coastal land trusts and climate change adaptation · 6/2/2011 · coastal land trusts and climate...
TRANSCRIPT
Coastal Land Trusts and Climate Change Adaptation
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Coastal Conservation Networking PartnershipJune 2, 2011
Your moderators today
Mary Burke, Land Trust Alliance
Lauren Long, NOAA Coastal Services Center
Housekeeping
Agenda
Land trusts addressing climate change impacts on-the-ground
Mark Silberstein, Elkhorn Slough FoundationMaria Whitehead, South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy
Climate change and land trusts: Coastal Conservation Networking (CCN) Partnership
Renee Kivikko, Land Trust Alliance
A strategically planned and managed network of natural lands, working landscapes, and other open spaces that conserves ecosystem values and functions and provides associated benefits to human populations.
Ecosystem Services: the benefits people received from nature; resources and processes supplied by the natural environment that we often take for granted.
• Reduce existing stressors• Manage for ecosystem function• Protect strongholds and improve
connectivity• Undertake proactive
management and restoration
Better ecosystem health and quality
Better ability to adapt to changing climate=
Healthy, functional ecosystems adaptable to changing conditions
Strengthened connection between
people and environment, people
and place
Natural buffers for people during hazards
events
Why are CCN partners working together?
Coastal ecosystems and communities are experiencing:• Intense development pressure• Unprecedented impacts due to climate change and
human-made disasters
2004: Initial
meeting held
2005: First
website project
2006: Partnership
officially expanded
2009: Refined
the scope of work
2010: Website
redesigned
Today!
U.S. EPA
LTA
U.S. FWS
NOAA
TNC
Sara Harris, CCN [email protected]
Poll
Mark SilbersteinExecutive Director, Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Anticipating sea level rise in a California Estuary: Potential Conservation Responses
Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve * Elkhorn Slough Foundation
Elkhorn Slough
Aerial Photograph
Potential local impacts of rising sea level on Elkhorn Slough, a California Estuaryand conservation responses
1. Inundation of marshes and die-off of vegetation leading to habitat loss and change
2. Overtopping and failure of water control structures that sustain critical natural resources
3. Increased rate of salt water intrusion into coastal aquifers
Sea Level Trends
source: NOAA
Relative Sea Level Rise (1)
Intertidal salt marshes exist between Mean Higher High water and theMean Lower Low.
What are potential consequences of rising sea levels on coastal marshes?
Relative Sea Level Rise (1)Rising Water Level
Wetland Drowning
As water levels rise, marsh plants are inundated for longer periods and at somepoint, cannot survive, causing die backs and large scale shifts in habitats.
Elkhorn Slough is changing Soft mud is scoured awayMarsh is dying back, Banks are eroding
China Camp SF Bay
Sediment Elevation Table measurements show subsidence of marsh plain in areas
Sea Level Projections
source: IPCC
Wetlands (2005) Predicted inundation (2100)
Wetlands (2005) Predicted inundation (2100)
2025 (A1B scenario, 0.13m SLR) 2025 (with levees)
Proposed Project Site
Proposed Project Materials
Sheet Pile
Rock Fill
Plan View of the Structure
Sheet Piles and H-Piles
Rock buttressing at base
Questions?
Thank you.
www.lta.org/coastalconservation
Climate Adaptation Resources
Publications
Case Studies
Technical Assistance
Funding
Tools
Data
Training
Websites
Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation
Dr. Maria WhiteheadWinyah Bay & Pee Dee River Basin Project Director,South Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy
Climate Adaptation and Conservation Planning in the Winyah Bay Landscape
Maria Whitehead, Project Director TNC
The Landscape Winyah Bay Focus Area
Winyah Bay’s river system, the third largest on the Atlantic Coast, has one of the most extensive and intact wetland complexes in the Southeast.
The Winyah Bay Focus Area:Large Investment in Coastal Protection (1984-2010)
More than 131,659 acres protectedProtected by Fee(100,839 acres)
– SCDNR (45,788 acres)– SCPRT(2,500 acres)– USFW Waccamaw NWR
(21,993 acres)– TNC Preserves (11,026 acres)– Other private (26,532 acres)
Conservation easements (23,820 acres)– Donated (22,230 acres)– Purchased (1,590 acres)
*Not included USDA, NRCS Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) Easements
Key Resources
Bob Raynor
Focal Species
Kites an Umbrella Species –Who Else Benefits?
STKI population objectives
Partner’s in Flight (PIF) population objectives –maintenance of at least 200 breeding-aged kites in the 13 major southeastern coastal plain floodplains
Habitat objectives presumed to be at minimum 100,000 acres of bottomland hardwood forest to meet needs of 200 breeding aged birds
Sea-level rise and coastal habitats
As sea-level rises and land surface subside, salt water inundation progress upslope and inland leading to:
- Loss of wetland habitat to open water- Conversion of freshwater habitats to salt and
brackish - Conversion of upland habitats to wetland habitat
“This successional sequence implies that tidal freshwater forest are more vulnerable to retreat and loss from sea-
level rise than other coastal habitats.”Dol e et al 2010
Land protection and climate adaptation
Protection of tidal freshwater wetlands and adjacent uplands:
• mitigates for the loss of protected freshwater wetlands in areas most vulnerable to sea-level rise and habitat conversion
• creates wetland corridors to allow for animal and plant migration
• allows for migration of wetlands to upland areas• protects the human environment by preserving
systems that holds vast amounts of water during flood/storm events.
