Developing a climate adaptation framework for National Wildlife Refuge Systems

reeds in the lake

Project Summary

With changing climate patterns, natural resource managers are confronted with difficult decisions on how to minimize impacts to habitats, infrastructure and wildlife populations. Along with federal partners, we’re developing a decision and adaptation framework to support the thoughtful integration of climate change information into formal natural resource management and planning processes. We are piloting the approach in collaboration with the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge in Minnesota, Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio, and Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges Complex in Illinois. While this project focuses on workflows for stations in the Midwest, results will be shared nationally as the ultimate aim is for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service  to adopt this approach and standardize a means of addressing climate change across the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Project Partner

USGS Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center

Project Funder

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS)