WASHINGTON – A consortium of sportsmen’s groups including the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership last week released a new report, “Beyond Season’s End,” that addresses how the negative effects of climate change on America’s fish and wildlife populations can be mitigated through practical adaptive management strategies. The report stresses that funding for state fish and wildlife agencies via passage of national legislation is key to implementation of such on-the-ground approaches.

“American sportsmen have been among the first to experience the destructive impacts of climate change on our fish and game populations – and are soldiers on the front lines combating these impacts,” said William Geer, director of the TRCP Center for Western Lands. “The common-sense recommendations outlined in ‘Beyond Season’s End’ are science-based, field-tested strategies that can enable us to adapt to the effects of a shifting climate. But adequate funding must be made available through strong national legislation so that state agencies can take action in accomplishing what needs to be done.”

Climate change can alter the geographic ranges of numerous species and their habitats. Big-game populations must adapt to changes in their forage base and shift migration patterns to accommodate the changing weather. Variations in water quality and quantity are transforming both saltwater and freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. Wetland loss in the prairie pothole region will severely reduce waterfowl productivity in North America’s duck-breeding “factory.” Invasive species, parasites and disease-causing organisms may flourish in warmer temperatures, profoundly affecting habitat and challenging the survival of upland gamebirds.

For the full story, go to http://www.trcp.org/issues/climatechange.html -- Jay Cassell