PROGRAM   BASICS
CLIMATE   READY
               ESTUARI  ES
Adapting to Climate Change
The Climate Ready Estuaries program is a partnership between
EPA and the National Estuary Programs (NEPs) to address
climate change in coastal areas. This effort is building additional
capacity in coastal communities as they prepare to adapt to the
effects of climate change.

Climate Ready Estuaries is supporting NEPs and coastal
communities in becoming "climate ready" by providing
tools and assistance to:

  Assess climate change vulnerabilities

  Develop and implement adaptation strategies

  Engage and educate stakeholders

  Share lessons learned with other coastal managers
  Tools and Resources
  for Estuaries
  Assess Vulnerability, Plan,Take Action!
  A Coastal Toolkit of information products, data, tools,
  workshops, and technical assistance is available
  to all NEPs and other coastal managers. This Toolkit
  available on the CRE Website (www.epagov/cre),
  provides information and resources related to:
  r/j
Monitoring
climate change

Tools for assessing
risk and vulnerability

Smart growth
in the context of
climate change
Finding
data

Adaptation
planning

Sustainable
financing options
                                          Protecting Critical Resources
                                          Estuaries are places where rivers meet the sea.They are
                                          highly productive and unique ecosystems. Millions of people
                                          live, work, and play in estuaries, and they are home to many
                                          industries critical to our nation's prosperity. However, estu-
                                          aries are projected to be particularly vulnerable to many
                                          climate change effects. Examples of specific impacts that
                                          may occur in estuaries and other coastal areas include:
                                            • Inundation of and damage to wetlands and  marshes.
                                            • Loss of coastal property and infrastructure from
                                             inundation and more severe coastal storms.
                                            • Salt-water intrusion further upstream and into
                                             groundwater and drinking water
                                            • Changes to water availability and quality.
                                            • Changes in habitat, fisheries, and other plant and
                                             animal distributions.
                                            • More acidic ocean and coastal waters, due to higher
                                             concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
                                             affecting coral and other marine species.
                                                   Get Ready!
                                                   Coastal resource managers can reduce these risks,
                                                   reduce future costs, and improve resiliency by acting
                                                   now to identify areas that are particularly vulner-
                                                   able, establish monitoring that will warn of impending
                                                   changes, and develop and implement adaptation plans
                                                   before some of the worst impacts occur

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CRE is Underway!
EPA is providing targeted assistance to NEPs to identify
climate change vulnerabilities, develop adaptation plans,
and begin to implement selected actions within these
plans. Each year, EPA will work with a separate group of
NEPs and other coastal communities. Upon completion
of these adaptation plans, EPA will recognize the different
coastal  communities as "climate ready," support efforts
to implement climate adaptation, and help market their
needs to public and private interests.The results and les-
sons learned from working with each NEP will influence
future efforts.

EPA has selected six NEPs to serve as pilots in 2008-09:
  •  Albemarle-Pamlico NEP
  •  Charlotte Harbor NEP
  •  Massachusetts Bays Program
  •  New  Hampshire Estuaries Project
  •  Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
  •  San Francisco Estuary Project
                                                                  PROGRAM  BASICS
                                                         CLIMATE  READY
                                                                    ESTUARI  ES
                                                                                    x>EPA
                  Climate Ready Estuaries Website

                  Visit the Climate Ready Estuaries website to find
                  information on climate change impacts in your
                  region, access to tools and resources to assist
                  in monitoring change, and information to help
                  managers develop adaptation plans for estuaries
                  and coastal communities.

                  Basic Information
                  What are the projected climate  change impacts to
                  coastal systems? What can be done to address these
                  impacts? Why should coastal resource managers
                  focus their climate change efforts on adaptation?

                  Where You Live
                  Where are the National Estuaries and what efforts
                  are underway in your region regarding climate
                  change impacts assessment and adaptation?

                  Explore Climate Ready  Estuaries
                  Learn how the  program is working with coastal
                  managers to advance coastal adaptation to
                  climate change.

                  Coastal Toolkit
                  What tools and information will  help you get
                  started? This section provides information and guid-
                  ance  on assessing climate change vulnerabilities, find-
                  ing data, and developing adaptation plans.
                  www.epa.gov/cre
    United States
    Environmental Protection
    Agency
    Office of Air and Radiation
    Office of Water
    EPA 430-F-08-027
    October 2008
                                        Program Contacts
If you are a coastal manager with specific questions on the program, please contact:
Jeremy Martinich                        John Wilson
martinich.jeremy@epa.gov                  wilson.john@epa.gov
Climate Change Division                   Oceans and Coastal Protection Division
Office of Air and Radiation                 Office of Water
(202)343-9871                         (202)566-1158
For media or press inquiries, please visit www.epa.gov/newsroom/contact-us.htm.

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