Responding to Climate Change Impacts in the Sky Island Region:
From Planning to Action
MtnClim Conference
October 3, 2012
Louise W. Misztal
Sky Island Alliance, Tucson, AZ
Gregg Garfin, University of Arizona;
Lara Hansen, EcoAdapt
Sky Island Alliance
Sky Island Alliance is a grassroots organization dedicated to the
protection and restoration of the rich natural heritage of native
species and habitats in the Sky Island region of the southwestern
United States and northwestern Mexico.
Partners
US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution
Desert Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Adapting To a Changing Climate in the Sky
Island Region
Working to improve natural resource management in the
face of climate change
• Three-part series of
regionally focused
climate change
adaptation workshops
• Regional network of
professionals working
cooperatively to improve
natural resource
management – convened
as Arizona Climate
Change Network
The Sky Island Region
INSERT REGIONAL MAP HERE
Regional Climate Change Adaptation Workshops
Workshop 1 – 2010 Climate Change Adaptation in the
Arid Southwest
Co-convener – Desert Landscape Conservation
Cooperative (US Department of Interior initiative)
Workshop 2 – 2011 Between a Rock and a Hot Place
Co-convener – EcoAdapt (Non-profit organization)
Workshop 3 – 2013
???
Sky Island Region Adaptation Workshops
• Establish cross-jurisdictional and regional
coordination, support network building
• Foster incorporation of climate change into
project planning and development
• Develop a regional view of impacts and
responses
• Develop and implement on-the-ground and
policy-level adaptation strategies that address
vulnerabilities
Process
Survey of Potential Workshop Participants
GOVERNMENT AGENCY
18 (33%)
NGO
17 (32%)
UNIVERSITY
15(28%)
OTHER
4 (7%)
TOTAL
54
Greatest Needs Identified in Survey
• Stable funding
• A framework for dealing with uncertainty
• Translation of science
• Effective communication among colleagues, partners
and stakeholders
Most Pressing Threats to Wildlife and Natural
Systems
Workshop Series Design
• 2 day workshops
• ½ day of “information push” based
on survey results
• 1 ½ days of breakout group work
using a participatory approach
• Final convening to review
adaptation options
• Strive for repeat participation
Workshop Participants
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
FEDERAL
NGO
Workshop 1
STATE
UNIVERSITY
OTHER
Workshop 2
Workshop 1, 2010
Workshop 2, 2011
•
•
•
•
Breakout Groups – a diverse
mix of disciplines,
organizations and
management jurisdictions
Focus on climate change
effects on management and
conservation goals
OUTCOME: identify actions to
reduce vulnerability
•
•
•
Breakout Groups -ecosystem
specific (Madrean forest,
grassland, desert, riparian)
Develop common goal in
breakout groups
Identify threats,
vulnerabilities and adaptation
strategies
OUTCOME: full plan for
implementation of one
ecosystem adaptation
strategy
Workshop 2 - Ecosystem Specific Approach
1. Breakout Groups Developed Hypotheses of
Change
• How might climate change affect your goal
or ecosystem directly? Indirectly?
• How might changes outside your ecosystem
influence your common goal?
• What interacting factors influence
vulnerability to climate change (other
physical stressors?
2. “Marketplace of Ideas”
3. Discussion of Interactions Across Ecosystems
• To prevent maladaptations
Madrean Forest Results
Threats
Vulnerabilities
Adaptation Options
Adaptation
Strategy
temperatures;
frequency of
warmer and drier
winters;
summer
precipitation
variability and
mega droughts
Forest health and
function;
fire risk;
shifts in wildlife and
vegetation;
loss of soil and
potential for forest
regeneration;
insect infestations
Manage for resilience on
a landscape scale;
Manage human uses of
public lands;
Focus resources on
maintaining, and
protecting resilient areas;
Protect corridors for
species connectivity;
Close sensitive areas to
prevent further
disturbance;
Plan for beetle detection
and treatment
Initiate a process to
manage the Sky
Island region at a
landscape scale
through the
National
Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA)
Key Workshop Outcomes
•Identification of Sky Island region vulnerabilities
•Resource managers gained a sense of how their
activities may affect neighboring resources
•A more coordinated approach to preparing for
climate change and restoring ecosystems
•Cooperative project development and
implementation
Spring Inventory, Assessment and
Management Planning Project
Springs little studied yet harbor great biological diversity.
Workshop Findings
• Important resource
• May be climate refugia
• Managers often know
little about state of
resource and species
supported
• No resources to gather
more information
Arizona Is The 2nd
Driest State But
Has The Highest
Number Of
Springs In The US
Map Courtesy
Spring Stewardship Institute
Spring Assessment Project Design
• Two year project funded by the
Desert LCC
• Assessing 50 springs with trained
volunteers
• Building a regional database to
support cross-jurisdictional
management
• Developing stewardship and
restoration plans
• Wide diversity of partners (Pima
County, Spring Stewardship
Institute, federal and state agencies)
Spring Assessment Project Progress
• Managers and experts workshops to
identify priority hydrogeologic areas
and needed data for management
• Trained 25 volunteers and agency
personnel in protocols
• Conducted over 20 spring
assessments
• Continue to develop new interest in
the project (e.g. Kartchner Caverns)
• Secured funding for 2 year project to
restore 10 priority springs
Lessons Learned
• Assessing managers’ needs and knowledge before
developing the workshops ensured focus on the issues of
highest importance
• Focus on the Sky Island region vs one management unit
generated coordination across jurisdictions and
management types
• In person meetings and discussion are crucial
• Adaptation project implementation requires a
“champion” to keep things moving
• Changes in management and managers decision-making,
no matter how small, are successes!
Questions That Keep Me Awake at Night
• What scale of planning is most appropriate?
– Regional
– Individual Management unit
• What should we focus for the third workshop in the
series?
– Topics: fire, springs, invasives etc.
– Ecosystems
– Specific management plans
– Particular parcels of land
• What about Mexico?
Thank You
www.skyislandalliance.org/climatechange.htm
SPRINGS ECO-ASSESSMENT:
CONDITION & VALUE versus RISK
SPRINGS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL
MONTEZUMA WELL, DECEMBER 2008
SPRINGS ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT
PROTOCOL (SEAP)
41 Variables among 6 Information Categories, Expert Judgment
0-6 Scale Score for Condition or Value
and for Risk (Difficulty of Restoration)