Northern Rockies Adaptation Partnership: Preparing for Climate Change through Science-Management Collaboration

Project Description

The Northern Rockies Adaptation Partnership (NRAP) is a science-management partnership between the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service regional offices and national forests (mostly in the Northern Region, and small portions of the Intermountain and Rocky Mountain Regions); the Forest Service's Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations; Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks; the Great Northern and Plains and Prairie Potholes Landscape Conservation Cooperatives; the Department of the Interior's North Central Climate Science Center; the Greater Yellowstone Coordinating Committee; Oregon State University; and EcoAdapt.

The NRAP process included:

• (1) A vulnerability assessment of the effects of climate change on hydrology and roads, fisheries, wildlife, forested and nonforested vegetation and disturbance, recreation, and cultural ecosystem services, (2) the development of adaptation options that will help reduce negative effects of climate change and assist the transition of biological systems and management to a warmer and a changing climate, and (3) the development of an enduring science-management partnership to facilitate ongoing dialogue and activities related to climate change in the Northern Rockies region. These resource sectors were selected based on their importance in the region and current management concerns and challenges.
• Five workshops were convened  to present and discuss the vulnerability assessment, and to elicit adaptation options from resource managers. During these workshops, scientists and resource specialists presented information on climate change effects and current management practices for each of the resources. Facilitated discussion was used to identify key sensitivities and adaption options. Facilitators captured information generated during the workshops with a set of worksheets.

The results of both the vulnerability assessments and the workshops have been incorporated into a peer-reviewed general technical report to be published by the Rocky Mountain Research Station. This publication contains a chapter on expected climatological changes in the Northern Rockies, and one chapter for each of the resource sectors covered in the vulnerability assessment (water resources, fisheries, wildlife, recreation, forested and nonforested vegetation, disturbance, and ecosystem services). Each resource chapter includes a review of climate change effects, sensitivities, current management practices, and the results of the adaptation strategies and tactics discussions.

Purpose and Scope

The NRAP increases climate change awareness, assessing vulnerability, and develops science-based adaptation strategies to reduce adverse effects of climate change and ease the transition to new climate states and conditions. Building on previous efforts in national forests, this partnership brings together resource managers and research scientists to plan for climate change in the Northern Rockies. The Northern Rockies region includes 15 national forests, nearly 20 wilderness areas, and three national parks across the U.S. Forest Service Northern Region and the adjacent Greater Yellowstone Area. The area spans northern Idaho, Montana, northwest Wyoming, North Dakota, and northern South Dakota.

Methods

• Established a long-term science-management partnership involving multiple agencies and stakeholders to continually assess climate change science and its implications for biophysical and social resources.
• Conducted a vulnerability assessment of priority resources (species, ecosystems, ecosystem services) and developed associated adaptation strategies to help build resistance, enhance resilience, and facilitate ecological transitions for the Northern Rockies ecoregion.
• The assessment focused on climate trends, water resources, fisheries, wildlife, forested and nonforested vegetation, disturbance regimes, recreation, and ecosystem services.
  • The assessment and adaptation strategies have been peer-reviewed and are in press, providing the scientific foundation for operationalizing climate change in planning, ecological restoration, and project management.
  • Engaged with partners, stakeholders, decisionmakers, planners, and resource specialists to:
    • Build an enduring partnership to facilitate application of climate-smart management.
    • Provide tools to incorporate and apply adaptation options through assessment, planning, project implementation, and monitoring.
  • Conducted five workshops with scientists, land managers, conservation practitioners, and other stakeholders to review the vulnerability assessment.
    • Downscaled information from the regionwide assessment to identify the most significant vulnerabilities to climate change for priority resources in each subregion.
    • Identified adaptation strategies and tactics to reduce resource vulnerabilities. Adaptation strategies and tactics were linked to corresponding management.

Key Findings

The NRAP made significant contributions to assist climate change responses by national forests and national parks in the region. The effort synthesized the best available scientific information to assess climate change vulnerability, develop adaptation options, and catalyze a collaboration of land management agencies and stakeholders seeking to address climate change in the Northern Rockies. The vulnerability assessment and corresponding adaptation options provided information to support national forests and national parks in implementing respective agency climate change strategies described in the National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change, Climate Change Performance Scorecard, and National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy. The NRAP process allowed all forests in the U.S. Forest Service Northern Region to respond with “yes” to scorecard questions in the organizational capacity, engagement, and adaptation dimensions. Also, the NRAP process enabled participating national parks to make progress toward implementing several components (communication, science, and adaptation goals) of the National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy.

Project Deliverables

1. The vulnerability assessment provides information on climate change effects needed for national forest plans, project plans, conservation strategies, and restoration. The assessment will be particularly useful for national forest and park planning and management.
2. Climate change sensitivities and adaptation options developed at the regional scale provide the scientific foundation for subregional and national forest and park vulnerability assessments, adaptation planning, and resource monitoring.
3. Training was provided to resource specialists who, in conjunction with place-based information, can apply climate change to land management throughout the region.
4. The partnership has/will facilitate operationalization of climate change in resource management and planning throughout the region. http://adaptationpartners.org/nrap/webinars.php