Salt Water Intrusion and Habitat LossFreshwater forested wetlands going, going…
Wetland habitat transitioning from freshwater forested wetland to brackish marsh
Salt Water Intrusion and Habitat LossFreshwater forested wetlands gone…
Conservation Planning for Climate Adaptation Goals
1. Assess potential sea level rise impacts on coastal habitats
2. Refine existing sea level rise model (SLAMM) outputs by using high-resolution elevation data (LIDAR) and local parameters and knowledge
3. Apply predicted sea level rise habitat impacts (SLAMM outputs) with NOAA’s Habitat Priority Planner to identify conservation and other management strategies for the Refuge, TNC and private partners.
Sea-level Affecting Marshes Model
Used SLAMM version 5Version 6 now available
(allows for more customization)
Local analysis conducted by NOAA Coastal Services
Center
http://www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slamm/index.ht
ml
SLAMM InputsInputs Regional Local
Habitat data NWI – National Classification
NWI: site-specific reclassification
Elevation National Elevation Dataset (30m)
High resolution lidar
TideErosionAccretion
Regional (Southeast) Local
Regional vs. Local Inputs: 2025
Regional Local
Decision support tool
• Conservation
• Land use
• Restoration
Interactive use with stakeholders
Habitat Priority Planner
www.csc.noaa.gov/hpp
Regional SLAMM Results for Waccamaw NWR
Brackish MarshFreshwater HabitatsWaccamaw NWR boundary
1994 2025 2050
HPP MAPAll habitats and Kite nests/sightings
Identify swallow- tailed kite habitat not likely to be impacted by SLR• Freshwater
wetlands• Close to nest
sites
HPP MAPWetland Habitat, Protected Lands, Kite Nests/Sightings,
and 2025 SLAMM Results
Aggregate loss of 14,266 acres of protected forested wetland to brackish marsh
Future freshwater habitats suitable for Kites may be outside current public and private protected lands.
HPP MAPWetland Habitat, Protected Lands, Kite Nests/Sightings,
and 2050 SLAMM Results
Conservation In Action:Waccamaw Refuge Boundary Expansion
Currently manages approximately 18,000 acres of forested wetlands for old-growth condition.
Conservation Planning:The Role of Private Protection (12,278 acres)
Conservation In Action:The Role of Private Protection (9,010 acres)
On this Map- Mount Pleasant Plantation (DU -2,986 acres)-Mount Pleasant Plantation II (DU – 696 acres)-Jones Family Tract (PDLT – 980 acres)- Indian Hut Tree Farm(DU and WRP – 1,642 acres)- Wilson WRP(NRCS WRP – 550 acres)- TNC Black River Preserve(TNC – 1,276 acres )(NAWCA Phase I and II = 880 acres )
4,871 acres forested wetland preserve
Partnershipfor Land Protection
Winyah Bay Task Force
USFW, Waccamaw National Wildlife RefugeNorth Inlet and Winyah Bay National Estuarine
Research ReserveSouth Carolina Department of Natural Resources
TNC, South Caroline Field OfficeDucks Unlimited
Lowcountry Open Land TrustPee Dee Land Trust
PartnershipFor Conservation Planning
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program The Nature Conservancy, South Carolina Field Office
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Waccamaw National Wildlife RefugeNOAA Coastal Services Center
NOAA, North Inlet and Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
MUST HAVE AN ADAPTIVE APPROACH!
Future Goals and Improvements-Updated and complete LiDAR data to further refine sea-level rise models
-Work with partners and scientists to ground truth the model predictions to current year
-Incorporate direct management and policy work into partner objectives
-Incorporate Black Bear data as a second focal species for conservation planning and habitat prioritization
Questions?
Strategic Conservation Planning, June 8, 2:00pm ET
Land Trust Guide to Partnering with the Forest Legacy Program,June 9, 2:00pm ET
Drafting Baseline Documentation Reports, June 15, 2:00pm ETInside Tricks for Creating Strong Leadership Teams, June 22, 2:00 pm ETIntroduction to Easement Violations, June 23, 2:00 pm ETIntroduction to Easement Amendments, June 29, 2:00 pm ET
For questions on case studies presented, contact:• Mark Silberstein – [email protected]• Maria Whitehead – [email protected]
For CCN questions or to provide case studies, contact:
• Sara Harris –[email protected]
www.lta.org/coastalconservation
Look for CCN!• Twitter and Facebook• Coastal Zone 2011 Conference
• July 17-21, 2011 - Chicago, IL• Rally 2011: The National Land
Conservation Conference • Oct. 13-16, 2011 –
Milwaukee, WI