather events, and to use all practicable means to 
protect, manage, and conserve healthy, diverse, and pro-
ductive fish, wildlife, and plant populations. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
ADAPTATION.—The 
term 
‘‘adaptation’’ 
means— 
(A) the process of adjustment to actual or 
expected climate and the effects of climate 
change; and 
(B) with respect to fish, wildlife, and 
plants, protection, management, and conserva-
tion efforts designed to maintain or enhance the 
ability of fish, wildlife, and plants to withstand, 
adjust to, or recover from the effects of extreme 
weather and climate change (including, where 
applicable, ocean acidification, drought, flood-
ing, and wildfire). 
(2) CENTER.—The term ‘‘Center’’ means the 
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Cen-
ter established under section 6(a)(1). 
(3) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Advisory Committee on Climate Change 
and Natural Resource Sciences established under 
section 6(b)(1). 
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(4) ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES.—The term ‘‘eco-
logical processes’’ means biological, chemical, or 
physical interaction between the biotic and abiotic 
components of an ecosystem, including— 
(A) decomposition; 
(B) disease epizootiology; 
(C) disturbance regimes, such as fire and 
flooding; 
(D) gene flow; 
(E) hydrological cycling; 
(F) larval dispersal and settlement; 
(G) nutrient cycling; 
(H) pollination; 
(I) predator-prey relationships; and 
(J) soil formation. 
(5) HABITAT.—The term ‘‘habitat’’ means the 
physical, chemical, and biological properties that 
fish, wildlife, or plants use for growth, reproduction, 
survival, food, water, or cover (whether on land, in 
water, or in an area or region). 
(6) HABITAT CONNECTIVITY.—The term ‘‘habi-
tat connectivity’’ means areas that facilitate terres-
trial, marine, estuarine, and freshwater fish, wildlife, 
or plant movement that is necessary— 
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(A) for migration, gene flow, or dispersal; 
or 
(B) to respond to the ongoing and ex-
pected effects of climate change (including, 
where applicable, ocean acidification, drought, 
flooding, and wildfire). 
(7) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 450b). 
(8) NATIONAL STRATEGY.—The term ‘‘National 
Strategy’’ means the National Fish, Wildlife, and 
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy released March 
26, 2013. 
(9) RESILIENCE; RESILIENT.—The terms ‘‘re-
silience’’ and ‘‘resilient’’ mean the ability to antici-
pate, prepare for, and adapt to changing conditions 
and withstand, respond to, and recover rapidly from 
disruptions. 
(10) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means— 
(A) a State of the United States; 
(B) the District of Columbia; 
(C) American Samoa; 
(D) Guam; 
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(E) the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands; 
(F) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; 
and 
(G) the United States Virgin Islands. 
(11) WORKING
GROUP.—The term ‘‘Working 
Group’’ means the National Fish, Wildlife, and 
Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy Joint Imple-
mentation Working Group established under section 
4(a). 
SEC. 4. NATIONAL FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS CLIMATE 
ADAPTATION STRATEGY JOINT IMPLEMENTA-
TION WORKING GROUP. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the President shall es-
tablish a National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Ad-
aptation Strategy Joint Implementation Working Group 
composed of the heads of Federal and State agencies or 
departments with jurisdiction over fish, wildlife, and plant 
resources of the United States, and tribal representatives, 
as follows: 
(1) The Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency. 
(2) The Administrator of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency. 
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(3) The Administrator of the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration. 
(4) The Chair of the Council on Environmental 
Quality. 
(5) The Chief of Engineers. 
(6) The Chief of the Forest Service. 
(7) The Commissioner of Reclamation. 
(8) The Director of the Bureau of Indian Af-
fairs. 
(9) The Director of the Bureau of Land Man-
agement. 
(10) The Director of the National Park Service. 
(11) The Director of the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service. 
(12) The Director of the United States Geologi-
cal Survey. 
(13) The Secretary of Agriculture. 
(14) The Secretary of Defense. 
(15) State representatives from each regional 
association of State fish and wildlife agencies. 
(16) Not less than 2 tribal representatives. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Working Group shall serve as a 
forum for interagency consultation on, and the coordina-
tion of, the development and implementation of the Na-
tional Strategy. 
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(c) CO-CHAIRS.—There shall be 4 co-chairs, of 
whom— 
(1) 2 shall be representatives of the Federal 
Government; 
(2) 1 shall be a representative of a State; and 
(3) 1 shall be a tribal representative. 
SEC. 5. NATIONAL FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS CLIMATE 
ADAPTATION STRATEGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Working Group shall adopt 
the National Strategy to protect, manage, and conserve 
fish, wildlife, and plants to maintain the inherent resil-
ience and adaptability of fish, wildlife, and plants to with-
stand the ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather 
and climate change. 
(b) REVIEW AND REVISION.—Not later than 1 year 
after each release of the assessment required under section 
106 of the Global Change Research Act of 1990 (15 
U.S.C. 2936), the Working Group shall— 
(1) use sound science to review and revise the 
National Strategy to incorporate— 
(A) new information regarding the ongoing 
and expected effects of climate change on fish, 
wildlife, and plants; and 
(B) advances in the development of fish, 
wildlife, and plant adaptation strategies; and 
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(2) in carrying out paragraph (1), provide pub-
lic notice and opportunity for comment. 
