Federal Climate Adaptation Task Force – Submit Public Comments by May 15th!

In 2009, the Obama Administration initiated the Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force to develop, within one year, Federal recommendations for adapting to climate change impacts. Last month the Task Force released an interim progress report and is currently accepting public comments through the middle of May.

Since climate change is water change and many rivers are already experiencing lower flows and higher water temperatures due, at least in part, to global warming, river and watershed groups are on the front lines of the climate crisis. Rivers are the way that climate change is being manifest and it is impossible to develop an effective strategy for addressing climate change without the direct involvement of the watershed movement.

The Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force – which is spearheaded by White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); and includes representatives from over 20 Federal agencies – is a great opportunity to make sure that water is the keystone of Federal climate adaptation efforts. The Interim Progress Report (PDF) outlines the Task Force’s progress to date and recommends the following six key components to include in a national strategy on climate change adaptation:

1. Integration of Science into Adaptation Decisions and Policy

2. Communications and Capacity-building

3. Coordination and Collaboration

4. Prioritization

5. A Flexible Framework for Agencies

6. Evaluation

The Interim Progress Report was released on March 16, 2010 and is available for 60 days of public comment. Submit your comment here.

Download: The Interagency Climate Adaptation Task Force Interim Progress Report (PDF).