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Good day and welcome to this afternoon's webcast sponsored by the wet lands water sheds. The title of today's webcast is wet lands and climate change. Okay raj institute of. As we wait for others to join in, allow me to cover a few housekeeping details. This is especially important as participation in this seminar is filled to capacity. The materials have been reviewed for technical accuracy. However the speakers and the speakers organizations are their own and do not necessarily reflect EPA. Publication is mentioned it does not mean that EPA endorses them. Attendees are participating in two ways. About half of you are participating in phone and have downloaded the power point slides for youer on your computer. For those participating by phone, we require you mute your phone during the seminar. Question and answer breaks built in. During which you are to take your phone off mute and answer you questions today. The other half of our attendis are participating by streaming audio. You were directed to this specific web address where you can accessed to's presentation online. This website also has additional information including abstract of presentation and a link button that provides informative web links and resources on today's topic. These are archived indefinitely. The button for the online feedback form. Now please join us on slide one of today's presentation. If you are viewing the slides online, by now you should have clicked on the go to seminar button and you will be on slide one of the presentation. If you are following the slides online note the navigation buttons. To submit questions during the seminar, click the button showing a question mark. To submit your questions. In fact we encourage you to submit them in add advance of the question and answer session. If you experience technical difficulties at any time during today's presentation, you may use the question mark to alert us. Reached and a technician will troubleshoot the problem. Simply click on the CC button for the closed captioning. If you are going to use closed captioning you must have Internet Explorer version 5 or higher. So you will know when to advance. Participants please monitor your participation and noise level. Please mute your phones at this time.

Everybody's muted I hope. I believe we are ready to kick off this session. Move to slide two. The scientific consensus is challenging our water resources. Water habitats dough to a number of factors variable temperature and precipitation patterns. The importance of wetland functions and ecosystem services will continue to grow as the climate changes. Webcast instructors will discuss the issue from diverse perspectives reflecting the multifaceted approach needed to address a problem. Effects on inland and coastal wetlands. Protect people an the environment. Before we meet our speakers, I would like to point out to reduce our global footprint by hosting these training in a virtual environment. Our firstspeaker is Dr. Virin that birk et. In her capacity at chief scientist at USGS has been a lead author on the United Nations intergovernal panel or IPCC, third and fourth assessments 2001 and 2007. She formally served as chief of the force try college branch at the research center and is the director of the wildlife department of fisheries. Is a coast algaologist with the Maine geological survey. Coastal erosion and sea level rise. And holds an MS in geological sciences. When he's not in the field doing research. He's sur. Ing main's cold waters. The third speaker Jim pow else. Environmental conservation. Jim has served as the Alaska wetlands program coordinator. He is has been the assistant director special assistant for the alacca department of environmental conservation and deputy mayor for the city and Juneau Alaska.

Our final speaker is David van levin is Hudson River estuary director where he is leading rising waters to help Hudson valley communities adapt to climate change. David has connected good science with sound policy to achieve community sensitive conservations. Now that I've introduced our speakers let's get started. Virginia, take it away.

Thank you Megan. I'm going to start on slide three with key messages. The bottom line of the presentation today is a briefing of how wetlands are to be affected by climate and likely to intensify this sensory. I'm not talking just about water. Other aspects as well. Wetlands are some of the most vulnerable systems. I'll talk about the difficulties and projecting the precise outcomes of climate change own wetland systems because of interactions and threshold-type responses. I'll end with a discussion of adaptation and mitigation. Slide four shows the lexicon of our uncertainty terms that we use in the various volumes and chapters of the IPCC reports and the U.S. government and the CCSP is using a similar approach. When I use virtually likely or high confidence you'll know that we took very careful attention -- paid very careful attention so that we were consistent across the reports. You'll see a photo of the cover of the first volume by working group one, which is the physical science basis of climate change. Some of the key mindings here that CO2 has increased about 30% since the 1850s, from 280 to 379 parts per Valium. Greenhouse gas in the -- volume. Air sols. Black carbon, nitrate dust. If those weren't present in the atmosphere there would have been more warming than we've seen. Isn't the climate always changing? Yes it is. From the ice core records we know there's these large scale oscillations that are driven by the earth's or tall and the rotation on the axis. But we are confident that we have not seen this level of CO2 in the atmosphere for 650,000 years. The past 100 years of temperature change globally from several thousand stations around the globe. The global average temperature point 56 of that if you look at the lines that are in the graph you can see that the rate of change for the 150 year record, has -- record that ratcheted up for 100 years 50 years in orange and the yellow, most recent few decades, the rate of change is much more than it was over the 150 year period. So it's intensifying in terms of the effects of temperature.

Not only has there been tempora variation, there's special variation on slide 7 for example. March, April, May in the left. But look at December, January, and February. This past century and the past three decades at high latitudes and in the northern hemisphere and in known America in. Ecosystems and their vegetation types and the plants, the animals that are found due to these mild winters, basically we've seen a north ward expanse of ranges of species.

Changes in hydrology as the temperature of the atmosphere increases the water vapor deficit increases, predictably. We've seen an increase in precipitation globally and across the known hemisphere. Observed that the intensity of rain fall events has increases, but so do the number of dry days. Even though we've had more rain fall it's come down on the heavy rain fall events and that, coupled with the increase in temperature has increased drought potential. There ease been observed globally in the northen hemisphere and the a decline in mountain glaciers globally. Talked about oceans and as the temperature of the atmosphere increases the heat is absorbed. At least 300-meters in depth and as the temperature of the sea surface increases, we've seen an increase in north Atlantic hurricane activity. Intensity of storms but sea surface temperatures is one of the main drivers. The water expands as you heat water it expands and the sea level rise is increasing prior to the several hundred years and during the past 15 years since 1993, thes in instrumental level shows an acceleration in the sea level rise. They say it's not due to human activity but may be a natural variability. There's not a long record of using satellital team try. A huge geographic variability in the rate of sea level rise. If you manage coast Alouette lands don't look at the global rate of 1.7-millimeters per year, look at the rate occurs off of your coastline.

Looks at future changes in the physical climate system. Warming is expected to be .4 sell yeses in the next 20 years. Remember we had .65 in the last 50 years. To increase through time. Again, greatest over land and high latitudes in the northern hem pers. The next page, page 11 in the slides shows a graphical representation from the IPPC report from the spatial variability from these variables. If you manage wetlands out in the southwest earn region soil moisture and in run off. Tremendous changes in stream flow and water variability and water conservation uses. Slide 12 shows the projections using the IPCC models about 21 models used by various experiments conducted globally and the top line in the orange and yellow shows the temperature response, the annual temperature but look at the winter temperatures T. more intense the change. Looking at at this continued intense increase in these winter temperatures that will affect vegetation types. Along the bottom you see the precipitation changes that are projected by the end of this century, compared to what the average precipitation between 1980 and 1999 and the southern end of the region of the northern hemisphere and a wetter environment the higher the latitude you go.

