CFE agenda 091117 - Laserfiche WebLink

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III Yro.�' `, r !.!, �,. ...... wa °� "1 limate change is proceeding at a rate at which there will be unavoidable impacts to humans, wildlife, and habitat. Given current levels of heat - trapping greenhouse gas emis- sions, we are expected to experience substantial shifts in local, regional, and national climate patterns. These shifts have the potential to disrupt natural processes, and in some areas may cause significant degradation to ecosystems that provide services such as clean and abundant water, protection from flooding, and sustainable natural resources of timber products or game species. Mitigation strategies, or policy and management actions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming, are and will continue to be an important part of any plan to reduce the impacts of climate change. These strategies include actions at the individual level, such as reducing your carbon footprint by driving less often, as well as strat- egies at a regional or national level to curb harm- ful greenhouse gas emissions from factories or other pollution sources. Despite the growing knowledge about and interest in climate change, greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, exceeding even the "business as usual" trajectory that scientists warn will lead to dire consequences. Consequently, even if the most rigorous mitigation strategies were implement- ed today at the local, regional, and national level, we will continue to experience the effects of climate change for many years to come. Because of these lasting effects, it will be critical for fish and wildlife agencies to play a significant role in developing strat- egies to safeguard wildlife, fish, and their supporting ecosystems from the impacts of climate change. Climate change adaptation refers to the adjustment in natural and human systems in response to expect- ed climate change impacts that we cannot prevent. W Adaptation is critical because we know that climate change is already happening, and that its effects on human and natural communities are already appar- ent in many regions across the globe. What's more, some additional warming is unavoidable. Because carbon persists for a long time in the atmosphere, there will be an inevitable lag between when we reduce emissions and when we start to see the results in the climate system and the natural world. For fish, wildlife, and habitats, adapting to climate change will be a long -term, iterative process, and will be particularly challenging given existing threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation from development, introduction of invasive species, water pollution, and wildlife diseases. Shifts in local climate, such as temperature and precipitation, may further exac- erbate these existing threats, putting some species at even more risk. Thus, climate change adaptation might best be seen as a new and permanent element of conservation planning and wildlife management, rather than a separate activity or a one -time planning process. The southeastern United States contains some of the highest biological diversity, and some of the most endangered ecosystems, found anywhere else in the world. The State of North Carolina contributes to the Southeast's unique floral and faunal diversity, from supporting the nation's highest number of amphib- ian species to a rich portfolio of unique ecosystems such as spruce -fir and southern forested wetlands. In 2005, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission ( NCWRC) developed the State Wild- life Action Plan (NC WAP) to build on existing conservation efforts and develop a comprehensive blueprint for the conservation of fish and wildlife. In preparation of the NC WAP, the NCWRC and their partners identified over 350 species in greatest