(c) CONTENTS.—A revised National Strategy shall— 
(1) assess the vulnerability of fish, wildlife, and 
plants to climate change, including short-term, me-
dium-term, long-term, and cumulative impacts; 
(2) describe current, observation, and moni-
toring activities at the Federal, State, tribal, and 
local levels relating to the ongoing and expected ef-
fects of climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants; 
(3) identify and prioritize research and data 
needs; 
(4) identify fish, wildlife, and plants likely to 
have the greatest need for protection, restoration, 
and conservation due to the ongoing and expanding 
effects of extreme weather and climate change; 
(5) include specific protocols for integrating 
fish, wildlife, and plant adaptation strategies and ac-
tivities into the conservation and management of 
natural resources by Federal agencies to ensure con-
sistency across agency jurisdictions; 
(6) identify opportunities for maintaining, re-
storing, or enhancing fish, wildlife, and plants to re-
duce the risks of extreme weather and climate 
change on other vulnerable sectors of society; 
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(7) identify Federal policies and actions that 
may reduce resilience and increase the vulnerability 
of fish, wildlife, and plants to extreme weather and 
climate change; 
(8) include specific actions that Federal agen-
cies shall take to protect, conserve, and manage fish, 
wildlife, and plants to maintain the inherent resil-
ience and adaptability of fish, wildlife, and plants to 
withstand, adjust to, or recover from the ongoing 
and expected effects of climate change, including a 
timeline to implement those actions; 
(9) include specific mechanisms for ensuring 
communication and coordination— 
(A) among Federal agencies; and 
(B) between Federal agencies and State 
agencies, territories of the United States, In-
dian tribes, private landowners, conservation or-
ganizations, and other countries that share ju-
risdiction over fish, wildlife, and plants with the 
United States; 
(10) include specific actions to develop and im-
plement coordinated fish, wildlife, and plants inven-
tory and monitoring protocols through interagency 
coordination and collaboration with States and local 
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governments, Indian tribes, and private organiza-
tions; and 
(11) include procedures for guiding the develop-
ment of detailed strategy implementation plans re-
quired under section 7. 
(d) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Consistent with other laws 
and Federal trust responsibilities concerning Indian 
land or rights of Indians under treaties with the 
United States, each Federal agency shall integrate 
the elements of the National Strategy that relate to 
conservation, management, and protection of fish, 
wildlife, and plants into agency plans, environmental 
reviews, and programs. 
(2) PUBLIC
REPORT.—The Working Group 
shall, on a biannual basis, between revisions to the 
National Strategy, make available to the public a re-
port documenting any actions implementing the 
Strategy. 
(3) COORDINATION.—The Working Group shall 
coordinate the implementation of the National Strat-
egy with Federal agencies not represented on the 
Working Group to achieve the policy of the United 
States described in section 2(c). 
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SEC. 
6. 
FISH, 
WILDLIFE, 
AND 
PLANTS 
ADAPTATION 
SCIENCE AND INFORMATION. 
(a) NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE
AND WILDLIFE 
SCIENCE CENTER.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—The Secretary of the In-
terior, in collaboration with the States, Indian tribes, 
and other partner organizations, shall establish a 
National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Cen-
ter. 
(2) DUTIES OF CENTER.—The Center shall as-
sess and develop scientific information, tools, strate-
gies, and techniques to support the Working Group, 
Federal and State agencies, tribes, regionally based 
science and conservation centers, regional coordi-
nating entities, and other interested parties in ad-
dressing the effects of extreme weather and climate 
change on fish, wildlife, and plants. 
(3) GENERAL AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO CON-
TRACTS, 
GRANTS, 
AND
COOPERATIVE
AGREE-
MENTS.—The Secretary may enter into contracts, 
grants, or cooperative agreements with State agen-
cies, State cooperative extension services, institutions 
of higher education, other research or educational 
institutions and organizations, tribal organizations, 
Federal and private agencies and organizations, indi-
viduals, and any other contractor or recipient, to 
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further the duties under paragraph (2) without re-
gard to— 
(A) any requirements for competition; 
(B) section 6101 of title 41, United States 
Code; or 
(C) subsections (a) and (b) of section 3324 
of title 31, United States Code. 
(b) ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ON CLIMATE CHANGE 
AND NATURAL RESOURCE SCIENCES.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and pursu-
ant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.), the Secretary of the Interior shall es-
tablish an Advisory Committee on Climate Change 
and Natural Resource Sciences. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be 
comprised of 25 members who— 
(A) represent— 
(i) Federal agencies; 
(ii) State, local, and tribal govern-
ments; 
(iii) nongovernmental organizations; 
(iv) academic institutions; and 
(v) the private sector; and 
(B) have expertise in— 
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(i) biology (including fish, wildlife, 
plant, aquatic, coastal, and marine biol-
ogy); 
(ii) ecology; 
(iii) climate change (including, where 
applicable, ocean acidification, drought, 
flooding, and wildfire); and 
(iv) other relevant scientific dis-
ciplines. 