The next slide, shifts to some of the impacts that are described in working group two. Basically we've seen very high confidence that we've seen changes in all continents that we can attribute to client change, particularly temperature change. Likely a discernible influence had been seen in biological systems and globally, 20-30% will be at high risk of extinction by 2100. Remember we're .7-degrees there already. Another key message here, freshwater ecosystem also have the highest proportion of species threatened. The last sentence there, if you are a wetland manager. I've been one myself, and it struck me, current conversation practices are poorly prepared to adapt to this level of change. We're all keenly aware of the hydrology and that being the primary determinant where wetlands occur and of the ecological occur. Part of the acreage extent of the United States, almost half of Alaska is wetland. If you look at the lower 48 you can see the distribution of wetlands in the technical paper that our folks produced. The next slide, another half of the wetlands in the lower 48 states have been lost since 1980. Most of the wetland losses are attributable to agricultural practices. That slide showing the agricultural labs in the Mississippi valley a few years ago in the restoration plots where we're going experiments. Preindust try y'all post cover there. The land cover map, in the lower graphic shows just a tremendous loss of wetlands along the Atlantic coastal plain and the Mississippi centrally. Most a curred in the south eastern region.

Slide 16 will started to walk you through the key variables that are client related that will likely affect wetland systems either directly or indirectly. Elevated CO2 has a direct effect on plant growth. We know it affects the temperature but it also has the direct pert lization of plants. C3 plants path way respond greater or faster and more effectively to CO2 enrichment than C will matches. The comp -- plants. The competition will be affected by the CO2 enrichment itself. And in inland waters, which enhances the growth of subemergencied aquatic vegetation, but also enhancessal go growth. The increase in CO2 may contribute to moral gey blooms inland and inland waters. The primary driver they've talked about all of these so far and the effects on aquatic systems. Soil moisture and water callly, I mean like dissolve oxygen. Availability. Plant community structure but these interact with each other and the effects tanment mat outcomes in wetland systems vary from one region to another. Depending on the intensity of climate change. The last few slides if you examples of welt land impacts. To give you some distribution around the country. Increasing temperatures and drought lead no more intense drying or permanentloss of the femmer rale streams and pool wetlands particularly out west.

Low ere soil mouse her widespread fires. This past few days they've been dealing with fires in Florida. But in the coastal marshes even. We have more productivity and little fall due to the CO2 enrichment. Widespread fires. Alaskan tundra organic matter an collapse of ecosystems associated with draw.

Number 21 example of these higher temperatures in Alaska having another sort of permutation on wetlands. As the per ma frost throughs forming these poly gones where the landscape is breaking up in to these puzzle pieces and the water is draining out as the per ma frost thaws. Many of the alack can lakes are diagnose out very rapidly. We have several publications that present some stunning results of monitoring of the extent of Alaskan lakes.

More intense storms are likely to affect -- illustration of how it might affect coastal erosion. Louisiana lost 217 square miles of it's coast due to the passage of the hurricane. The sound marshes from storm surge by Hurricane Katrina. Next slide, adaptation strategies themselves can affect wetlands and coastal systems. By bidding dooms provide water supplies wetlands can be impacted. Shoring up coastal features can affect coast Alouette lands as you build dikes and levies. Saltwater intrusion. The slipty of coast Alouette lands will increase. So these freshwater forests like the one shone on the left, that's a ball sigh police tree. Had a die off of coast allophorest due to saltwater intrusion. Many -- on the next slide number 24. Another example of impacts it's not wetlands and the water. But also the species that inhabit them. The U.S. endangers species are wetland Depen didn't. We've got these four main species of concern, the kite, the wood stork, spoon bill and the sparrow on the left. It shows the interaction of these various drivers affects the physical systems in south Florida. You really need to understand the processes that are at work, what recrated the wetlands, what types of changes are expected in the future and able to assess the ultimate outcomes on structures. Plant community structure rather. The implication of restoration and management. There's a report you can download that we sited down at the bottom of 26. What can we reduce impacts? Reduce the affects on wetlands and other natural systems by mitigation, we refer to reducing greenhouse gas emissions or enhancing carbon sinks and wetlands are natures way of laying down carbon for the long term. The concentration of greenhouse gases. The adaptation which is purposeful steps that are taken to adapt management strategies, water uses and so fourth, to allow natural systems to persist as the climate changes. And with that Megan I'll turn it back over to you.

Thank you Virginia. We've pause briefly here to take some questions. Let's begin with those submitted online. You can submit questions online at any time by clicking on the question mark at the top of the slides page. The first question comes from Paul in D.C. Wince reare poorly prepared to this level of change which climate related variables most concerned about or put the most resources?

Water. That's my response. The availability of water. The farming community, industrial community, municipalities are all concerned about water nerve the southeast. The types of conflicts over water that are likely to occur during the coming decades. So positioning yourself as a wetland manager to provide water at the wetland and be there at the table about decisions on water and the delivery and allocation. That would be the number one priority I would suggest.

Thank you. Our second question comes from Catherine in Maryland. Given wetlands protection resource limitations and the ago any of choice should we focus our choice Alaska the southeast or areas at the highest risk?

That is a wonderful question. I think it depends upon your values, what society would want in your particular state. As a scientist, I really don't advocate the course of action that would be taken. My preference in having led conservation programs from one state would be to persue both. Both the conservation of where you have wetlands at highest risk and endangers species for example, where you have the greatest concentration of wetlands that would provide the services that are important to society. The answer would be both but it will depend locally and at state level for folks here at EPA to set the priorities.

Our next question comes from Rachel in Virginia. Thank you for sharing the IPCC models with us, particularly of projects future changes with regard to precipitation, soil moisture, run off, evaporation and temperature. What advice can you give on regional, state or local levels on the large scale of the models you described?

I think in the toolbox that you have, monitoring has become even more important given the changes that we're experiencing and likely to intensify this century. Placing an emphasis on monitoring and adapting your management strategies so that you can basically minimize the affects. So adaptive management has been tossed about. There's handbooks that are on the shelf that we haven't pulled off as frequently that are needed. But you're right, these global changes, there's nothing you can do in these changes in pretippation and temperature changes. We would still be experiencing for the next 4 to 50 decades changes in precipitation due to the changes that have already been made in the atmosphere. Adapting your management is probably the first order of business. Thanks.

