WildLinks 2011

Coordinating across political borders to help species and habitats adapt to a changing climate

Wildsight's John Bergenske, Conservation Northwest's Joe Scott, and BC Minister of the Environment Terry Lake at WildLinks 2011.

This year worked to build upon the cross-border success of the 2010 Wild Links by hosting a conversation in Vancouver, BC. Our 2011 conference continued the focus on climate adaptation for species and ecosystems among NGOs, agencies, scientists, funders, and conservationists in Washington, neighboring western US states, and British Columbia.

The conference combined sharing new information on science and efforts related to climate adaptation for species and ecosystems with hosted breakout groups working hands-on with timely topics.

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This page features links to PDF versions of presentations with the permission of the presenter.

October 24, 2011

Opening remarks  Honourable Terry Lake, Minister of Environment 

"It's inspiring for me to see us all coming together in this conference as one community, not just as Canadians and Americans but people that are worried about the natural landscape and the species that inhabit those landscapes."

Informing climate adaptation with science:  Recent scientific analysis relevant to climate adaptation for species and ecosystems facilitated by Dave Secord, Tides Canada Foundation.

• Analyzing connectivity in light of a changing climate in Washington and neighboring habitats including BC – Meade Krosby (University of Washington and Climate Subgroup Chair for the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group)
• BC Biodiversity Adaptation and Carbon Conservation Priorities Mapping Project - Rachel Holt and Gregory Kehm    
• Adaptation Action:  A Blueprint for Climate-Informed Conservation in the Pacific Northwest - Eric Meilbrecht (EcoAdapt) and Dan Ritzman (Sierra Club)
  

Addressing a changing climate: Efforts in Washington, British Columbia, and transboundary planning for impacts of climate change to species and ecosystems facilitated by Lisa Matthaus, Organizing for Change. 

• Putting Climate Adaptations into Action:  The eastern Washington experience.  Bill Gaines (US Forest Service)
• Evaluating Human Dimensions of Intervention Strategies to Adapt Wildlife Ecosystems to Land Use and Climate Change Impacts.  Rod Davis (Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, University of Victoria)
• Washington's final Climate Adaptation Strategy and moving forward - Lynn Helbrecht (WDFW)
• Moving from Climate Science to Adaptation Action.  Dan Seimann (National Wildlife Federation)
  

North Pacific and Great Northern LCC workshop including presentations, full group dialogue, and then breakout discussions by LCC. Facilitated by Mary Mahaffy (North Pacific LCC) and Sean Finn (Great Northern LCC).  View agenda

October 25th , 2011

Coordinating and implementing the science on adaptation.  Facilitated by Amanda Stanley, Wilburforce Foundation.

• North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership - Jack Oelfke (National Park Service)
• Coordinating Across Jurisdictions:  Responding to the Climate Change Challenge in the Okanagan-Similkameen - Don Gayton (FORREX) and Bryn White (South Okanagan Similkameen Conservation Program)
• Implications of changing climatic regimes for wildlife in transportation planning -  Leonard Sielecki (Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure)
• Integrating connectivity and climate adaptation into transportation planning - Kelly McAllister (WA Department of Transportation)

Transboundary Cascades to Rockies Landscape Coordination dialogue, hosted by the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group and facilitated by Joanne Schuett-Hames of WDFW. As the Working Group considers an ecoregional connectivity analysis for a landscape that connects the Cascades to the Purcells/Selkirks on both sides of the US-Canada border, a dialogue to identify and discuss this landscape is a key first step. Presentations on existing or analysis underway, field science, conservation efforts, and overview to the connectivity analysis conducted to date by this group and ecoregional overview followed by a dialogue about potential coordination of products and talent on this landscape and next steps.

View agenda.  Presentations prior to facilitated discussion included:

• Introduction and overview of session - Joanne Schuett-Hames, WDFW
  
• Review of landscape scale connectivity patterns emerging from models on this landscape - Bill Gaines, member of the Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group
  
• Multispecies monitoring and population connectivity modeling for carnivores in the inland northwest - Samuel Cushman (USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station)
  
• Conservation planning and mapping for the Columbia Mountains - John Bergenske, Wildsight and Greg Utzig
  
• De fragmenting the West: providing adaptive options for grizzly bears to respond to climate change (study area goes from Revelstoke, BC south to Missoula, Montana, and over to the Granby-Kettle area) - Michael Proctor
  

Thank you to our sponsors!

444S Foundation, Brainerd Foundation, Seattle City Light, Sierra Club, Sierra Club BC, Tides Canada, US Fish and Wildlife Service's North Pacific LCC, Wilburforce Foundation, Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group, and Wildlife Conservation Society.

More information

Key links to organizations, resources, and information shared at the conference.

• Climate Resiliency Project in the West Kootenays
  
• Databasin
• Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative
  
• Hectares BC
• North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative
  
• Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
• Washington Wildlife Habitat Connectivity Working Group
• Western Governors Association's Climate Adaptation Initiative and Wildlife Council (formed via the Wildlife Corridors Initiative)