The 2014 Progress Report for the National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy was released today, September 22, 2014! This report, called Taking Action, highlights 50 case studies that demonstrate implementation of the various recommendations included in the National Fish, Wildlife & Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy (NFWPCAS). The NFWPCAS was originally released in March 2013 and is aimed at preparing fish, wildlife and plants for the impacts of climate change. 

The Climate Science Centers (CSCs) and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC) are proud to contribute to the NFWPCAS by working to increase science and knowledge about the impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife and plants. As stated in the report, "The CSCs, the NCCWSC, and the Strategy are ideally matched. Created nearly simultaneously, all focus on impacts and adaptation, are partnership-focused, work primarily at the “action level” (where resource managers face emerging challenges), and are committed to using the best science to support managers."

Several projects from the U.S. Geological Survey were included in Taking Action, including a Sea Turtle Vulnerability Assessment that has been supported by the Southeast Climate Science Center. In this project, researchers are developing vulnerability maps of coastal habitats that are important nesting grounds for loggerhead and other endangered sea turtles in order to better understand the impacts of climate change on the turtles.

The NCCWSC and CSCs look forward to continuing to develop science that addresses climate change impacts to wildlife and are also planning to start work on several multi-CSC and national scale projects. These projects will include work on the effects of climate change on migratory birds, the ecological effects of severe and extended drought, and improved guidance on the selection and use of climate projections. 

View the Taking Action report here: http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/pdf/Taking-Action-progress-report-2014.pdf