The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

Weathering climate change © Jeremy deeds/The Nature Conservancy

Climate change is affecting ecosystems and species around the world. In Pennsylvania, signs of climate change are beginning to appear. On average, spring is arriving sooner, summers are growing hotter, and winter snow cover has diminished.

Other examples possibly linked to climate change: the range of some wintering bird populations is moving further north, and some species of trees are showing decreased regeneration in the southern end of their ranges. These effects are still subtle compared to the changes seen in less temperate climates, such as melting glaciers and increased frequencies of extreme events like flooding and forest fires.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a Climate Change Action Plan in December 2009, outlining strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change in Pennsylvania. Although adaptation was not included in its present scope, the plan indicated a further need to address climate change adaptation statewide.

As an initial effort to inform the statewide adaptation planning process, a small group of staff from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and The Nature Conservancy interviewed stakeholders from state and federal natural resource management agencies,  research institutions, and environmental non-profit organizations. The goals of the interviews were 1) to better understand how the need to adapt to climate change will affect stakeholders’ missions and strategies, and 2) to understand stakeholders’ perspectives and gather recommendations on the challenges and opportunities presented by a statewide adaptation planning process.

The findings from the interviews are presented in a report: Weathering Climate Change: Framing Strategies to Minimize Impacts on Pennsylvania Ecosystems and Wildlife.

Click here to read the Executive Summary (.pdf)

Click here to read the full report (2MB,.pdf)