Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation in U.S. National Parks and Forests

Jantarasami, L.; Lawler, Joshua J.; Thomas, Craig W.

doi:10.5751/es-03715-150433

Cited by 107 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…These findings are concerning because it has been suggested that perceptions of barriers can limit action just as strongly as actual barriers, even in cases in which both sufficient capacity and resources to adapt exist (Adger et al 2007). Similar findings have also been reported in the United States, where it was found that internal barriers, such as unclear mandates from senior staff, combined with bureaucratic rules and procedures, were perceived by government officials to be a significant barrier (Jantarasami et al 2010). Accordingly, to overcome such barriers, government agencies should establish a clear agency mandate in relation to climate adaptation and give adequate resources to the implementation of the mandate, so that staff feel empowered to implement climate adaptation initiatives.…”

Section: The Risks Of Climate Changesupporting

confidence: 50%

Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change

Cvitanovic¹,

Marshall²,

Wilson³

et al. 2014

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. 2014. Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change. ABSTRACT. The rapid development of adaptation as a mainstream strategy for managing the risks of climate change has led to the emergence of a broad range of adaptation policies and management strategies globally. However, the success of such policies or management interventions depends on the effective integration of new scientific research into the decision-making process. Ineffective communication between scientists and environmental decision makers represents one of the key barriers limiting the integration of science into the decision-making process in many areas of natural resource management. This can be overcome by understanding the perceptions of end users, so as to identify knowledge gaps and develop improved and targeted strategies for communication and engagement. We assessed what one group of environmental decision makers, Australian marine protected area (MPA) managers, viewed as the major risks associated with climate change, and their perceptions regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing these risks. We also assessed what these managers perceived as the role of science in managing the risks from climate change, and identified the factors that increased their trust in scientific information. We do so by quantitatively surveying 30 MPA managers across 3 Australian management agencies. We found that although MPA managers have a very strong awareness of the range and severity of risks posed by climate change, their understanding of adaptation as an option for managing these risks is less comprehensive. We also found that although MPA managers view science as a critical source of information for informing the decision-making process, it should be considered in context with other knowledge types such as community and cultural knowledge, and be impartial, evidence based, and pragmatic in outlining policy and management recommendations that are realistically achievable.

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Section: The Risks Of Climate Changesupporting

confidence: 50%

Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change

Cvitanovic¹,

Marshall²,

Wilson³

et al. 2014

E&S

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Internal promotion procedures that reward loyalty or focus on achieving administratively defined targets, rather than creating successful natural resource outcomes, may also incentivize individuals not to recognize or question PEK (Weiss 1988, Teodoro 2011. Barriers to knowledge exchange, similar to those that may have contributed to development of PEK, may be partially responsible for the difficulty that government agencies are currently encountering with the development and implementation of climate change planning (Jantarasami et al 2010, Archie et al 2012). The major barriers identified for the development of climate change programs include unclear mandates and implementation procedures from upper administration, insufficient delegation of authority, and inadequate knowledge.…”

Section: Opportunities and Barriers For Knowledge Exchangementioning

confidence: 99%

Professional ecological knowledge: an unrecognized knowledge domain within natural resource management

Fleischman¹,

Briske²

2016

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ABSTRACT. Successful natural resource management is dependent on effective knowledge exchange and utilization. Local/traditional/ indigenous knowledge derived from place-based experience and scientific knowledge generated by systematic inquiry are the most commonly recognized knowledge domains. However, we propose that many natural resource decisions are not based on local or scientific knowledge, but rather on a little recognized domain that we term professional ecological knowledge (PEK). Professional ecological knowledge is founded upon codification of broad ecological principles, but not necessarily scientific evidence, to legitimize agency programs, support operational efficiency, and encourage user compliance. However, in spite of these benefits, PEK may reduce program effectiveness by inhibiting the exchange of local and scientific knowledge and minimizing the development of evidence-based conservation. We describe what we consider to be common facets of PEK through case studies examining the sources of knowledge utilized by forestry agencies in India and by rangeland conservation programs of the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. Three propositions are presented regarding the origins and continued existence of PEK: (1) minimal information feedbacks regarding the efficacy of agency programs contributes to development of PEK; (2) a narrow scientific agenda and a perception that most scientific knowledge is not relevant to management decisions encourages a divide between scientists and managers; and (3) political interests often benefit from existing applications of PEK. By calling attention to the existence of PEK as a distinctive knowledge domain, we aim to encourage more explicit and critical consideration of the origins of knowledge used in environmental decision making. Explicit recognition of PEK may provide greater understanding of the dynamics of knowledge exchange and decision making in natural resource management.

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“…The USFS highlighted two strategies for addressing climate change impacts on national forests: facilitated adaptation (i.e., actions for reducing the negative impacts of climate change) and mitigation (i.e., actions to reduce emissions and enhance natural carbon sequestration; Dillard et al 2008, Cruce andHolsinger 2010). interest groups (Lachapelle et al 2003, Jantarasami et al 2010, Wright 2010, and negative public perceptions (Archie et al 2012, Archie 2014. Transferring science between research and management can also be a challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing for climate change on federal lands of the western United States: perceived usefulness of climate science, effectiveness of adaptation strategies, and barriers to implementation

Kemp¹,

Blades²,

Klos³

et al. 2015

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ABSTRACT. Recent mandates in the United States require federal agencies to incorporate climate change science into land management planning efforts. These mandates target possible adaptation and mitigation strategies. However, the degree to which climate change is actively being considered in agency planning and management decisions is largely unknown. We explored the usefulness of climate change science for federal resource managers, focusing on the efficacy of potential adaptation strategies and barriers limiting the use of climate change science in adaptation efforts. Our study was conducted in the northern Rocky Mountains region of the western United States, where we interacted with 77 U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management personnel through surveys, semistructured interviews, and four collaborative workshops at locations across Idaho and Montana. We used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate managers' perceptions about adapting to and mitigating for climate change. Although resource managers incorporate general language about climate change in regional and landscape-level planning documents, they are currently not planning on-the-ground adaptation or mitigation projects. However, managers felt that their organizations were most likely to adapt to climate change through use of existing management strategies that are already widely implemented for other non climate-related management goals. These existing strategies, (e.g., thinning and prescribed burning) are perceived as more feasible than new climate-specific methods (e.g., assisted migration) because they already have public and agency support, accomplish multiple goals, and require less anticipation of the future timing and probability of climate change impacts. Participants reported that the most common barriers to using climate change information included a lack of management-relevant climate change science, inconsistent agency guidance, and insufficient time and resources to access, interpret, and apply current climate science information to management plans.

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Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation in U.S. National Parks and Forests

Cited by 107 publications

References 11 publications

Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change

Perceptions of Australian marine protected area managers regarding the role, importance, and achievability of adaptation for managing the risks of climate change

Professional ecological knowledge: an unrecognized knowledge domain within natural resource management

Managing for climate change on federal lands of the western United States: perceived usefulness of climate science, effectiveness of adaptation strategies, and barriers to implementation

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