A policy and management framework for meeting conservation objectives in the face of climate change

Climate change may provide an important stimulus to implement new land use policies that are more consistent with our contemporary understanding of ecosystem dynamics.  Uncertainties associated with climate change differentiate this issue from many other ecological problems and pose unique management challenges. Traditional reliance upon reserves to meet conservation objectives will prove inadequate as climate change redistributes species and habitats. Biodiversity statutes and rules too often fall short of expectations and will likely fail to meet the challenges posed by climate change. Based on the notion that ecological phenomena are predictive, they tend to prescribe passive, one-time, uni-dimensional management interventions. Laws such as the Endangered Species Act have few effective mechanisms for proactive, forward-thinking policy and management. Nor do they address potential challenges posed by climate change such as habitat drift, which will require management across political boundaries and jurisdictions. Protecting biodiversity in the face of climate change will require a new framework for active land use interventions in perpetuity. In this paper, we articulate a policy approach that 1) provides incentives for landowners, 2) allows for spatial flexibility supporting and encouraging co-management, and 3) creates a culture of nimble, active management that promotes and rewards continual reassessment of progress toward stated conservation goals and objectives.