About

Climate change has serious implications for land conservation nationwide. By learning, planning and adapting to the challenges presented by a changing climate, land trusts can continue to inspire natural resource stewardship and help communities protect the places we love.

Conservation in a Changing Climate is brought to you by the Land Trust Alliance. We developed this as a technical resource for land trusts and other organizations that are doing land conservation planning in the United States. This project was made possible through the generous financial support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.  In addition, we are grateful for the technical support provided by the Coastal Conservation Networking Partnership and the Land Trust Alliance’s Climate Change Advisory Committee.

The electronic publications and other resources on this website are open-source, public-agency-generated, or used with permission. Learn more about our Terms and Conditions.

Coastal Conservation Networking Partnership (CCNP)

Since 2005, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have offered guidance and technical support that enables land trusts to understand and address a wide range of resource management challenges presented by climate change. The CCNP provides land trusts working in coastal areas with resources to address the unique challenges associated with climate change, including the protection of wetlands, buffers and other natural ecosystems that will increase resilience to climate change impacts, such as sea level rise.

While the CCNP’s focus has been and continues to be on coastal systems much of the resilience enhancement and strategic conservation planning considerations developed by the Partnership are also applicable to land conservation for interior regions of the United States. The CCNP hosts online and in-person training to share information, particularly in regards to conservation funding opportunities and critical resources that support long-term land stewardship objectives.

Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC)

Appointed by the Land Trust Alliance, the Climate Change Advisory Committee is composed of climate change and strategic conservation planning experts from across the country representing land trusts, scientists, government agencies, and planners. CCAC has worked to expand the focus of this website and enhance its content to better suit the needs of the land trust community. The committee members have been integral to content development and website design, and provide critical guidance to help land trusts incorporate climate change adaptation into their planning efforts.

Committee Members include:

• Ole Amundsen
• Erin Derrington
• Erin Heskett
• Marc Hudson
• Renee Kivikko
• Vic Lane
• Lauren Long
• Elizabeth Mather
• Breece Robertson
• Sacha Spector
• Abigail Weinberg

This collaborative effort was made possible in part thanks to generous funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Land Trust Alliance

The Land Trust Alliance is a national conservation organization that works in three ways to save the places people love.  First, we increase the pace of conservation, so more land and natural resources get protected.  Second, we enhance the quality of conservation, so the most important lands get protected using the best practices in the business. And third, we ensure the permanence of conservation by creating the laws and resources needed to defend protected land over time. The Alliance is based in Washington, D.C. and has several regional offices.

The Alliance’s Mission

To save the places people love by strengthening land conservation across America.

To fulfill this mission, the Land Trust Alliance has worked for more than 25 years with the national conservation community – comprised of 1.5 million dedicated land conservation professionals, volunteers and supporters – to quickly, effectively and permanently save our most valued natural resource across America.