Our next question come from Sandy in Ohio. How will the great lakes region be affected?

Sandy, I have not written anything about the great lakes and this is one area where I'm going to get your email address, you have that? They have your email address and I'll send you some links to some publications that will help you for the great Lakes. We have a great Lakes science center there in moody sin. And he is an expert in great lakes wetlands and I'll refer you to him as well. We'll follow-up with you on that.

At this time if anyone would like to ask a question over the phone, please unmute yourself and give the name and organization before your question. Just as a reminder, please make sure that you are muted, if you are not asking a question as it makes it hard to hear.

Are there any questions?

Region one, we do have a question. EPA region one.

I was wondering for you to speak about the most adaptation techniques would be at this point in time?

Well my background is more in coastal wetlands. Restoring natural sedimentary processes is important. All of the coast -- the major Deltas and the coast that are present globally. There are in Texas more than 90% of the sediment. Levies the River piping all that fresh River offshore so we have a sediment starved and rapidly deteriorating coast. Many, many options and our IPCC chapter devoted pages to potential adaptation strategies in coastal systems. For inland systems, there's a wider range of options that would need to be considered depending on the hydrology, the type of wetlands because they are much more diverse. For starting point I'd look at the IPCC report and get some examples on your sources.

Any other questions for the phone lines?

Yes. --

Wondering if you have any data on the comparative carbon in wetlands versus other vegetation types and comparison of wetlands for carbon see sequestration versus deposits see sequestration.

One more thing came to me from the last question. Another thing that is very obvious is the importance of reducing other stressors on wetlands. I should have mentioned that as probably the most logical thing the no regrets option but that should be right there in that list of potential adaptations. There is a state of the carbon report and there are many publications that can give you a feel for the value of the wetlands in terms of the availability to se subsequent tear are trained they are produce CO2 and methane. I don't have a single answer for you values. A guy name bill hogen seen has some numbers and if we can get your web address your email address, we'll give you his report that has that number.

Are there any other question from the phones?

Okay. At this time we will move onto our second speaker. So Peter if you would like to unmute yourself and take it away.

Thanks Megan. Virginia touched on a very good issue aside from all the wonderful data that she provided that coastal wetlands are susceptible to human development. I used the word resiliencecy to adapt to misfortune in change. Coastal wetlands have had to be extremely resilient in response to human activity in the past. In response to projected sea level rise levels, where in Maine we're trying to look at how resilient, not only can communities be but how resilient can wetlands be in response to sea level rise. The goal of the project that I'm going to be sharing with you, not only am I going to delve in to the impact of wetland level. Share tools, data and the process we're going through in engaging coastal mew mistallties and planning for sea level rise impacts on both development and coast Alouette lands. If you go to slide 30. How are we going to achieve the goal of developing resiliency for both our wetlands and coastal communities? This is really a three step process we're going through. There are three agencies that are working on the program right now. The Maine coastal program, the Maine geological program that I'm with. Which kind of bridges between the state agencies and several towns. We're working with towns within saw cobay in main which I'm going to go on in a minute. Bid ford. Each of these communities are very diverse in terms of not only their development patterns but how they've been managing wetlands in the past. Outreach phase and working on partnership. The goal of providing data to this community to understand, review, provide feedback on resiliency and implement plans that address vulnerability for their communities and four their coast Alouette lands. -- coastal wetlands.

And bid ford and one thing to point out that sa cobay is our largest expanse of sandy beaches in the state of Maine. Our largest expanse of coastal wetlands. These communities is very diverse in terms of the development patterns that thiasus stain and we're going to focus on flee little pilot areas northern point. Ocean park which is in old or chard beach. The southern developing resiliency among these communities is to provide them with different data and tools that the Maine geological survey and other program haves developed. -- programs have God. developed.

Which is the way we regulate our coastline, to providing lie Dar or light detection and radar. Applicable to today's discussion is what we're doing in terms of inform these communities on sea level rise and innonation. How it related to coastal wetlands and the communities themselves. When we talk about sea level rides in May if you go back about 13,000 years, sea level was actually about 70-meters above present. That really related to the relative sea level in Maine. Main was actually about a mile of ice about 13,000 years ago. In about 2000 years that melted. It dropped below present. The land mass rebounding kind of lick a temporapedic mattress does when you lift your hand off it. The relative sea level change isn't really the driving factor behind what's happening anymore. It's global sea rise that's happening. This image on slide 33 since 1912 we've been measuring tidal levels in Portland Maine. 1.8-millimeters per year. Virginia shared a global change earlier which was 1.8 mill meters as well. Equal to what's happening in the global ocean.

Very quickly a summary of sea level rise in Maine. In about the last three thousand years we're actually looking at the highest sea level rise in the coast. Beaches formed in the last 3-5000 years. Virginia shared with us that sat light altimetry is that could be rising at 1.3-millimeters which is almost twice of what the global rate is now.

Next slide please. How is Maine trying to adapt to potential rise. Regulate the open ocean coast and what happens along that coastline has opted to plan for two feet of sea level rise between the next 2 pun years. We could look at the potential impact of sea level rise on coastal wetland. The coastal wetlands means all tidal and subtidal lands tolerant of saltwater T. key here is that it's areas subjected it toal action during the highest tide level for each year and that's based on national ocean surface tables and tide charts. So in looking at coastal wetlands, for this project we wanted to try to take a look at what two field of sea level impact could be on our wetlands. Slide 37 shows an image with north being to the left hand side and we're going to focus on the first pilot study area which is pine point and Scarborough. Slide 38. This image that I'm showing here is simply an Ortho rectified area photograph of pine point in Scarborough on the right hand upper corner a thorough fair coming through for cars to travel on. You can see some channeled from a idle marsh. I've overlaid lie Dar topographic data and color coded it to show you not only can you pick out the defining boundary between the upper marsh and the low marsh but when you overlay the topography. The black arrows are pointing to the settle differences. Is the basis for our sea level rise scenarios. If you forward onto slide 39, this image is showing how we're characterizing our different wetland areas. What we found is that the dark blue areas are basically what we're calling open water, OW. Basically at or below Maine sea level. The lighter blue the middle blue, I guess you call it is Maine high water. Typically characterize our low marsh habitat. In terms of our high marsh habitat that's between mean high water and HAT. If you look at the black arrows again you can pretty much see the boundary between high marsh which is pretty well defined. Using these tidal elevations is how marshes could potentially change after you add the role of sea level rise. On slide 40 I'm showing what happened after we add two feet of projected sea level rise to the marsh systems. First thing you notice is the whole slide is covered in the mid blue. That is because what we're finding is that there's so much anthropogenic influence bulkheaded up land that our high marsh is at capacity. When you add sea level to it there's no room for our high marshes to transgress. There is room for the low but not the high marshes to transgress.

