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Climate Change Tree Atlas
October 26, 2010
The Climate Change Tree Atlas helps determine current and future suitable habitat and distribution of 134 tree species in the Eastern United States based on current climate and projected suitable habitat for the year 2100. The Atlas provides detailed information on environmental characteristics defining these distributions for each species, and can be used to develop large-scale projections of species responses to climate change. By taking current distributions of tree habitat in the U. S.
Resource Category: Education and Outreach
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Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments: A Review of Water Utility Practices
August 2010
The study describes the activities of eight water utilities who have conducted climate vulnerability assessments: East Bay Municipal Utility District (CA), City of Boulder Utilities Division (CO), Denver Water (CO), Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Portland Water Bureau (OR), Lower Colorado River Authority (CO), and Seattle Public Utilities (WA). This report provides a review of best practices in this emerging effort across the industry for the purpose of informing utilities considering engaging in this issue about the various methods used by their peers.
Authors or Affiliated Users: Joel B. Smith, Jason M. Vogel
Resource Category: Assessments
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Climate Change and Massachusetts Fish and Wildlife Reports
April 2010
In April 2010, the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences published a series of three reports that address the impact of climate change on ecosystems and species. Funded by the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Doris Duke Foundation, the objective was to make "climate-smart" the State's existing State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP). The SWAP provides a roadmap for the conservation of wildlife and habitat in the state, including 22 critical habitat types and 257 priority animals in need of conservation action.
Resource Category: Assessments
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Trends in Extreme Precipitation Events for the Northeastern United States 1948-2007
March 2010
Based on the number and frequency of extreme precipitation events since the release of their 2005 report, entitled "Indicators of Climate Change in the Northeast," the authors sought to update information for this particular indicator in the Northeast, and apply more rigorous analysis to better enable local communities to take appropriate actions.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Massachusetts’s Environmental Public Health Tracking
Massachusetts’s Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) website, launched as part of a CDC pilot program in 2008, provides data and visualization tools that are useful in detecting environmental health risks and trends. Users can view rates of asthma, heart attacks, heat stress, and other health conditions exacerbated by climate change. While not all of its tools are related to the public health impact of climate change, the tracker’s tools do allow users - whether individuals, public health officials, or policy makers - to analyze health data and trends over time at the state, county, or census tract level.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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Coastal Inundation Toolkit
The Coastal Inundation Toolkit was developed by the Digital Coast Partnership Group to help communities understand and address coastal inundation issues - where water covers what is normally dry land. Information and resources are organized into 5 stages: understanding coastal inundation, identifying community risks and vulnerabilities, creating inundation maps, communicating risks and vulnerability, and discovering what others are doing to address inundation. For each of these 5 areas, explanations and guidance are provided with links to the specific resources available from Digital Coast to support that specific step in the process, making this a user-friendly way to support assessments and planning for sea level rise and extreme weather events.
Resource Category: Data and tools
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State and Local Governments Plan for Development of Most Land Vulnerable to Rising Sea Level along the U.S. Atlantic Coast
October 27, 2009
Based on the analysis of planning data and current policies of 131 state and local land use plans from Massachusetts to Florida, the study identifies those coastal areas likely to be affected by rising water levels and classifies them based on the extent of development already in place and the potential for future development. The report explains that the existing extensive development on the Atlantic coast creates the need for coastal protective structures, which could negatively impact wetlands.
Authors or Affiliated Users: J.G. Titus, D.E. Hudgens, D.L. Trescott, M. Craghan, W.H. Nuckols, C.H. Hershner, J.M. Kassakian, C.J. Linn, P.G. Merritt, T.M. McCue, J.F. O'Connell, J. Tanski, J. Wang
Resource Category: Assessments
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Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee: Potential Strategies
October 20, 2009
This set of subcommittee briefings to the Massachusetts Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee provides potential adaptation strategies for coastal zones and oceans, human health and welfare (including water quality), key infrastructure, local economy and government, natural resources and habitat, and land use. In addition to these issue-specific strategies, the report offers general strategies such as updated hazard mapping, increased financial support for adaptation programs, and revised regulatory and design requirements.
Resource Category: Planning
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Responding to Climate Change: Working Together to Conserve Land, Wildlife and Habitat
September 2009
On November 15, 2008, 10 organizations consisting of non-profits and Massachusetts state agencies sponsored a conference at Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts. The conference, "Responding to Climate Change: Working Together to Conserve Land, Wildlife and Habitat," was the first of its kind in the Commonwealth and in the nation. The conference brought together nearly 200 conservation leaders from across 60 organizations, including scientists, land stewards, hunters, anglers, government officials, advocates, foundation officers, and policy-makers.
Resource Category: Planning
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Massachusetts Global Warming Solutions Act (S. 2540 MA)
August 7, 2008
Signed by the Governor on August 7, 2008, Section 9 of this Act creates an Advisory Committee to "analyze strategies for adapting to the predicted impacts of climate change in the commonwealth" of Massachusetts. Committee membership requirements are articulated, including expertise in the following areas: "transportation and built infrastructure; commercial, industrial and manufacturing activities; low income consumers; energy generation and distribution; land conservation; water supply and quality; recreation; ecosystems dynamics; coastal zone and oceans; rivers and wetlands; and local government.
Resource Category: Law and Governance