(3) CHAIR.—The Secretary of the Interior shall 
appoint a Committee Chair from among the mem-
bers of the Committee. 
(4) DUTIES.—The Committee shall— 
(A) advise the Working Group on the state 
of the science regarding— 
(i) the ongoing and expected effects of 
extreme weather and climate change on 
fish, wildlife, and plants; and 
(ii) scientific strategies and mecha-
nisms for fish, wildlife, and plant adapta-
tion; 
(B) identify and recommend priorities for 
ongoing research needs on the issues described 
in subparagraph (A) to inform the research pri-
orities of the Center described in subsection (a) 
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and other Federal climate science institutions; 
and 
(C) review and comment on each revised 
National Strategy before that National Strategy 
is finalized. 
(5) COLLABORATION.—The Committee shall 
collaborate with climate change and fish, wildlife, 
and plant research entities in other Federal agencies 
and departments. 
(6) AVAILABILITY TO PUBLIC.—The advice and 
recommendations of the Committee shall be made 
available to the public. 
SEC. 7. STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act and not later than 1 year 
after the date of each revision of the National Strategy, 
the Working Group shall— 
(1) complete a strategy implementation plan; 
(2) provide opportunities for public review and 
comment on the plan; and 
(3) submit the plan to the President for ap-
proval. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The strategy implementation 
plan shall— 
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(1) identify and prioritize specific conservation 
and management strategies and actions that address 
the ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather 
and climate change on fish, wildlife, and plants, in-
cluding— 
(A) protection, management, and conserva-
tion of terrestrial, marine, estuarine, and fresh-
water habitats and ecosystems; 
(B) establishment of terrestrial, marine, 
estuarine, and freshwater habitat connectivity 
corridors; 
(C) restoration and conservation of ecologi-
cal processes; 
(D) protection of a broad diversity of spe-
cies of fish, wildlife, and plant populations; and 
(E) protection of fish, wildlife, and plant 
health, recognizing that climate can alter the 
distribution and ecology of parasites, pathogens, 
and vectors; 
(2) establish methods— 
(A) to assess the effectiveness of strategies 
and conservation actions implemented by the 
agencies to protect, manage, and conserve fish, 
wildlife, and plants; and 
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(B) to update those strategies and actions 
to respond to new information and changing 
conditions; 
(3) describe current and proposed mechanisms 
to enhance cooperation and coordination of fish, 
wildlife, and plant adaptation efforts with other Fed-
eral agencies, State and local governments, Indian 
tribes, and nongovernmental stakeholders; 
(4) include written guidance to resource man-
agers; and 
(5) identify and assess data and information 
gaps necessary to develop fish, wildlife, and plant 
adaptation plans and strategies. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—On approval by the Presi-
dent, each Federal agency shall, consistent with ex-
isting authority, implement the strategy implementa-
tion plan under subsection (a)(1) through existing 
and new plans, policies, programs, activities, and ac-
tions, including integration into climate adaptation 
plans pursuant to Executive Order 13653 (42 
U.S.C. 4321 note; relating to preparation for the im-
pacts of climate change). 
(2) CONSIDERATION
OF
EFFECTS.—To the 
maximum extent practicable and consistent with ex-
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isting authority, fish, wildlife, and plant conservation 
and management decisions made by each Federal 
agency shall consider and promote resilience to the 
ongoing and expected effects of extreme weather and 
climate change. 
(d) REVISION AND REVIEW.—Not later than 1 year 
after the National Strategy is revised under section 5(b), 
the Working Group shall review and revise the strategy 
implementation plan under subsection (a)(1) to incor-
porate the best available science, including advice and in-
formation pursuant to section 6 and other information, re-
garding the ongoing and expected effects of climate 
change on fish, wildlife, and plants. 
SEC. 8. STATE FISH, WILDLIFE, AND PLANTS ADAPTATION 
PLANS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT.—To be eligible to receive funds 
pursuant to subsection (d), not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act and not later than 1 year 
after the date of each revision of the National Strategy, 
each State shall prepare and submit to the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Commerce, a State fish, 
wildlife, and plant adaptation plan detailing current and 
future efforts of the State to address the ongoing and ex-
pected effects of climate change on fish, wildlife, and 
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plants and coastal areas within the jurisdiction of the 
State. 
(b) REVIEW OR APPROVAL.—The Secretary of the In-
terior and the Secretary of Commerce shall— 
(1) review each State adaptation plan; and 
(2) approve a State adaptation plan if the 
plan— 
(A) meets the requirements of subsection 
(c); and 
(B) is consistent with the National Strat-
egy. 
(c) CONTENTS.—A State adaptation plan shall— 
(1) meet the requirements described in section 
7(b); 
(2) include the adaptation provisions of any 
State comprehensive wildlife conservation strategy 
(or State wildlife action plan) that has been— 
(A) submitted to the Director of the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and 
(B) approved, or is pending approval, by 
the Director of the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service; 
(3) include the adaptation provisions of a state-
wide assessment and strategy for forest resources re-
quired under section 2A of the Cooperative Forestry 
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