Federal Climate Change Legislation

Safeguarding Ecosystems

For People and Wildlife John Kostyack

Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming

January 11, 2010

Photo: Larry Master

Arctic summer sea ice, Sept. 2007. Source: NASA

Global Warming is Disrupting Aquatic Ecosystems ... in Polar

Regions

Mountain Pine Beetle Damage, ColoradoPhoto: Allen L. ThorntonOld Growth Tree Mortality

van Mantgem et al. (2009)

... and in Temperate Zones

A Problem of Too Little Water...

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

... and Too Much Water

Hurricane Katrina

Each Species Thrives in a Climate “Envelope” –What do Do When the Envelope Shifts?

Some Wildlife Species Can Move to More Favorable ClimatesHow to Manage Disassembly and

Reassembly of Ecological Communities? How to Manage the “New” Natives?

Some Species Cannot Shift - Due to Immobility or Barriers to Movement

How Climate Change Legislation Will Help Conserve the Chesapeake Bay and Other

At-Risk Natural Resources• Mitigation: Cap mandates annual pollution reductions; more reductions by providing “allowance value” and “offsets” ($) toward Forests & Agriculture •Adaptation: Allowance value and policy measures to safeguard people and ecosystems from the impacts of global warming

Two Major Steps Toward the Finish Line

• America’s Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454): Cap reduces GHGs by 17% by 2020; $1.7B/ Yr for Natural Resources Adaptation; $1.5B for “General” Adaptation; $ for Forest & Ag Carbon

• Clean Energy Jobs & American Power Act (S 1733):20% GHG reduction by 2020; $1.4B/ Yr for Natural Resources Adaptation; $.8B for “General” Adaptation; $ for Forest & Ag Carbon

Natural Resources Natural Resources Adaptation Funding Will Adaptation Funding Will Transform ConservationTransform Conservation

Eligibility for Large-Scale Funding Dependent Upon: #1: Helping Species, Habitats, Ecosystems, Ecological Processes Survive Climate Change & Ocean Acidification

#2: Consistent with Federal Agency or State Natural Resources Adaptation Plans

Funding and Planning Responsibilities Will Be

Broadly Distributed • DOI (wildlife/land/water):DOI (wildlife/land/water): 17%17%• DOI (cooperative grants):DOI (cooperative grants): 5% 5%• DOI (LWCF – federal):DOI (LWCF – federal):

4%4%• DOI (LWCF – state/tribal):DOI (LWCF – state/tribal): 2% 2%• USFS (forests, grasslands): USFS (forests, grasslands):

5 %5 %• USFS (LWCF – federal):USFS (LWCF – federal):

4%4%• USFS (LWCF – state/tribal):USFS (LWCF – state/tribal):

2% 2% • EPA (aEPA (aquatic ecosystems)::

7.5%7.5%• Corps (aCorps (aquatic ecosystems): :

5% 5%• NOAA (cNOAA (coastal/estuarine/marine)::

7%7%• State Fish and Wildlife AgenciesState Fish and Wildlife Agencies

32.5% 32.5%• State Coastal AgenciesState Coastal Agencies

6%6%• Tribes (through DOI): Tribes (through DOI):

3%3%

Progress in Moving From House to Senate

• Key Improvements in S 1733: –All NR Adaptation Funds Not Dependent on Future Appropriators–Stronger Definition of NR Adaptation –“General” Adaptation Funding More Likely to Provide Co-Benefits to Ecosystems

General Adaptation Provisions Common to Both House and

Senate Bills• Focused on “Resiliency”

for Built Environment, Human Communities

• States Eligible for Dedicated Funds Upon Approval of Adaptation Plans

• Plans Must Specify Projects and Programs – Must Avoid Environmental Degradation to “Maximum Extent Practicable”

• Federal Role is Primarily Research

Key New Features in S. 1733

• Water System Partnerships – funds to address threats to water quantity, quality and reliability

• Flood Control Program – funds for addressing climate-related destruction from flooding

• Coastal and Great Lakes Program- funds for states to address climate impacts in coastal watersheds

• Eligible uses of funds - natural barriers, watersheds, etc. will compete with hard infrastructure

Forest & Ag Carbon Programs: Even More Conservation Funding • HR 2454 Provides A Share of

Allowance Value, as Well as Opportunities to Sell Offsets, to US Forests and Farms That Store Carbon

• S 1733 Leaves Most Details to Ag Committee –Politics in Senate Favor Even Greater Funding

• Annual Amounts Could Easily Exceed $2B

An Historic Moment • Unprecedented

opportunity to combat global warming and secure large-scale funding for conservation

• $5B/yr potentially available for Chesapeake Bay & other US ecosystems

• Adaptation and carbon storage programs, with guaranteed large-scale funding, could drive much of future conservation work