A four-year partnership between the Northeast CASC, the Northeast Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (NEAFWA), and twenty other agency collaborators has produced a 400-page report to enhance natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Titled “A Regional Synthesis of Climate Data to Inform the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plans in the Northeast U.S.,” the report addresses key climate science needs and summarizes climate risks in the region, while also noting effective adaptation strategies that can aid conservation efforts. It was created to be a key resource for integrating adaptation strategies into the updated State Wildlife Action Plans (SWAPs) of 13 states and Washington, D.C.  

The Northeastern United States is considered a climate change hotspot, with warming and sea level rise occurring faster than the global average and with expectations of an increased frequency of storms, heat waves, and droughts. To better understand these issues, the Northeast CASC worked closely with state partners to synthesize over 450 research publications to detail shifting species’ distributions and discuss 418 species prioritized for conservation across the region, known as “Species of Greatest Conservation Need,” in the report. The Northeast CASC also provides climate impact projections at various spatial scales – state, ecoregion, and regional – to acknowledge the spatial and seasonal variability of climate impacts and to best meet the data needs of state agencies. 

This Northeast CASC-supported report is the result of previous and an ongoing collaborations with state partners to respond to knowledge gaps in the region.