This is showing our second area I'm going to share with you called ocean park in old or chard beach. But ocean Park itself is fairly residential. Interest's a problem with this area. Slide 42. This slide shows the area of ocean park that was highlighted on your right hand side is a small tidal Brook called goose fair Brook. Coastal wetlands associated with that. From blue to the really light blue. The red arrow is pointing to a tide gauge that lets it flow below the road gauge. Ditches you can see that the tidal flow is ditched under three or four streets and reimmerges. The black box is showing an area of historically the limits of the highest annual tide of the high marsh. Restricted from tidal flow right now that a third of that area is actually high marsh dominated. The other is freshwater dominated. If tidal restrictions are lifted and tide gaits are installed that allow full flow in to this area what would happen in response to the marsh and potential flooding in the area. You can see that there would be a dramatic impact not only on the marsh systems, but also potential flooding for the entire community. Areas of high marsh would likely turn in to areas of low marsh and areas that are not developed and areas that are developed would likely be flooded under mean high water and highest tide conditions. Most importantly emergency access along one of those roadways would be compromised.

Next slide please.

What we wanted to get across to these communities by showing this data, is the topographic data we're showing the images can be used to simulate the impact of sea level rise and how communities are going to respond in terms of managing tidal restrictions focusing on restoration tide Alouette lands. In terms ovallowing marsh transgression to occur so that the high marsh area does have an area of up land transguess that's not already developed. Slide 45 is showing an area called camp Ellis in saw cothe southern end of the saw cobay. All the sediment to the bay. It's southern boundary is a long 6000-foot jetty. Unfortunately camp Ellis has the highest erosion rate in Maine and suffers the worst news, weather, and sports Easters in main.

This is a close up image with the up on the screen. You can see this is outlining existing conditions in marsh habitats and there really are no flooding issues. The marsh system here is dominated by high marsh especially on the left hand side of the screen with areas of low marsh as well.

Slide 47, that actually shows the impact of two feet of sea level rise not only on the marsh areas. It's overtaken by low march but red arrows are pointing to areas that we expect to be flooded under highest annual tide conditions plus two feet of sea level rise. We did this scenario, this simulation prior to the patriots day storm which is a pretty big event here. The storm surge was 2.5. Plus two feet was about 2.4 feet. A simulation of what could have occurred on the patriot's day storm. As it turns out is what did occur on the patriot's day storm. While the lower arrows going to show a figure pointing to the east. Next slide please.

So this is looking to the southwest, along a floodway that kind of popped up during the patriot's day storm. Is this what we're looking at under highest annual conditions in the future? This area we're looking at behind the boat is where the wetlands exist. Land ward direction. Unfortunately this area is slated for multimillion dollar condo development and marina development. There's conflicting interests of course. There are almost in everything we choose to do. Slide 49 shows the image to the east along a roadway in camp Ellis this. Is a mayor road that runs east to west that provides access to the jetty in the background. This is two feet of water on the roadway here. Are we looking at these kind of conditions on the highest annual tide of every year?

Moving on the slide 50. Where are we in this whole project process of providing data to communities and focusing on developing resiliency with the communities especially in the case of what we're sharing today, impacts the coastal wetlands. The introduction of concepts. It's going to take some bonding for these communities to get on board to do some of the things we'd like them to do.Ing that they provide feedback so when we share the data we've developed with them, how can we improve it? Is there other data they need? Work with the communities adaptation strategies or mitigation strategies that will be effective in dealing with hazard vulnerability and the overall impact on the sea horizons. To have these communities adopt strategies in to their comprehensive plans and ordnances so that they leave space adjacent to existing tidal marshes so marshes can transgress. This is a multiyear program. We're doing a pilot project for these communities. We'll see how it goes before we commit to that, that's where we are right now.

Slide 51. This gives some of the postulated strategies from the state and municipal level we could go down. From a state level what we'd like to do is use some of the data and tools to develop the regulatory definition to include a future coastal wetland. With that, have state funded programs that focus acquisition for marsh conservation and restoration programs so that undeveloped areas adjacent to some of these marshes can function in natural way in response to the sea level rise. From the municipal level we've been really trying to focus on for the communities is to get them to work in a coordinated fashion to address hazard sea level rise and marsh.

They don't see gee owe political boundaries communities do. What we're trying to go is really get these communities to think on a regional level, not just a municipal level in terms of land use and development planning. Run off from a road or storm water run off going to impact every community and the coastal wetland. Through all these mine mispal strategies we hope we can work with these communities remain resilient and our coastal wetlands can remain resilient in the future.

Thank you Peter. If I would get everybody move to slide 52. We will slide briefly to take some questions and begin with those submitted online. You can submit questions online at any time by clicking on the question mark at the top of the slides page. Our first question comes from Dave in Iowa.

Maine is planning for two feet of sea level rise, what if projections change and increases subtan usually? What planning capacity or processes exist to accommodate new scientific realities?

That's a very good question. Our adoption of two feet of sea level rise coinsided with revision of our sand dune rules, which govern development along the open beach systems in Maine. That occurred between 2003 and six. It was a multiyear process with many, many, many stakeholders including state agencies local consultants. Took quite a bit of time. Adapting to a different projections in sea level rise may have to undergo the same process. This was a process we went through because basically the Maine legislature said you need to figure out what you are going to go on. In addition to what we were measuring in the state of Maine and we adapted and shot for two feet because basically we were looking at about 1.6 feet when you combine everything. So that's where we were. How we're going to do it in the future, I'm not sure how to answer that question. Aside from going through a similar process.

Thank you Peter. Our next question comes from Joe in West Virginia.

If tidal restrictions are uplifted that you mention dominate now?

Good question. As an example, we're somewhat lucky in Maine that we don't have a huge abundance of frag mighties australis which some of the mid Atlantic and southeasten states has begun to overtake a lot of the marshes. As an example the wetland area in ocean park that I talked about remember water dominant. High marsh to dead cat tails to cat tails.

The influx of the qualitity water when we restore the water flow in that area the natural growth of high marsh. One thing I didn't point out is dominated by high marsh actually. In our scenarios after see level rise, 40-45% decrease in high marsh and 100 to 150% low marsh growth. There's a lot of factors that come in to the question you have especially with nutrient loading from up lands that can be influencing some of the invasives that actually grow along with what folks plant. How those species are going to be adapted to the influx of sea level rise.

