See how the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with partners to reduce the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conserves our nation’s heritage of wild things and wild places, which are threatened by forces such as habitat destruction and fragmentation, invasive species, and water scarcity.
Now, worldwide scientific consensus tells us that human activity is changing the climate system itself. As climate changes, the abundance and distribution of wildlife and fish will also change. Some species will adapt successfully to an abruptly warming world; many will struggle; and others will disappear.
What species are most vulnerable to rapid changes in climate?
Endangered and threatened species now living at the limits of survival;
Plants and animals living within confined geographic ranges with limited abilities to move rapidly; and
Species migrating to new areas where they meet increased competition for habitat or food.
Our Role
As the nation’s principle federal conservation agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is dedicated to helping reduce the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats. Our 8,000 employees specialize in wildlife management and ecosystem dynamics, and have an extensive network of partners who work alongside us to protect our nation’s fish and wildlife resources.
We are already working with partners and available resources to address climate change effects on wildlife. Accelerating climate change will amplify many of the conservation challenges our employees are dealing with today. We cannot meet these challenges alone.
We are also developing a climate change strategic plan. Following this plan, over the next five years we will acquire additional resources and build our organization’s capacity to address the impacts of climate change on natural systems. This capacity will enable our employees to more effectively plan, design, implement, and monitor strategic conservation efforts.
As we refine and finalize our strategic plan based on employee and partner feedback in mid-2009, we will move quickly to:
identify and fill knowledge gaps,
expand capability to plan and work with partners,
identify habitats and corridors most important across landscapes, and
engage the public in our efforts to conserve the nature of America in a changing climate.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife and six other federal agencies, has developed a new Climate Change, Wildlife and Wildlands Toolkit for formal and informal educators. The kit contains materials that will help classroom teachers and informal educators in parks, refuges, forest lands, nature centers, zoos, aquariums, science centers, and other venues teach middle school students about how climate change is affecting our nation's wildlife and public lands and how everyone—including kids—can become “climate stewards.”
New Report Assesses National, Regional Impacts of Global Climate Change
June 17, 2009
Climate change is already having visible impacts in the United States, and the choices we make now will determine the severity of its impacts in the future, according to a new federal study assessing the current and anticipated domestic impacts of climate change.
