New Federal Plan Will Try To Protect Wildlife From Climate Change

The White House announced yesterday that a new nationwide plan would be implemented to help wildlife adapt to climate change. It's being called the National Fish, Wildlife and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy, and may go into effect very soon.

The LA Times reports that the plan was developed in conjunction with state and tribal authorities, and will be looking to establish new preservation priorities over the next five years. The overall implementation would likely happen over several decades, although a cost estimate was not provided.

The plan notes that animal species nationwide, including Northwest coast oysters, migrating ducks and geese, and bark beetles, are already demonstrating the effects of climate change. The strategy would seek to preserve species as global warming continues to effect their habitats and migration patterns.

Among the proposals included in the plan is the establishing of "wildlife corridors," which would enable animals and plants to safely move to better suited habitats. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Daniel M. Ashe states that these corridors could be made possible through easements, and may total "much more than 1 million acres."

The plan does not prioritize any particular species, although it does reference the aforementioned oysters, geese, ducks, and bark beetles, as well as Atlantic fish. Additionally, Ashe states that the "polar bear is the poster child" of the threat of climate change.

Similar measures are also in effect. The LA Times cites the federal government's current agreement to pay ranchers and farmers to set aside land as wildlife refuges for prairie chickens in the Great Plains. However, other initiatives are facing resistance from politicians who do not believe in climate change. For example, North Carolina's plan to build additional infrastructure to handle the worsening storm surges have been delayed by some state politicians who are dismissing scientific models that estimate the sea level rise.

Overall, the efforts to help wildlife adapt to climate changes have not seen much of a backlash according to administration officials in a conference call.