If you do have a question from the phone, unmute yourself, give us your name and organization before your question.

Are there any questions?

Hello, this is Peter from USGS in Massachusetts.

I'd like to ask our Maine colleague of any sea level rise on coastal ground water levels. Any areas now feasible for the use of septic systems in the future potentially become uninhabitable because of ground water levels increasing?

That's a great question. In response, we haven't really been considering it at this point. A lot of our coastal communities have switched over to sue warded water but there are areas that still use septic. From a ground water standpoint, not only that but in audiocassette what fur sand point, one of the issues is going to be the saltwater penetrating some of the ground water drinking the -- we really are not doing anything with that at all at the current time.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. At this time if I could get everyone to move with me to slide 53 I'd like to take a moment to tell you about our next webcast. The water shed acad my's next webcast will be on June 18th. This webcast will focus on the new water quality assessment and daily loads information or the simple version attains database. Attains is a an line tool that provides information reported by the states to EPA about the condition of their surface waters. Visit the water shed academy web page for more information about this webcast. All right. At this time we'll move onto our next session of today's presentation. Jim, take it away.

Thank you for inviting me to speak. I want to commend the organizers at EPA for holding this presentation. My presentation stands on the holders of at least three noteworthy researcher I'd like to mention them, Terry chai pen and the national arctic research center and profess torr Katie Walter. Understanding of wetlands and global ecological changes. Please note at the end of the presentations for references and other material. Turning to my presentation, the objective of my presentation is to describe some of the se search in Alaska and to our communities. I hope to also leave you with some images of what Alaskaens are doing on the ground to address climate change which is here and now upon us. My first slide, number 54 outlines my presentation. There are six parts. First I will quickly give Alaskan context in the knot. Some key changes to hydrology ecology caused by climate change. Some specific changes observed including wetlands and northen lakes and wildfire. Changes or adaptations communities are making -- make some suggest shuns on dealing with climate change.

Slide 55. There are two primary reasons why Alaska is part of the discussion in wetlands. Wetlands are a dominant land form and 40% is classified as wetlands. This ats for 60% of the U.S. total ecowetland systems. Specifically the functions performed by Nebraska wetlands is rapidly changes. Most wetlands in Alaska or in the north are predicted to dry up in the 21st century. The map to the right side of slide 55 shows a distribution of the increase in the average annual temperature change through Alaska from 1949 to 2005. The changes range from 5.4-degrees fair enheight to 1 month 7 degrees. For example in my hometown which is in southeast Alaska, not subarctic. 3.8-degree change over that same time period. Other changes happening in Alaska. Air temperature increasing by .4-degrees per decade and the growing season increasing by 2 month 6 days. Some people may consider that a positive affect. Other changes that the thawing of per ma frost is accelerating. Along lake margins. Finally, I will highlight the frequency, duration and temperature of wildfire and wetlands and rising. Slide 56. This slide shows regional and global temperature change. Alaska is covered in dark red T. darkest red -- the darkest red is over indicates an increase of 8-degrees in winter temperatures during the last 60 years. We say we burn first. Slide 57. Per ma frost distributions. Per ma frost is perm ma frost. This slide shows the distribution of per ma frost. Diss continuous frost is in purple. Spore rattic is in pink colores. Lakes have a large distribution in the north. Recent research has shown that edges of lakes are contributes five times more methane to the atmosphere than originally thought. That's huge. Lakes in the north are beginning -- are being looked at seriously because of the aft of methane on climate change. Now we'll move to discus at least two key shifts that are observable in knot earn wetlands temperatures. These shifts are changes hydro logic and ecologic functions. Naturally develop and disappear as natural processes, we now can observe changes caused by increased temperature and increased precipitation. Per ma frost, wetlands have soils largely consisting of peat soils perched on frozen ice ledges. Due to low temperatures. Temperatures are rising rapidly and drying up some types of wetlands. Canada already have low precipitation expect only modest if any increases in me sippation as climate change moved forward. To cause hydro logic shifts not yet seen in some seen. Warner temperatures are anticipated to cause these shifts. Whether per ma frost becomes drier or wetter caused by the thawing of peat depends largely on hydrology. Most changes will have profound and uncertain effects. We have already -- we're already seeing that and measuring that. It pacts to wildlife. Caribou migrating and harvesting. When per ma frost dice cause damage to roads and inthat structure. Basis assumption building and maintaining roads will meet the change. Centered on the discovery of the edges of lakes which I previously mentioned that has occurred in northern Alaska. Warming temperatures and the release of much more methane than we previously thought. Slide 59. Wetland ecology and change. As mentioned, some wetlands are drying in low lands and pools are created in those areas. Up lands are increasing per ma frost. The big unknown is how will the ecological change? We do not know. Wetland ecology is changing. Beginning to regionalize and localize local models the GMCs the large global models and their effects. We only know pieces of the changing ecology. The expectation that regional water tables may lower. This will have dramatic effects for humans in all parts of the ecological system. Few to drying up some wetlands we have become more vulnerable to forest fires. Forest fires have become more frequent. Hotter and have longer duration. Also mark beetle outbreaks are occurring more often. In Alaska there are millions of black spruce forests that have burned. The wildfires burn the surface of the vegetation and expose the tundra and cause the per ma frost to thaw at a rapid raid.

The next slide focus on leakage wetlands. The relakes are discussed because of the recent discovery. The edge of the lakes cause for the large amount of methane. The ledges of lake provide a rich habitat for methane producing bacteria that during decomposition organic material. Large lakes are increasing in size on per ma frost. The more north you go, the more pooling the more south you go the more drying up. Researchers are gathering statewide data. It's a huge state.

Slide 62. Wetlands and lakes in the north are a dominant landscape feature. 48% of the land surface. UAF and others have discovered just how important they are. This could have the changes in that ecology the change in the size of lakes. Could have a huge impact on migratory wildlife the people that depend on these resources for food and culture. Diagnose of the ponds may also cause increase or decreases in soil moisture with significant impacts to heat fluxes potentially protects climate change. As a note, a recent observation on April 16th of this year, climate change and resultant fluxuation and precipitation is believed to cause the increase in snow pack leading to a major avalanche south of my home. 1.5-mile power line and left 30,000 residents without 95% of it's power. This forced us to run on 100% desill increasing electrical bills by 450% in the next three months. These are the kinds of change you may see. Lots of surprises. Lakes used to general rate hydro Moor and operators of those hydropower plants are having a difficult time predicting how much is needed from month to month. Slide 63.

