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NPS/DOI Policy and Strategies
Climate change is likely to create conditions and ecosystems unlike any found today. Most resource protection laws—with which the NPS must comply—assume a stable, not a changing climate. Meeting the NPS mission under these novel conditions will require additional policy guidance and new considerations for resource stewardship.
Climate Change Response Strategy [PDF]
The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy provides direction to our agency and employees to address the impacts of climate change. It describes goals and objectives to guide our actions under four integrated components: science, adaptation, mitigation, and communication. The four integrated components throughout the strategy call for an overarching legal and policy framework that will ensure the legality, consistency and appropriateness of management decisions.
The Action Plan follows the CCRS in providing guidance to help park managers and staff effectively plan for and respond to climate change today and in the years ahead. It is intended primarily for internal use by the National Park Service (NPS) workforce. At its core, the Action Plan articulates a set of high-priority no-regrets actions the NPS is currently undertaking, or is committed to undertake, in the next one to two years.
Director Jarvis issued this policy memorandum in 2012 entitled, Applying NPS Management Policies in the Context of Climate Change to supplement guidance available in Management Policies 2006.
The Climate Change and Stewardship of Cultural Resources policy memorandum of 2014 provides additional guidance regarding the stewardship of cultural resources in relation to climate change.
This 2009 order establishes a Department-wide approach for applying scientific tools to increase the understanding of climate change and to coordinate an effective response to its impacts on resources that the Department manages.
Regional Policies and Strategies
The 2012-2014 CCAP tasked regions with developing climate change strategies. Regional offices are best positioned to provide strategic direction to parks and employees to address the impacts of climate change. Through a coordinated approach to climate change response at every level, regions can articulate specific park needs and priorities, while sharing successes and lessons learned with the entire NPS community.
- Alaska Region - (Archived) Climate change site - Climate change strategy [PDF]
- Pacific West Region - Climate change strategy [PDF] - Climate change action plan [PDF]
- Midwest Region - Climate change site and strategy
- Northeast Region - Strategy and action plan [PDF]
Other Policies and Strategies
Federal Leadership on Energy Management - Presidential Memorandum
December 2013: Establishes new goals for renewable energy and new energy-management practices.
Directs Federal agencies to take steps that will make it easier for American communities to strengthen their resilience to extreme weather and to prepare for other impacts of climate change. (2013)
Established energy management goals and requirements.
Established a number of energy management goals for Federal facilities and fleets.
Serves as the underlying authority for Federal energy management goals and requirements.
Last updated: October 2, 2019