This report summarizes the results from a climate change adaptation workshop focused on the Columbia Plateau landscape in eastern Washington and parts of Idaho and Oregon. The objective of the workshop was to collaborate with landscape managers to apply results from the Pacific Northwest climate change vulnerability assessment (PNWCCVA) to on-the-ground ecological management objectives. Specifically, we sought to address the following questions:
- How can model results and datasets be applied to assist with management decisions?
- How can model results and datasets be made more useful for informing species and landscape management?
To this end, we presented information and data developed as part of the PNWCCVA to workshop participants and received feedback on model results and climate projections. As recommended by the Adaptation for Conservation Targets (ACT) framework (Cross et al., 2012), we worked with participants to develop conceptual models of priority management objectives. These conceptual models helped clarify how climate change may impact those objectives, where more knowledge and data were needed, and what types of management actions could be implemented.
We have also included a general approach for applying the results of the Vulnerability Assessment to climate adaptation planning, with specific examples drawn from the Columbia Plateau workshop. We present a broadly applicable climate vulnerability assessment checklist. In the appendices, we provide further guidance and resources for managers to develop their own adaptation plans including: a general description of PNWCCVA data products and their strengths and weaknesses for management planning, lists of relevant academic papers and online resources, guidance related to selecting climate-change scenarios, and updated tables and maps of the PNWCCVA products for the Columbia Plateau landscape.
