Implement the Chesapeake Bay Program Climate Directive. Climate Threat(s): Overarching Goal(s): O O 0 0 Performance Goal(s): LTPG 1 LTPG 2 LTPG 3 Activity Timeframe: Description: The CBPO will provide core management, scientific, facilitation, technical, and staffing support to build capacity of CBP to prepare for and respond to climate change and advance core elements of the Climate Directive: • Address threats of climate change in all aspects of the work by integrating science and adaptation • Prioritize communities and habitats most vulnerable to ever increasing risks • Apply the best scientific, modeling, monitoring, and planning capabilities of the Chesapeake Bay Program • Connect Chesapeake Bay restoration goals with emerging opportunities in climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience. Metric(s): • Percent of Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement Outcomes with management strategies or Logic and Action Plans that incorporate climate risk. Project Challenges: Staff and funding to support sustained community engagement; improving scientific capabilities to monitor, model and assess ecosystem impacts and response to climate change; capacity of CBP to prepare and respond to climate change; coordination of climate adaptation efforts across GITs; developing indicators and tracking/assessing progress on climate change. Co-benefits: This action will produce co-benefits across all goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement. Owner Email: WiUiams.James(S> epa.gov New Work? Yes Resources Available? No Science Needs This action will affect all aspects of the CBP's work, therefore, CBP will need continued efforts to build a comprehensive understanding of the current science and critical research gaps across the goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. 41 ------- Additional Narrative: Climate Vulnerability Sea-level rise, warming temperatures, increased precipitation and flooding, species migration, and eroding shorelines are just a few of the impacts the Chesapeake Bay region is expected to experience. Description For this action, the CBPO will support and facilitate implementation of the Chesapeake Executive Council Directive No. 21-1 Collective Action for Climate Change IClimate Directive) across Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) goals, outcomes, and partnership activities. The Climate Directive commits the Partnership to address the threats of climate change in all aspects of its work to restore the Bay and its watershed. It builds upon a strong foundation of collaborative science and action established by the Climate Adaptation Outcome in the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement. CBPO recognizes that the effects of climate change have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable and disadvantaged communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Through this action, the CBPO will guide and support CBP efforts to increase community engagement and provide underrepresented populations a seat and opportunity to engage in discussions related to climate adaptation at the CBP and in design of projects that may affect their communities. A number of actions included in the EPA Regional Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans have synergies with or may support implementation of the CBP Climate Directive, including but not limited to "Build and maintain climate resiliency through Blue Carbon resources", "Focus protection and restoration actions to create and maintain resilient watersheds and ecosystems", "Create sea-level rise viewer", and "Promote successful climate adaptation case studies in EPA's Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X) tool". Co-benefits Goals and outcomes of the Chesapeake Bay Agreement include sustainable fisheries, water quality, vital habitats, climate change, toxic contaminants, stewardship and diversity among others. 42 ------- |