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Climate Change Adaptation - Massachusetts

State Seal of Massachusetts

    Threat from Sea Level Rise     Threat from Intensified Weather Events     Threat to Natural Habitat and Wildlife     Adaptation planning in progress   State is engaged in monitoring  
           
                             












Climate Change History

In 2004 Massachusetts released its Climate Action Plan and in 2008 the State passed the Global Warming Solutions Act, which formalized the plan in regulation.  Massachusetts is part of the ten-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative “Reggie.”

Current & Future Action

In May of 2009, the State created the Climate Change Adaptation Advisory Committee; its work is still ongoing.

Pilot Programs/Current Studies

The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game has a number of adaptation initiatives underway at this time including:

  • Partnering with the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences to update the State Wildlife Action Plan.
  • Monitoring changes in the Marine Environment
  • River restoration and the development of a ‘target fish’ approach which uses rivers with similar conditions as exemplars.
  • Land acquisition for conservation
  • A holistic river/stream management program (River Instream Flow Stewards – RIFLS).

For More Information

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection maintains an Air & Climate website: http://www.mass.gov/dep/air/climate/

The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game Adaptation portal is available at: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/climatechange.htm