Climate and Sustainability

Effective beginning 6/3/2025: This website, and all linked websites under the control of the agency, is under review and content may change.

Climate change presents a major challenge to natural resource managers both because of the magnitude of potential effects of climate change on ecosystem structure, processes, and function, and because of the uncertainty associated with those potential ecological effects. 

Land management has been traditionally based on the precept that future environmental conditions will mirror past conditions. Today we can no longer assume that precipitation will fall in the same amounts and during the same time of year as in the past. Changes in temperature and precipitation set the stage for a broad range of other changes: from insect outbreaks and fire frequency to the range and viability of specific species, both plant and animal. 

Resources:

Adapting to Climate Change at Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park: This case study provides a place-based example of how agencies and groups can work together to begin adapting new management practices for coming changes (PDF file)

Climate Change and Forest Biodiversity: A Vulnerability Assessment and Action Plan for National Forests in Western Washington: A vulnerability assessment of forest tree species and non-forested habitats to climate change, and proposed practical management actions for Western Washington.