Washington State Department of Natural Resources
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) manages 5.6 million acres of forest, range, agricultural, aquatic, and commercial lands for the people of Washington. These lands generate more than $200 million a year, much of it to support public schools, state institutions, and county services. They also manage these lands to provide fish and wildlife habitat, clean and abundant water, and public access.
In 2009, the Washington State Legislature passed E2SSB 5560 which tasked the Department of Ecology with convening an inter-agency group to develop a state-wide Climate Change Adaptation Plan. The DNR was identified as a partner agency in this process and is currently leading the Technical Advisory Group (TAG), with the Department of Agriculture, responsible for developing the plan for Natural Resources (working lands and waters).
WA DNR is developing an internal climate adaptation strategy that engages all affected programs and agency activities, while building on state-wide and national efforts. This Climate Adaptation Plan will take into consideration all relevant programs and integrate strategies that address ecological interactions, species genetics and adaptiveness, migration pathways, response to major disturbance events, and management of human infrastructure.
In 2014, WA DNR updated its multi-year strategic plan to reflect efforts to adapt to climate change, with a focus on impacts on forests, water resources, and ecosystems.
Phone: (360) 902-1000
Sectors:
- Agriculture and food
- Biodiversity and ecosystems
- Fish and fisheries
- Forestry
- Land management and conservation
- Water resources
- Wildlife
Related Organizations:
Related Resources:
- Washington Stream Habitat Restoration Guidelines 2012 – Appendix A: Climate Change
- Washington Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines – Climate Change and Sea Level Rise Considerations
- Safeguarding Our Lands, Waters, and Communities: Washington Department of Natural Resources’s Plan for Climate Resilience
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