Skip to main content

Development of a Wildlife Adaptation Menu for Resource Managers

Project Leader:
Project Investigators:
Chris Hoving (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Benjamin Zuckerberg (University of Wisconsin-Madison)
Stephen Handler (U.S. Forest Service/ Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science)
Chris Swanston (U.S. Forest Service/ Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science)
States:
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Connecticut
New York
Rhode Island
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
Delaware
West Virginia
District of Columbia
Minnesota
Iowa
Wisconsin
Illinois
Missouri
Indiana
Michigan
Ohio
Kentucky
+18 more
Status:
Completed

Overview

The Climate Change Response Framework is an example of a collaborative, cross-boundary approach to create a set of tools, partnerships, and actions to support climate-informed conservation and land management. Historically, this effort has focused on the needs of forest managers and forestry professionals. In recent years, however, there has been increasing demand for science and tools to address climate change adaptation in wildlife management and conservation. Not only do wildlife and resource managers need the best available science, it must also be presented in a usable format with feasible options within the purview of an individual manager.

The research team first completed a comprehensive review of peer-reviewed studies to summarize what wildlife-related management actions currently exist in climate change adaptation. They then developed and tested a “menu” of climate change adaptation actions that are suitable for wildlife management in terrestrial ecosystems. This Wildlife Adaptation Menu was modeled off existing adaptation menus for Forestry and Urban Forestry, and designed to be used in conjunction with the Adaptation Workbook. In addition to a menu of adaption strategies and approaches, the scientists identified site-level tactics and develop case studies demonstrating the use and implementation of the menu. To ensure that information and tools meet the needs of managers, the team involved and integrated input from wildlife managers at every step of the process. Managers were involved in scoping the project, testing the menu, and implementing the menu.

Presentations

Swanston, C., “Developing a Wildlife Menu for the Climate Adaptation Workbook,” AFWA Climate Change Committee, Snowbird, UT
Zuckerberg, B., Developing the wildlife menu, WICCI Science Council
Hoving, C., Resource managers at MI DNR, Menu development 
Zuckerberg, B., Wetland Science Conference, Wisconsin Wetlands Association
Contributed presentation at TWS Annual Conference in Cleveland, OH. “Climate Change Adaptation and Management for Terrestrial Wildlife—Beyond the Status Quo”
Handler, S., to the National Adaptation Forum in Madison, Wisconsin. “Update from the WICCI Wildlife Working Group”
Zuckerberg, B., for the WICCI Science Council on the wildlife menu
Handler, S., Hoving, C., “Developing a Wildlife Menu for the Climate Adaptation Workbook,” AFWA Climate Change Committee
LeDee, O., Handler, S., “Climate Change Adaptation and Management for Terrestrial Wildlife— Beyond the Status Quo,” AFWA Climate Change Committee
LeDee, O., “Climate Change Adaptation and Management for Terrestrial Wildlife—Beyond the Status Quo.” NE CASC webinar series
Handler, S., LeDee, O., USFS Region 9 Wildlife Biologists
September 2018, Wildlife Management and Climate Adaptation workshop (2 days), Glassen Shooting Education Center, Michigan. 26 participants from 10 organizations. 10 projects.
April 2019, Wildlife Management and Climate Adaptation workshop (2 days), Pyle Center on the UW-Madison campus. 28 participants from 13 organizations. 8 projects.
June 2019, Wildlife Management and Climate Adaptation workshop (2 days), University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 32 participants from 9 organizations. 9 projects.
+9 more