Climate Adaptation Scenario Planning - Pilot Program

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has recognized that uncertain changes in climate and other future conditions could affect the long-term success of current wildlife conservation strategies and wants to develop adaptation actions to reduce the potential impacts. As a result, FWC has made it a priority to begin planning for future scenarios that include climatic and other landscape changes. This Pilot Project is designed to kick off that effort and will be conducted around two focal areas: The Chassahowitzka and Big Bend Wildlife Management Areas.
 
This project begins with a review of existing planning documents and use stepped-down scenario models to identify uncertainties at 3 time periods in the future. It then evaluates current management objectives at local and regional scales, for various organizations, in light of those projected uncertainties. Participants will include other land management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Park Service, and Water Management Districts. FWC is working with these and other managers to identify realistic adaptation strategies they believe could be implemented.
 
The goal of this Pilot Project is to give managers tools and processes they can use to make choices or decisions for management activities now that are better oriented to potential future conditions. This online working group, located within the PFLCC’s own Conservation Planning Atlas (CPA), consists of these managing agencies as well as the members of the Peninsular Florida LCC. This group provides a means to share data, create maps and scenarios, and otherwise conduct these aforementioned scenario planning efforts.