Coastal Climate Adaptation
National Park Service
Northeast Region
Amanda Babson
Science support for Northeast Region coastal parks on
climate change adaptation
NPS Key Climate change Messages
•  Climate change is happening and human
activities are contributing to and accelerating it.
•  Changing climate has consequences for parks,
people, and the planet.
•  The NPS is responding with practices that
address climate change.
•  The choices we make now may help to avoid
catastrophic impacts in the future.
EXPERIENCE
YOUR
AMERICA
Coastal National Parks
in the Northeast
Region
Acadia
Salem Maritime Saugus Ironworks
Boston Harbor Islands
Cape Cod
Sagamore Hill
Fire Island
Gateway
Assateague Island
Colonial
George Washington
EXPERIENCE
YOUR
AMERICA
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What climate change impacts are parks adapting to?
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Sea level rise
Erosion
Flooding
Changes in hydrology and groundwater
Changes in phenology (timing of plant and animal life
cycle events)
Changes in visitor use
Habitat loss
Species loss
Invasive species
NPS Photo
What is NPS doing?
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Gather elevation data to identify resources at risk from
inundation and flooding
Monitoring change
Vulnerability assessments
Scenario planning
Identifying barriers to landform migration
Coordinate with other agencies, states, land trusts, etc
on landscape scale conservation
EXPERIENCE
YOUR
AMERICA
Photos P. Rafferty
What is NPS doing?
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Rehabilitating stream crossings
Moving facilities away from shoreline, moving resources
out of basements vulnerable to flooding
Developing mobile and relocatable structures
Removing invasive species
Salt marsh restoration
Allowing dynamic landforms to migrate and change
EXPERIENCE
YOUR
AMERICA
Photos P. Rafferty
One of the most precious values of the
national parks is their ability to teach us
about ourselves and how we relate to the
natural world. This important role may prove
invaluable in the near future as we strive to
understand and adapt to a changing climate.
– NPS Director, Jon Jarvis, October 2009