Helping Southeastern States and Territories Incorporate Climate Change into State Wildlife Action Plans
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) guide state-level wildlife conservation, yet recent plans have largely lacked information on how climate change may affect vulnerable species and habitats. With support from the Southeast and South Central CASCs, scientists are providing climate summaries, future projections, and synthesized vulnerability information to SWAP coordinators across 11 states and territories, enabling wildlife managers to incorporate climate stressors into planning and strengthen conservation outcomes for species and habitats of greatest conservation need.
Public Summary
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) serve as blueprints for conserving wildlife at the state level and are required of U.S. states and territories to receive funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SWAPs are updated every 10 years, with the next round of revisions due in 2025. In the Southeast, the last round of SWAPs generally lacked information on climate change stressors and their potential impacts on habitats and species. This gap makes it difficult for wildlife managers to plan for and mitigate climate-related risks.
To help fill this gap, the Southeast CASC partnered with the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) and the South Central CASC to provide additional capacity and technical support to SWAP coordinators across 11 states and territories. The team developed cooperator reports that summarize historical climate patterns and future climate projections for Southeast ecoregions, including sea-level rise projections for coastal areas. The reports also compile information from vulnerability assessments and niche models for species of greatest conservation need, including literature reviews on climate impacts to priority taxonomic groups or habitats chosen by each state.
By synthesizing knowledge on climate-related risks, these cooperator reports support SWAP coordinators and other state, Tribal, and local partners to make informed decisions about the most vulnerable local species and habitats.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 68d3e988d4be023091a47dc5)
Katherine Smith, Ph.D.
Regional Administrator, Southeast CASC
Hailey Shanovich, PhD
Climate Adaptation Service Scientist, Southeast CASC
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) guide state-level wildlife conservation, yet recent plans have largely lacked information on how climate change may affect vulnerable species and habitats. With support from the Southeast and South Central CASCs, scientists are providing climate summaries, future projections, and synthesized vulnerability information to SWAP coordinators across 11 states and territories, enabling wildlife managers to incorporate climate stressors into planning and strengthen conservation outcomes for species and habitats of greatest conservation need.
Public Summary
State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) serve as blueprints for conserving wildlife at the state level and are required of U.S. states and territories to receive funding through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. SWAPs are updated every 10 years, with the next round of revisions due in 2025. In the Southeast, the last round of SWAPs generally lacked information on climate change stressors and their potential impacts on habitats and species. This gap makes it difficult for wildlife managers to plan for and mitigate climate-related risks.
To help fill this gap, the Southeast CASC partnered with the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS) and the South Central CASC to provide additional capacity and technical support to SWAP coordinators across 11 states and territories. The team developed cooperator reports that summarize historical climate patterns and future climate projections for Southeast ecoregions, including sea-level rise projections for coastal areas. The reports also compile information from vulnerability assessments and niche models for species of greatest conservation need, including literature reviews on climate impacts to priority taxonomic groups or habitats chosen by each state.
By synthesizing knowledge on climate-related risks, these cooperator reports support SWAP coordinators and other state, Tribal, and local partners to make informed decisions about the most vulnerable local species and habitats.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 68d3e988d4be023091a47dc5)