THESECRETARYOFTHEINTERIORWashington

ORDERNO. 3289

SIGNATUREDATE: September14, 2009

Subject: AddressingtheImpactsofClimateChangeonAmerica’sWater, Land, andOtherNaturalandCulturalResources

PurposeandBackgroundSec. 1 . SecretarialOrderNo. 3285, issuedonMarch11, 2009, madeproductionandtransmissionofrenewableenergyonpubliclandsapriorityfortheDepartment. ThisOrderestablishesaDepartment-wideapproachforapplyingscientifictoolstoincreaseunderstandingofclimatechangeandtocoordinateaneffectiveresponsetoitsimpactsontribesandontheland, water, ocean, fishandwildlife, andculturalheritageresourcesthattheDepartmentmanages. ThisOrderreplacesSecretarialOrderNo. 3226, AmendmentNo. 1, issuedonJanuary16, 2009, andreinstatestheprovisionsofSecretarialOrderNo. 3226, issuedonJanuary19, 2001.

Tofulfillournation’svisionforacleanenergyeconomy, InteriorisnowmanagingAmerica’spubliclandsandoceansnotjustforbalancedoil, naturalgas, andcoaldevelopment, butalso – forthefirsttimeever – topromoteenvironmentally responsiblerenewableenergydevelopment. Sun, wind, biomass, andgeothermalenergyfromourpublicandtriballandsiscreatingnewjobsandwillpowermillionsofAmericanhomesandelectricvehicles.

TheDepartmentisalsotakingtheleadinprotectingourcountry’swater, land, fishandwildlife, andculturalheritageandtriballandsandresourcesfromthedramaticeffectsofclimatechangethatarealreadyoccurring – fromtheArctictotheEverglades. Therealitiesofclimatechangerequireustochangehowwemanagetheland, water, fishandwildlife, andculturalheritageandtriballandsandresourcesweoversee. Forexample:

Newwatermanagementimperativesassociatedwithclimatechangemayrequirerestorationofnaturalsystemsandconstructionofnewinfrastructuretoreducenewfloodrisksortocaptureearlyrun-off. Strategiestoaddresssealevelrisemayrequireacquisitionofuplandhabitatandcreationofwetlandsandothernaturalfiltersandbarrierstoprotectagainstsealevelriseandstormsurges. Itmaybenecessarytorelocatecertainiconicandculturallyhistoricstructures. Shiftingwildlifeandhabitatpopulationsmayrequireinvestmentsinnewwildlifecorridors. NewinvasionsofexoticspeciesandnewwildlandfirethreatsduetolongerfireseasonsandmoreseveredroughtswillrequireinnovationandmoreeffectivewaysofmanagingtheDepartment’sresources.

TheDepartmentoftheInterior, withits67,000employeesandscientificandresourcemanagementexpertise, isresponsibleforhelpingprotectthenationfromtheimpactsofclimatechange. InparticulartheDepartmentmust:

Adaptitswatermanagementstrategiestoaddressthepossibilityofshrinkingwatersuppliesandmorefrequentandextendeddroughtstocontinuetosupplydrinkingwatertomorethan31millionpeopleandirrigationwaterto140,000farmers. Wiselymanagemillionsofacresofparks, refugesandotherpubliclands, andprudentlyexerciseitssharedresponsibilityformanagingthe1.7billionacresoftheU.S. outercontinentalshelf. Conserveandmanagefishandwildliferesources, includingover800nativemigratorybirdspeciesandnearly2,000federallylistedthreatenedandendangeredspecies. Protectculturalandarchaeologicalresourcesandiconicstructuresthatmaybeaffectedbyclimatechange. AddresstheimpactsofclimatechangeonAmericanIndiansandAlaskaNatives, forwhomtheDepartmentholdstrustresponsibilitiesonbehalfoftheFederalgovernment. Continuetoprovidestate-of-theartsciencetobetterunderstandtheimpactsofclimatechangeandtodevelopscience-basedadaptivemanagementstrategiesfornaturalandculturalresourcemanagers. Continueitsworktoquantifytheamountofcarbonstoredinourforests, wetlands, andgrasslands, identifyingareaswherecarbondioxidecanbesafelystoredunderground, andwaystoreducetheDepartment’scarbonfootprint.

