Climate Change

Careful planting of a pine tree sapling

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Climate change is a significant issue for the National Park System, impacting how natural and cultural resources are managed, how facilities are run, and how parks are planned and operated, as well as the experiences of visitors. The National Park Service (NPS) has to tackle climate change as a key part of its mission to protect resources for future generations. The NPS Climate Change Response Strategy 2023 Update builds on earlier efforts to address climate change, maintaining essential areas like research, adaptation, mitigation, and communication, while introducing new approaches that show a considerable growth in understanding and experience.

The plan recognizes that climate change has complex and far-reaching effects, highlighting the importance of working together and including everyone in the response. The National Park Service realizes that it can set a good example for visitors, other government bodies, businesses, the public, and even people around the world. By managing the parks, the National Park Service has a special opportunity to inspire everyone to take an active role in protecting the environment.

As the National Park Service gets ready to enter its second century in a world that has been significantly impacted by climate change caused by humans, its mission stays the same: to preserve these parks for the enjoyment, learning, and inspiration of both present and future generations. Each year, over 300 million visitors come to national parks to experience the beauty, emotions, and stories of our collective past. However, climate change is affecting these parks, leading to higher temperatures, droughts, wildfires, rising sea levels, species extinction, and severe weather events.

Being open and clear is really important when it comes to explaining the difficulties of keeping parks in good shape due to climate change to visitors, local communities, and those involved in park management. The National Park Service (NPS) needs to rely on the best information out there to make smart choices, which includes being aware of global climate patterns and forecasts, and using that knowledge to manage parks effectively. Regularly published research from different fields helps us grasp how our climate is changing and what that means for our parks.