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Climate Adaptation: Getting “Buy-In”
Northwest Tribal Water Rights ConferenceAnchorage, AlaskaOctober 10, 2014
Climate Solutions University
MODEL FOREST POLICY PROGRAM & CUMBERLAND RIVER COMPACT
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I worked for Alaska Legal Services out of the Dillingham office in 1976-77
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Climate Adaption Planning
Four Steps:• Put together team• Conduct resource and impact
assessment (risks and opportunities)• Prepare and adopt action plan• Implement
Fifth Step:• Monitor results and revise plan as
needed (Adaptive Management)Source: Snover, A.K., L. Whitely Binder, J. Lopez, E. Willmott, J. Kay, D. Howell, and J. Simmonds. 2007. Preparing for Climate Change: A Guidebook for Local, Regional, and State Governments
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Climate Solutions University“Buy-in” is most critical…
Four Steps:• Put together team• Conduct resource and impact
assessment (risks and opportunities)• Prepare and adopt action plan• Implement
Fifth Step:• Monitor results and revise plan as
needed (Adaptive Management)
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Aspects of “buy-in” criteria .
Team = Engagement and Participation (including FTE)
Adopt Action Plan = Policy Commitment (plus $ and FTE)
Revise Plan = Policy Commitment (and more $ and FTE)
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Context of “buy-in” .
Organizational environment: Know who has authority to make policy decisions and commit resources ($ and FTE)
Credibility: Do the plan leaders have the expertise to oversee preparation of a credible assessment
Strength in numbers: The more interests you get on board (team), the more likely key decision makers will “buy in”
Agendas exist: “What’s in it for me?” is always uppermost in policy decision makers mind
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Relationships are Crucial .
Planning by team is a collaborative process: relationships are key to success
It takes time to build the necessary trust
But: The policy decisions are usually made beyond the team; the team members must be committed to “sell” the plan to the decision makers in their own organizations
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Example .
Assessment results: Climate change will result in a critical need to leave water in stream to conserve fisheries (no consumptive withdrawals)
Buy-in questions:Does the planning team include employees of the land owners/government entities with jurisdiction over water quantity?Did the team agree with the assessment’s conclusions AND commit to work for plan adoption AND implementation? (i.e., both $ and FTEs—a long term commitment)
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Resources .
A Community Based Approach to Improving Resilience of Forests and Water Resources: A Local and Regional Climate Adaptation Methodology, Thaler, Griffith, and Gilliam 2014http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_p071/rmrs_p071_361_378.pdf
A Framework to Diagnose Barriers to ClimateChange Adaptation, Moser and Ekstrom 2010
https://static.weadapt.org/knowledge-base/files/952/5241a63f0f66cpnas-2010-moser-1007887107.pdf