Responding to Climate Change in Vermont

Forums to discuss climate change are becoming commonplace as we struggle with this complex, global problem. But on March 23rd, dozens of Vermont’s private and public conservation organizations and agencies had an agenda with a different twist.

Efforts to address climate change in the state have so far focused on how to mitigate climate change – in other words, how to reduce our carbon footprint. Reducing emissions is clearly critical to prevent more dramatic changes than what are already predicted to occur. But climate change is already happening now, and even if we take drastic measures to reduce emissions, its effects are already set into motion. We will see an increase in temperature and other climatic changes, no matter what.

The group of state agencies and conservation organizations, including VCE, met to address a question that is difficult but imperative for us all to face: given the inevitable changes to come, how can we best prepare and adapt strategies for protecting wildlife? The issue challenges conservation groups to coordinate efforts like never before. In what is likely to become an historic gathering, the group identified a structure through which concrete actions can be taken.

The group’s main goal is to develop and implement a comprehensive Vermont Adaptation Plan. The first step identified by the group was to assemble a scientific panel to determine the habitats in Vermont that are most vulnerable to climate change. The group discussed ways to integrate the plan with existing wildlife conservation plans, other entities working on climate change, and with other public interests in general. The task is enormous and the timeline short, but everyone agreed that this is a pressing need requiring immediate action. The plan will undoubtedly be “tweaked” over time as we learn more about the effects of climate change on our natural world.

- Rosalind Renfrew