One of the main impacts of climate change in Alaska forest health. There has been a large forest insect infestation to occur -- the largest in North America the spruce bark beetle which deaf estated millions of acres. Wildfire is increasing in Alaska. Normally wildfires burn one half to 1.5 billion-acres a year. Wildfires caused by lightning and dry conditions. Wildfires burn upwind but are on interior wetlands and per ma frost. New records were set in 2004 for Alaska wildfires. 600 fires burned in 2004 caught unusually hot weather. This topped the previous record held in 1957. This may signal possible changes in climate conditions and the composition of forests. Slide 64. Ecological processes caused by hotter and larger and more frequent fire the distribution has doubled since 1970 and will change ecological processes. Changes in vegetation are now occurring. I will move to slide 65.

Moving to the edge effect wetlands, coastal erosion happening right now. An out leans what is predicted within the next few years. Although my task is to discuss interior wetlands because I have to show these slides T. coastal community haves to move. Slide 66. This is a picture of the coast of where shush her raff is and they have to move. In the past 30 years the coastline in northwest earn Alaska has moved inland 100 to 300 feet. Six communities have begun to move or are planning to move. Warmer temperatures have allowed protective ice to melt and pound and ruin the coast.

If you could speed up a little bit, we're running short on time. I'd move to the punch line. I'd like to move to slide 70 if we could move to slide 70 right to adaptation and resilience. I think that might be of most interest to the people on the phone. Adaptation. I'm going to go to the punch line on that. Last night I met with locals in shush her after and they were asking me of what to if in the community. We discussed basically resiliency and sustainability. This is different. We need to instead due planning differently and not planning as usual. Which the the federal and state government coming in to a community to say what they want to do. Look at the existing systems that react to systems locally. The ICS adaptable to change in emergencies. Can it be adaptive to those climate changes. Slide 61 and 62 these are lists of adaptations that came from the Juneau scientific climate change commission. I'll go to the last slide. The last slide I list things to think about and maybe leave with you. Expect change in the unpredictable. Identify the main drivers that make your community most resilient. That comes out of resilient theory and thinking. What are the energy food and culture things that driver your community. Identify the slow moving variable. Ecological systematic changes and other slow moving variables. Ecological changes are unpredictable. Expect that we do not and for the foreseeable future not be able to really understand the whole model. Storms and other weather systems will change and intensify and the cues are changing. The different signals. Look for different signals. We need new indicators for climate change that are sensitive to fast moving vary onlies. This concludes my presentation.

Thank you very much Jim. At this time we will pause briefly to take some questions. We'll begin with those submitted online this. Is your final reminder you can submit those questions at any time by clicking on the question mark at the top of the slides page.

Robert asks. What educational strategies are you using with coastal property owners and communities?

Excellent question. I think that education is the key. We're not that advanced. I think it's a broad, rather than a local, approach to climate change. There's been like the rest of the question. The organization that is helping communities around the world, they have presentation materials, not specific and nothing really specific about wetlands. Wetlands is really -- isn't discussed it's more social and infrastructure and those kinds of things. I can't offer any solutions, only to Google and look at what they're doing. I will say that the state web page, the climate change -- under quick links, go to that and that will give you updates as far as what communities are doing and the state strategy and what the state agencies are doing. That's the state DEC web page for Alaska.

Thank you our next question comes from Susana Oregon.

I don't begin to perceive they impacts. You have to ask and you have to listen. Consultants last night and the negative from that community, I asked them. The question in rebuilding their community and moving their community caused by climate change I asked them, what community do they want too create and how do they create a more resilient and sustainable community. I think the answers come from the native community. They don't come from the university T state or the federal -- the state or the federal government. The feds are reactions the way they used to in saying we'll show up on such a date and they come and they say this is what you should do, which is to build roads the same way to build housings the same way. We need to do things differently and listen to the local elders of the communities. Native and non-native.

Thank you. At this time, we'll address the questions over the phones. If you have a question, unmeet yourself and give us your name and organization before your question. Are there any questions from the phones?

This is Maria from New York City's DEP.

Go ahead. My question is regarding the lake edge wetlands that have high incidents of global melt ano. I was looking for some clarification. Is that as the lakes are expanding the waters? Flooding those wetlands that are releasing the methane or -- I didn't really understand what he was getting at there.

It's caused by the thawing of the edge of the lake. That's occurring more rapidly than the thawing of the ice and some of those ponds don't thaw at all. So that's where you are seeing most of the release, it's right at the edge. That's where the abundance of the peat and the bacterial processes are occurring. What was most surprising was five times more than we thought and that's huge because of the effects of methane as far as on a global balance of how much contribution of methane. Look at Walter. Katie Walter. Just Google her and climate change and get all the information you need.

Are there any other questions from the phone lines?

If there are no further questions we'll move onto the final section of today's presentation. So at this time, David if you could please unmute yourself and take it away.

David could you please unmute yourself?

David just use the code we practiced at the beginning of the phone call.

Now have you got me?

Did it a minute ago. I guess I jumped the gun. My talked to is going to focus on a collaborative effort we have implementation strategies really getting at challenges how we achieve stronger wetland regulations. Before I kick in to that introduce you to the nature conservancy. Conversation organization. We have about 3300 staff working in more than 30 countries around the world and our mission is to protect the plants, animals and ecosham make up the diversity of life on earth. We actually started here in New York's Hudson valley and our work is deeply routed in local conversation. Number 76. My work on climate change started about two years ago and I was knewly in this position with the nature conserve incy. 130-miles north of New York City. The Hud ton flows north, south and drains in to New York harbor. It was a beautiful day, I had three foot strike bass swimming under me. Gotten myself in to real trouble. I was trying to paddle out of the wet land and the tide was coming in. It was a great and epic battle. Finally get back to my car. When I was back at my car, I was struck once again at how powerful and per sis about water is. I started wondering how I was supposed to protect freshwater tide Alouette lands when they are likely to be under 2 feet of water. Tactic over the years has been to buy land. But what do we really accomplish by buying wetlands that are going to be under water in the next 100 years. One of the things I want to stress in staying with the theme of water here, is that the Hudson water estuary is 153-miles north of New York City. The Hudson is 310-miles long. In it's final half of it's journey, the River only drops four feet. As a result, we have 153 estuary where we have the River pushing out and the ocean pushing in. 30 to 40-miles up in to the Hudson on severe droughts it can be farther North than that. The tide of the 4 to 5-foot ripple of the tide goes all the way up to the head waters of the estuary which is about 153-miles north of New York in Albany. So what we have along the shores of the Hudson are fantastic wetlands that are inundated. That are within ovmy primary conversation [ Indiscernible: Speaker/Audio faint and unclear]. The rising because of climate change, we all know that. But the results that we have to seriously rethink things. Reality is climate change is happening No. it's not coming. It's going to continue for the next 30 to 50 years even if we stop emissions tomorrow. We need to construct through mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation is what most people talk about when they discussion climate change solutions and mitt indication is include critical because it will be determine the scale of climate change and effects. For example in New York more likely to become like Virginia. It's projected to be more like Georgias. The result is that we need to presume mitigation strategies but climate change is happening. It's going to be changing dramatically over the next 30-50 years regard less and we have to adapt. In the Hudson valley in the northeast, we are seeing the likely impacts along three mayor lines. The first is -- major lines. Sea level rise, altered weather patterns, more intense storms and droughts. That's where we see the most impacts. The third effect and this has been mentioned a couple of times particularly by Virginia. The Thursday affect is going to be the way the people respond to the first two challenges. The way we respond is going to abate the problems by climate change or egg SASer bait them.

