Climate Change and the Future of the Delaware River Watershed by Ginny Kreitler, National Audubon Society Susan Beecher, Pinchot Institute Brenna Goggin, Delaware Nature Society

1. Delaware River Watershed Forum
Bethlehem, PA
October 21, 2014
Ginny Kreitler, National Audubon Society
Susan Beecher, Pinchot Institute
Brenna Goggin, Delaware Nature Society

4. Climate Resiliency Strategy for natural
resources had 4 strategies:
• Foster climate resilient lands and waters
• Manage and enhance carbon sinks
• Enhance community preparedness utilizing
natural resources
• Modernize programs to build resilience and
enhance biological carbon sequestration

5. Entities working on climate
change regionally have
undertaken Vulnerability
Assessments, Climate
Action Plans, and community
engagement
Last year’s forum:
discussion of issue and work in
the upper and lower portions
of the watershed

6. Themes from our 2013
Discussion of climate change

7.  Climate change is altering ecosystems and our
measures of success must change along with it.
• Do we need to abandon traditional restoration
goals?
• If so, how do we manage ecosystems responsibly?
• How will we know when we have succeeded?
• This is a new resource management discipline

8.  Defining effective management in relation to
climate change will be a learning process.
• Adaptive management.
• We will need information we do not have today.
• We will need additional, new data over time.
 How do we address the data gaps most crucial
to management in the fact of climate change?
• Is there a role for the Coalition in advocating for more
funding?
• Is there a role for organizing citizen science efforts?

9.  Climate change impacts all parts of the Delaware
basin.
 Salient concerns differ in the upper and lower
portions of the watershed, although some issues are
cross cutting.
 This begs the question of how do we tackle climate
change in the Basin:
• Scope of work
• Engaging decisionmakers and public

10. Consider these same issues, and others.
Consider recent work on climate change.
Identify critical issues that need to be
addressed and the associated barriers and
opportunities for conservation.
Think about next steps.

11. Susan Beecher
• Pinchot Institute for Conservation
• Presenting on Climate Plan for the Upper
Delaware River Region
Brenna Goggin
• Delaware Nature Society
• Presenting on Delaware Sea Level Rise
Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan

13. • What are the critical issues that need to be addressed
in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome
barriers and establish a course of action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should that be
accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

14. • What are the critical issues that need to be
addressed in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome
barriers and establish a course of action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should that be
accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

15. • What are the critical issues that need to be addressed
in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome
barriers and establish a course of action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should that be
accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

16. • What are the critical issues that need to be addressed
in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome
barriers and establish a course of action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should that be
accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

17. • What are the critical issues that need to be addressed
in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to
overcome barriers and establish a course of
action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should that be
accomplished (e.g., formation of workgroups)?

18. • What are the critical issues that need to be addressed
in relation to climate change?
 Are these the same throughout the Watershed?
• What are the roadblocks that affect your ability to
effectively address climate change in your work?
• Are there any unrealized opportunities?
• What are the critical next steps needed to overcome
barriers and establish a course of action?
• What issues should we prioritize for further
exploration over the next year and how should
that be accomplished (e.g., formation of
workgroups)?

19. THANK YOU