Global climate change is a reality. Human emissions are driving unprecedented and dangerous climate change, with coastal regions on the front lines of its effects. If we allow climate change to continue unabated, it will have significant effects across the world. Here in the Pacific Northwest, it will jeopardize the health of our most valued natural companions: shellfish, salmon, shorebirds, and waterfowl. A

s this important report shows, it will also fundamentally alter the way our human community lives on this beautiful coastline, how we get our food, how we interact with nature, and how we live as neighbors to Puget Sound.

We can and must change this forecast through aggressive greenhouse gas emissions reductions, while at the same time preparing for its effects on our region. We must set policies that are based on science and data, such as those outlined in the 2007 King County Climate Plan, instead of wishful thinking. We must embed climate change assumptions into our natural resource management plans and strategies to enable the most effective environmental restoration and protection possible.

Accounting for climate change projections in these plans is important from both a cost perspective and a natural resource perspective, especially for our future generations. As a public official making decisions that impact not only our community today, but also millions of future Puget Sound’s residents and their natural environment, I refuse to let future generations pay for the consequences of our current lifestyles. By taking steps today to limit climate change, we can save money, natural resources and the quality of life we all value for our region’s future residents tomorrow. This is an imperative.

Although the scenarios described in this report may sound gloomy, I am inspired by this honest presentation of one possible future of the Pacific Northwest. Only with such sound science and reason clearly illuminating the problem can we as community leaders and citizens be motivated, empowered and wise enough to cope with and limit the negative consequences of climate change to our beloved coastline. This report advances our collective understanding of that shared future, and I encourage you to read it with that same sense of purpose.

— RON SIMS, King County Executive

Download Sea-level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest

PDF format, 3MB, 106Pages.

Sea-level Rise and Coastal Habitats in the Pacific Northwest: An Analysis for Puget Sound, Southwestern Washington, and Northwestern Oregon, July 2007

Prepared by:
Patty Glick, Senior Global Warming Specialist, National Wildlife Federation
Jonathan Clough, Environmental/Computer Consultant, Warren Pinnacle Consulting, Inc.
Brad Nunley, GIS Specialist, National Wildlife Federation

© 2007 by the National Wildlife Federation

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Pacific Northwest is blessed with an amazing diversity of coastal habitats, from rocky bluffs and sandy beaches along the Pacific Coast to the tidal flats, marshes, mixed sediment beaches, and eelgrass beds of Puget Sound. Together, these habitats support thousands of species of fish and wildlife, and they are a linchpin for the regional economy, culture, and quality of life.

Despite its pristine image, however, the region’s coastal habitats and the ecological systems they support face serious problems due to human activities, which have prompted numerous local and regional restoration and protection efforts. Whether our significant conservation investments will endure for the future depends on how well the region is able to promote more sustainable use of its coastal resources in the face of continued population growth, pressures for development, and now, the very real threat of global warming.

Climate Change and Sea-level Rise

Scientists have widely and conclusively determined that global warming is happening and that burning fossil fuels is largely to blame. Global warming is disrupting the planet’s climate system, and it is already having an impact on the Pacific Northwest. Left unchecked, the region will face higher average air and water temperatures, shifts in precipitation patterns, and a significant decline in average snowpack, all of which will put coastal habitats and the fish and wildlife that depend on them at great risk.

In addition, global warming is contributing to a significant increase in the rate of sea-level rise due to the thermal expansion of ocean waters and melting of glaciers and ice fields. Given the vast expanse of coastline along the Pacific Ocean and in Puget Sound and the critical role that vulnerable coastal habitats such as marshes, tidal flats, and beaches play in the region’s ecology and economy, sealevel rise is likely to have a profound impact on the Pacific Northwest.

Of particular concern is the fact that most of the region’s important coastal habitats have already been damaged or destroyed by extensive dredging, coastal modifications, pollution, and other development. Not only does this make remaining habitat all the more important for fish and wildlife, but coastal modifications such as dikes and seawalls have significantly reduced the ability for habitats to migrate inland to accommodate for sea-level rise. Any further losses or changes in habitat composition will have devastating consequences for the region’s overall ecological and economic health. ...

Visit National Wildlife Federation's Web Site

The mission of the National Wildlife Federation is to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future.

The National Wildlife Federation is the largest American conservation organization, with over 5 million members and supporters in 47 state-affiliated organizations; its annual budget is over $125 million as of 2006. Its mission statement is: "inspire Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future."

Comments (0)

Name

Email

Comment

smaller | bigger

Add Comment