Adaptation is finally getting recognition now. Where six months ago people looked at me when I talked act it in New York. Most of the talk on the adaptation is about strategies. Everyone's talking about con activity and migration corps dorsoand on the wetlands front is stronger wetland regulations and land protection. These are great but we've been talking about these strategiest for decades. The real question is how are we actually supposed to accomplish these strategies. Strategies without implementation is talk, talk, talk. Which we have way too much already.

Hard for three primary reasons that I see. The first is that climate change is still viewed as an environmental and not a social problem and any of you who have done any lobbying, have a pretty clear sense that environment allotopics, while people are concerned about them, they do not have a lot of political leverage. The second challenge is that most of the responses that are being proposed on a financial level, at least, are focused on mitigation and not adaptation. Broaden the discussion to capture boast halfs of the climate change challenge. Finally the public decision makers want to know exactly what will be happening. Climate change is loaded with uncertainty which a fact that climate change deniers have used effectively to their advantage to the last 10-20 years.

I'm sorry to interrupt you. Could you please tell us the number of slide we're on?

81 is the wetland. On slide 81, focusing on wetlands here because the focus of my work and the projection will, I think, be one of the core climate changes strategies we look at for protection in the future. Wetlands are viewed as an environmental issue. In part because of this there's not a bunch of cash for wetland. At least not in New York for stronger regulations. Just to give you a sense in New York, we have a relatively weak state wetland protection law. Slide number 82. How do we go from talk to action?

The New York's Hudson valley, the anyture conservancy and a suit of partners a catalyst for conservation. I want to take a moment to identify our partners because it's truly a collaborative effort. The nature conservancy is working with the carry institute for ecostuddies, a world renowned economical research institution. Working with two programs in the state department of environmental conservation, 2 lud son River program. Working with the New York state water resources institute at Cornell university and finally working with a small institution called sustainable Hudson valley. An effort of all these organizations not just the nature conservancy. Let's role in to slide 83.

At the most basic level, our effort is shifting to perception of climate change being an environmental issue to a social issue by highlighting the continue Wednesdays of climate change on many different Hudson valley interests. For example, this is a map of becon New York which is on the eastern shore of the Hudson. A waste water treatment plant that will be innone stated under a major flood. In the floodplains. Emergency first responders will be afted because they are the folks that are going to go out in boats to rescue people who are in flooded homes and businesses. Along with the natural systems. I realized I'm pointing at the different things on my computer screen with my finger which is extremely helpful to all of you.

Slide 84. The nature conservancy and our partners are trying to shift this perception through a process called multistakeholder scenario planning, which is a mouth full. I'm going to break it down to the two fundamental parts. The first half is multistake holder which is the we've spent initially several months building a list of more than 500 names representing more than 40 categories. If you look at the categories which I presented here on the screen it goes way beyond the usual sweet of en vie rows to identify a pretty good sector. The full sweet of people living in the valley. Actively recruiting folks to participate in the process. When we were targeting participants our goal was to get people from each category and who had enough authority in their companies and agencies and institutions to carry the conclusions that we collectively reached back in to them to create change. Going onto slide 85. The second half of multistakeholder scenario planning is the scenario planning. Scenario planning is basically just building a series of stories that can take the uncertainty and the vast scale of climate change and can translate them that different interests can think about them productively. A common point of confusion around scenarios is that they are predictions of the future and they're not. Scenarios are simply discretions of potential futures that will health p people do contingency planning and thinking. They are not models of what future conditions will be. That's an important distinction that I really want to underscore for the scientific folks out there. As we drop to 86 you'll see two possible scenarios. One to two sentence blurbs that we could be considering. We actually are scenarios team which is a small group of folks from the broader group of about 100 participants that are going to be getting together, going to be building six to ten scenarios for initial consideration. Scenarios that will be building will have more detail than these two blurbing. I suspect that they will represent a pretty broad range of potential impacts to fairly mild to serious. That you see here are probably a little more on the severe side but again, the goal is to generate scenarios that will stimulate thinking and will capture people's attention. After we build these six to ten scenarios go back to the full group of participants and comb through them and find the two to four people find to be the most compelling and that are plausible to them. The final scenarios we consider may not represent every potential future but represent a range of futures that people can use to think productively and in an innovative way about strategies in the future. Let's go onto slide 87. Scenarios are the foundation and the beginning of this process though. The key is to go from the stories to the implementation. That process has a few steps. The first is to take our final scenarios and to look at the likely impacts on each of the different interest groups. Then to consider the different responses that these different groups might take T different strategies they might employ to protect themselves and to look at the ramification of the strategies. This is important because the usual response to flooding, for example, is to build sea walls and levies. It's pretty clear that in the Hudson valley no one wants to see the Hudson converted to 153 culvert with sea walls and levies. But that's usually the response that people take when they respond to flooding in a quick and in a panicked mode. What we're trying to do is by working with all these different interests together and identified strategies and look beyond the short term strategies and to look at the ramifications. As we go through that process, we'll find strategies that will benefit many different interests simultaneously. I suspect that wetlands conservation will be one of the key benefits to come out of that process because the ecosystem services delivered by wetlands are vast and broad ranging indeed even if not recognized by the folks benefiting from them. The final step is to implement the solutions. That's key otherwise it's just talk.

A little head of schedule here, but that's all right. We're moving in to the last slide number 88 to touch on the benefits of this process. The first is that we're diversifying climate change and wetlands from an environmental issue into a social issue. We're seeing the results of this. At a recent talk I gave to a group of business leaders, head of county chamber of commerce came to me and said two to three feet of sea level rise. I'm going to talk about the water front developers. This is going to have real impact on our tax space. Excellent participation from one of the local utility companies that are concerned about the impacts of the change on their power lines and industry. Central strategy because of the benefits to so many interests. The key here is that when you've got a lot of different interests that are all advocating for the same strategies, probably with very different motivations but different strategies nonetheless. Broad coalitions have much more political clout than the environment allogroups do right now.

