Natural Resources Defense Council report praises California’s climate change preparedness

California is among the leading states in effective climate change preparedness, according to a recent national report.

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) has been a part of that effort, building a new program to plan for and respond to the impacts associated with climate change.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a report titled “Ready or Not: An Evaluation of State Climate and Water Preparedness Planning,” which ranked states on their climate preparedness planning.

California was among nine states to receive the highest ranking for climate preparedness, with the report stating that California has developed an integrated and comprehensive preparedness plan that addresses all relevant water sectors and state agencies.

California was the first state to develop a multisector strategy to put actions on the ground that plan for or minimize the impacts associated with climate change and DFG led the team which developed strategies specific to protecting biodiversity.

“DFG has worked diligently to embed its climate change related efforts into an overarching strategic approach that builds on existing tools and partnerships while allowing for new and innovative actions to proactively safeguard California’s fish, wildlife and habitats for future generations,” said DFG Climate Change Advisor Amber Pairis.

To better communicate climate change actions, DFG has updated and enhanced its website to more clearly articulate its activities and products and has created case studies to tell stories about how both new and ongoing DFG projects and programs are helping to plan for or minimize impacts associated with climate change (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/Climate_and_Energy/Climate_Change/Case_Studies/) .

These case studies highlight activities related to managing for ecosystem function, working collaboratively with partners across large landscapes, managing for priority species populations and integrating climate change into department functions — all important pieces of the effort to respond to climate change.

The NRDC report is available online at www.nrdc.org/water/readiness/water-readiness-report.asp .

For more information on DFG’s Climate Change program, please visit DFG’s Climate Science webpage at www.dfg.ca.gov/Climate_and_Energy/Climate_Change/ .

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