Climate Change History

In 2004 Oregon published its Climate Action Plan aided by the Center for Climate Strategies.   The Oregon plan focuses on greenhouse gas reductions with additional emphasis on biological sequestration (mitigation).  The plan includes discussion of the importance of actions to adjust and prepare for climate change impacts that are now unavoidable (adaptation), but does not address specific actions.  In 2010 Oregon passed a law setting greenhouse gas reduction targets for its transportation sector.

Current & Future Action

Oregon’s state agencies are in the process of developing an adaptation framework that has identified the likely effects of climate change, the gaps in state programs or policies, and priority actions for responding to those gaps.    The Oregon Climate Change Research Institute was also created by the 2007 Legislature to facilitate climate change research, act as a clearing house for climate change research, support the Global Warming Commission, and provide technical assistance to local governments.   The University of Oregon’s Climate Leadership Initiative is working at the watershed scale holding climate futures forums to bring stakeholders together to adapt to climate change.  Although research is being undertaken to understand the effect that sea level rise will have on Oregon’s estuaries and tidal wetlands, no policy changes have been made specific to wetlands.

Pilot Programs/Current Studies

The state does not, as yet, have any specific pilots or case studies dealing with wetlands and climate change.

2010 Oregon Climate Assessment Report details climate change impacts on wetlands,
freshwater resources, coasts and estuaries. http://occri.net/ocar

2009 A Strategy for Adaptation to Impacts of Climate Change on the Oregon Coast
Includes wetlands and related water resources.
http://www.oregon.gov/LCD/docs/publications/climate_ready_communities.pdf

2008 “Biodiversity and Climate Change Report” by Joshua J. Lawler, et. al. Addresses
the impacts on various wetland types, as well as sea level rise.
http://oregonexplorer.info/data_files/OE_topic/wetlands/documents/Biodiversity_and_
Climate_Report_FINAL_5.23.08.pdf

For More Information

The Oregon Climate Action Plan is available from: http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/GBLWRM/docs/GWReport-FInal.pdf (2004)

A clearing house of reports on climate change is available from the higher-level directory: http://www.oregon.gov/energy/GBLWRM/Pages/portal.aspx

Keep Oregon Cool is a website largely devoted to mitigation efforts, and includes information to involve the public directly: http://www.keeporegoncool.org/

For more information about climate change and wetlands in Oregon contact Louise Solliday, Director of the Oregon Department of State Lands (503)986-5224.

Oregon: Preparing for Change on the North Pacific Coast (2011)
http://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2011/5/26/Oregon-Preparing-for-Change-on-the-North-Pacific-Coast

Climate Change Wetlands Explorer Database Tool
http://oregonexplorer.info/wetlands/ClimateChange