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The National Wildlife Federation was awarded an 18-month grant from the Wildlife Conservation Society, through the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, to support a global warming State Wildlife Action Plan pilot project within three states: Florida, Virginia, and Washington. A majority of the action plans identify global warming as a key challenge facing wildlife today. However, most of the plans need to be updated to adequately address this leading threat to wildlife. Project goals include: (1) assisting in implementation of existing global warming related conservation actions prescribed in the state wildlife action plans, (2) collaborating with state fish and wildlife agencies to establish new adaptation strategies and integrating those strategies into the state wildlife action plans, (3) providing recommendations and lessons learned to key conservation leaders and elected officials across the nation, and (4) expanding the participation of Teaming with Wildlife coalitions to implement state adaptation strategies and otherwise protect wildlife from global warming via the state wildlife action plans. For the purposes of this project, adaptation is defined as activities, including research and education, which assist fish, wildlife and their habitats, as well as plants, and associated ecological processes in surviving global warming.
During the first phase of this project, NWF and affiliates will work with these three pilot state wildlife agencies (and others as they are interested) to organize networks comprised of scientists, natural resource managers, conservation NGOs and decision makers to determine a course of action for protecting wildlife from global warming. A minimum of two workshops will be held in each state, targeting the audiences described above, as a forum for developing state climate adaptation strategies. Strategies will focus on policy and on-the-ground natural resource management solutions, including, but not limited to, those detailed in the state’s wildlife action plan. A report detailing consensus recommendations will be generated for each pilot state and shared nationally with wildlife agencies, professional societies, decision makers, and opinion leaders. To share lessons learned, NWF and partners will give presentations about pilot state accomplishments at state, regional, and national meetings during the latter phase of the project. Additionally, NWF and affiliates will work with pilot state wildlife agencies to expand and increase the effectiveness of their respective Teaming with Wildlife coalitions. These coalitions will be a valuable resource to educate others about the wildlife action plans and global warming as a leading threat to the state’s wildlife. They will also become highly effective alliances to assist in implementing the global warming-related provisions of the state wildlife action plans.
This initiative will promote conservation of the following climate-stressed priority habitats in the three pilot states: (1) coastal areas such as shorelines and barrier islands; (2) priority rivers, streams and wetlands; and (3) migration corridors for terrestrial wildlife. High priority conservation areas in other states will ultimately benefit as NWF shares the information and accomplishments of FL, VA and WA across the country. Key partners include: Florida Wildlife Federation and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Virginia Conservation Network and Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, Washington Wildlife Federation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and other Teaming with Wildlife leaders in each state.
For more information contact: Naomi Edelson, Senior Manager, State Wildlife Programs, National Wildlife Federation; 202/797-6889; edelsonn@nwf.org
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