Idaho

The changes in the climate will cause changes in temperature, precipitation, hydrology, forests, wildfires, and sea levels

The combined effects of climate change and climate variability in the Pacific Northwest are expected to result in a wide range of impacts for the region’s communities, economy, and natural systems. These include projected changes in water resources, forests, species and ecosystems, oceans and coasts, infrastructure, agriculture, and human health.

The changing climate will decrease water flow in the summers, increase sea levels, and increase wildfires.

Changes in the timing of streamflow reduce water supplies for competing demands. Sea level rise, erosion, inundation, risks to infrastructure, and increasing ocean acidity pose major threats. Increasing wildfire, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases are causing widespread tree die-off.

The vulnerability assessment emphasized key resource areas—water, fisheries, vegetation and disturbance, wildlife, recreation, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services—regarded as the most important for ecosystems and human communities

The vulnerability assessment emphasized key resource areas—water, fisheries, vegetation and disturbance, wildlife, recreation, infrastructure, cultural heritage, and ecosystem services—regarded as the most important for ecosystems and human communities

This is a Storymap that focuses on the intermountain region. Topics of focus include water, fisheries, forestry, and recreation.

The Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) is a science-management partnership with a wide variety of participants across the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Intermountain Region, which spans Nevada, Utah, southern Idaho, eastern California, and western Wyoming.

Many landowners have begun to ask how their forest management strategy affects the carbon within their forest and thus the forest’s ability to mitigate climate change. Every strategy has its tradeoffs; therefore, to meet all of society’s needs, we will ultimately need a mix of passive and active strategies across the region.

The tool provides a rapid and simple process to assess forest resiliency. This publication contains background information on important characteristics of resilient and healthy forests and examples of potential adaptation strategies. It is accompanied by a scorecard to be used in the field to evaluate the resiliency of a forest.