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NPS Climate Change Response Strategy 
The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy provides goals and objectives to guide NPS actions to protect the natural and cultural resources under our care, including cultural landscapes, through four integrated components: science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication. The accompanying Climate Change Action Plan outlines specific high-priority actions that directly address climate change impacts in NPS units. |
Climate Change and
Cultural Landscapes
Adaptation actions, defined as actions to manage resources and infrastructure under a changing climate, form the core of the National Park Service response to climate change. According to the NPS Climate Change Response Program, the adaptation strategy for cultural resources, including cultural landscapes, includes conducting vulnerability assessments, monitoring the condition of cultural resources as they are stressed by a changing climate, and identifying appropriate actions for vulnerable resources before the threat from climate change becomes acute. Cultural resources should be fully documented, with prioritization given to those at high risk (e.g. close to sea level, in floodplains, or on permafrost). If vulnerable, the NPS should work with partners to determine the resources’ cultural significance and lay out a course of action to respond to climate change. These actions may include relocation, protection in place, or acceptance of loss.