Delaware River Watershed Forum

Bethlehem, PA

October 21, 2014

Ginny Kreitler, National Audubon Society

Susan Beecher, Pinchot Institute

Brenna Goggin, Delaware Nature Society

Climate Resiliency Strategy for natural

resources had 4 strategies:

• Foster climate resilient lands and waters

• Manage and enhance carbon sinks

• Enhance community preparedness utilizing

natural resources

• Modernize programs to build resilience and

enhance biological carbon sequestration

Entities working on climate

change regionally have

undertaken Vulnerability

Assessments, Climate

Action Plans, and community

engagement

Last year’s forum:

discussion of issue and work in

the upper and lower portions

of the watershed

Themes from our 2013

Discussion of climate change

Climate change is altering ecosystems and our

measures of success must change along with it.

• Do we need to abandon traditional restoration

goals?

• If so, how do we manage ecosystems responsibly?

• How will we know when we have succeeded?

• This is a new resource management discipline

Defining effective management in relation to

climate change will be a learning process. • Adaptive management.

• We will need information we do not have today.

• We will need additional, new data over time.

How do we address the data gaps most crucial

to management in the fact of climate change?

• Is there a role for the Coalition in advocating for more

funding?

• Is there a role for organizing citizen science efforts?

Climate change impacts all parts of the Delaware

basin.

Salient concerns differ in the upper and lower

portions of the watershed, although some issues are

cross cutting.

This begs the question of how do we tackle climate

change in the Basin:

• Scope of work

• Engaging decisionmakers and public

Consider these same issues, and others.

Consider recent work on climate change.

Identify critical issues that need to be

addressed and the associated barriers and

opportunities for conservation.

Think about next steps.

Susan Beecher• Pinchot Institute for Conservation

• Presenting on Climate Plan for the Upper

Delaware River Region

Brenna Goggin• Delaware Nature Society

• Presenting on Delaware Sea Level Rise

Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change? Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change?Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change? Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change? Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change? Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

• What are the critical issues that need to be addressed in relation to climate change? Are these the same throughout the Watershed?

• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to effectively address climate change in your work?

• Are there any unrealized opportunities?

• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome barriers and establish a course of action?

• What issues should we prioritize for further exploration over the next year and how should that be accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

THANK YOU