Also have access to a much wider range of state and federal government dollars. Any transportation dollars. Health dollars. Homeland security dollars. A much deeper pot of resources for climate change adaptation than we currently have just going in to the environmental pot. Finally when you combine more political clout with collars you can get implementation. That's how I think over the long term we can get stronger wetland regulations. We can get better regulations and incentives for companies to use best management practices for storm water management. We can get more resources for district land protection in the Hudson valley. That's all I've got and back to you folks.

Thank you David. We will again have time for some questions, however let me first draw your attention to where you can obtain the contact information for all of our speakers today. Simply click on the home button at the top of your screen. It has the speaksemail addresses and phone numbers. Slide 90. Please take a few minutes to submit feedback. Those participating online. There is a link button for additional resources for today's webcast. You should see a feedback button. Take a quick minute or so to submit the online feedback form as we value your comments. Address questions that are submitted online. Our first question comes from Alan in Texas. Of your stake holders which one haves been most responsive and active that are not traditionally engaged in environmental issues? What do you think is their motivation?

The most right now is county and regional planners. I think their motivation is that this is potential incentive to get folks to do better development practices. Seeing a good response from the insurance industry and utility companies in part because I think they're seeing the value of having more voices advocating for them. The groups that we haven't been able to tap as much as we would like are the business leaders and we had a speaker from Goldman sacks come to our first meeting and he provided the Ben usual incite that our business community isn't going to be interested likely in building the scenarios but get them more involved as we get into the actual scenarios and looking at strategies. The marina and boat clubs have been very involved.

Our next question comes from Robert in Seattle, Washington. What kind of information are you using to construct the scenarios?

We have a climate change modeler from the Goddard space institute university on board. He'll be providing us with access to a lot of different data layers and modeling. We're tapping into agricultural expertise. Tapping in to the general exper tense of the different participants who are knowledgeable about their groups and strategies. There's a whole swath of climate change data out there that we're integrating in the work by the union of concerns scientists is very useful tool. This is not prediction. This is stories that we use to describe potential futures.

Thank you, our next question comes from Ron in Connecticut. On the subject of tidal Rivers extensive brackish tidal marshes. Sea level aside, it is expected that we should see major shifts in the salt wedge in the next 25 years as the snow pack to the north is replaced by rain. Should cause a shift in the fresh and brackish mark zoned in the stream. In a similar shift expected on theHud.

I'm not sure. There's a fellow Doug burns at the USGS based done some research into that. Expecting in terms of the salt front on the Hudson is we'll see more variability in where it is with the Hudson having more intense flooding when we have larger storms. It will get pushed farther south but with the prediction of more protracted droughts, we are expecting to see a push farther to the north and the city that's most concerned about this is pa kipcy which is up 70-miles up the Hudson from New York. The city takes their drinking water from the Hudson. It could cause serious problems for their drinking water supplies.

We have one more question from online. This question comes from Jason in South Carolina. As you mentioned climate change is still viewed as an environmental not a social problem. Has a shift that you reference of perspective of the Hudson valley to collaboration include any grass roots environmental Ed organizations or approaches such as the ones employed by the clear water Hudson River sloop.

It has not been one of our major fore site. We have been targeting the business groups. The Hudson clear water sloop is doing some very exciting work in the low income and disadvantaged communities along the Hudson and that's a group of individuals that are going to also be really feeling the impact of climate change because they are the folks that can't afford the air conditioners and get out of town to cooler places when you have heet island affects. -- heat island affects. But it's an effort that could be very easily integrated into it.

It looks like we have one more question from online. This comes from Kathy in Colorado. Where are you getting the funding for your program?

We are getting the funding for our program, we got a 20,000-dollar grant from the state department of environmental conservation Hudson River estuary program. Fantastic program. Funning from a variety of private donors and we have also gotten $50,000 from a Noah grant as part of a broader shoreline hardening study. Over all the whole project we're projecting is going to cost because we are bringing in a very, very good multity stakeholder scenario planning consultant. It's going to run us over $300,000 over the course of 18 months.

We're going to address question from the phone lines. If you do have a question unmute yours and give us -- yourself and give us your name and organization.

This is wetlands unit EPA in Boston. I have a question -- time table for this whole project. Given the kind of broad spectrum of stakeholders you brought to the table. From the beginning how long has it taken for you to broad such a brad folks?

We've been working on it for six months now. Our target is to have the whole process by the end of this call listen Dar year. It's really the stages that come after this that are going to be most important and we're not trying to get everyone who represents the different interests in the valley at the meeting. We're trying to get a few folks. But then we can go out and talk to -- if I can go out with the Department of Transportation and talk to town highway departments I think I'd have more credibility than if I went out by myself.

If there are other questions from the phones regarding other sections of today's presentation, you're also welcome to ask those at this time. I just ask that the speakers could please identify themselves before they answer the questions. Is there another question from the phone line?

This is Robert wood at wetlands EPA headquarters. This is for David. You talked about the ecosystem services of wetlands being extensive, I think. You had some other adjectives there too. What I'm wondering is in your stakeholder interactions, are the ecosystem services of wetlands self-evidence to the stakeholders? Are they accepting that particularly for infrastructure planning and protection that those ecosystem services are obvious? Or if not, what do you do to sort of present that case and win them over?

I think that the individuals that are participating in the efforts are predisposed to consider a climate change as a challenge in wetland's conversation. While it may not be something that's right on the front of their minds, they're already receptive to thinking about it. I think that more broadly, most people don't really think about wetlands as a way of decreasing the effects of major storms on bridge abutments but if we can have people with credibility in those fields go out and talk to those folks it will help speed up the education and acceptance process.

Thank you. Are there any other questions from the phone lines?

This is Lindsay Adams in U.S. EPA headquarters. I had a question. I know you were having difficulty in engaging from the business sector. I was wondering how you are reaching out to them. Responser possibly ology cruisesment.

This is David. We are reaching out to them, one lunch and one cup of coffee at a time. Our strategy is increasingly to try to find another partner who's in the business community or who is with a chamber of commerce or regional development authority to reach out to them with us. It's slow going but it's moving forward and really, the partner with the director of sustainable Hudson valley has been a real champion on that front.

Are there any other questions?

If there are no further questions, this does conclude today's water shed academy webcast. On behalf of the entire EPA watershed academy team. I'd like to thank all of their help with this webcast. Thank you to all of you who joined us. Have a great day everyone.