New Award to Recognize Leadership in Climate Adaptation

The National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy recently called for nominations for the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award for Natural Resources. This is a brand new award that will recognize those who have taken action against climate change threats to make America’s natural resources more resilient.

The Strategy was released in 2013 after Congress requested a national strategy to help fish, wildlife, and plant resources become more adaptive to the impacts of climate change. The current strategy has set desired goals for dealing with the impacts of climate change on these resources by engaging with federal, state, local, and tribal governments as well as private groups.

In 2014, a Joint Implementation Working Group with representatives from four federal departments, five state wildlife agencies, and one tribal fish and wildlife agency published a progress report on the current status of the Strategy. In the report, 50 case studies were used to demonstrate effective implementation of the strategy’s recommended actions, such as the targeting of research to address gaps in knowledge as well as the reduction of non-climate stressors so natural resources can better deal with climate-related stressors.

This annual award is designed to recognize the progress made since the release of the Strategy and the 2014 report. The Joint Implementation Working Group will be tasked with judging the awards, which are sponsored in part by the Department of the Interior, US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Resources Conservation Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Forest Service, and Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.

Both government and non-government organizations as well as individuals are eligible for the three to five awards that will be given this year. The deadline for nominations is January 8, 2016.

Visit the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award nomination form for more information on criteria and nominating procedures.