AuthoritySec. 2. ThisOrderisissuedundertheauthorityofSection2ofReorganizationPlanNo. 3of1950 (64Stat. 1262), asamended.

CoordinatingtheDepartment’sResponsetoClimateChangeImpactsonOurSec. 3Resources ThisOrderestablishesa [[1048,1877,1748,1934][12][,I,][TimesNewRoman]]ClimateChangeResponseCouncil [[1746,1877,1759,1934][12][,,][TimesNewRoman]] [[1759,1877,2241,1934][12][,,][TimesNewRoman]]withintheOfficeofthe Secretarythatwillexecuteacoordinated Department-widestrategytoincrease scientific understandingof anddevelopment ofeffectiveadaptivemanagement toolsto addressthe impactsofclimatechangeon ournaturalandculturalresources. TheClimateChangeResponseCouncilwillbecomposedoftheSecretary (Chair), DeputySecretary (Vice-Chair), CounselortotheSecretary (Vice-Chair), AssistantSecretaries, BureauDirectorsandtheSolicitor. The CouncilwillhelpcoordinateactivitieswithinandamongtheDepartment’sagenciesandbureaustodevelopandimplementanintegratedstrategyfor respondingtoclimatechange impacts involvingtheresourcesmanagedbytheDepartment. TheDepartment’sClimate ChangeResponseCouncilwillalsocoordinateits climatechangeactivitieswithallrelevant FederalDepartmentsandagencies including, butnotlimited to, theCouncilon Environmental Quality, theOfficeof

EnergyandClimateChange, theOfficeofScienceandTechnologyPolicy, theNationalScienceandTechnology

Council, theDepartmentofAgriculture, the DepartmentofCommerce, theDepartmentofDefense, andtheEnvironmentalProtectionAgency. TheClimateChangeResponseCouncilwill

implement

rangeplanningexercises, settingprioritiesforscientificresearchandinvestigations, developingmulti-yearmanagementplans, andmakingmajordecisionsregardingpotentialuseofresourcesundertheDepartment’spurview. TheserequirementsweresetforthinSecretarialOrderNo. 3226, andremainineffect. TheorganizationalchangesmadebythisOrderwillenablethebureausandagenciestofulfilltheseplanningrequirements.

b) DOIRegionalClimateChangeResponseCenters. Managementdecisionsmadeinresponsetoclimatechangeimpactsmustbeinformedbyscienceandrequirethatscientistsworkintandemwiththosemanagerswhoareconfrontingclimatechangeimpactsandevaluatingoptionstorespondtosuchimpacts. PursuanttoP.L. 110-161, theUnitedStatesGeologicalSurvey (USGS) hasbeendevelopingregionalsciencecenterstoprovideclimatechangeimpactdataandanalysisgearedtotheneedsoffishandwildlifemanagersastheydevelopadaptationstrategiesinresponsetoclimatechange. Thesecentersarecurrentlyknownas “regionalhubs” oftheNationalClimateChangeandWildlifeScienceCenter, andarebeingdevelopedinclosecollaborationwithInterioragenciesandotherfederal, state, university, andnon-governmentalpartners.

TheClimateChangeResponseCouncilwillworkwithUSGSandotherDepartmentbureaustorenametheseregionalsciencecentersasRegionalClimateChangeResponseCentersandbroadentheirmandatetoencompassotherclimate-change-relatedimpactsonDepartmentalresources. TheseeightResponseCenterswillsynthesizeandintegrateclimatechangeimpactdataanddeveloptoolsthattheDepartment’smanagersandpartnerscanusewhenmanagingtheDepartment’sland, water, fishandwildlife, andculturalheritageresources.

c) LandscapeConservationCooperatives. Giventhebroadimpactsofclimatechange, managementresponsestosuchimpactsmustbecoordinatedonalandscape-levelbasis. Forexample, wildlifemigrationandrelatedneedsfornewwildlifecorridors, thespreadofinvasivespeciesandwildfirerisks, typicallywillextendbeyondthebordersofNationalWildlifeRefuges, BLMlands, orNationalParks. Additionally, somebureauresponsibilities (e.g., FishandWildlifeServicemigratorybirdandthreatenedandendangeredspeciesresponsibilities) extendnationallyandglobally. Becauseoftheunprecedentedscopeofaffectedlandscapes, Interiorbureausandagenciesmustworktogether, andwithotherfederal, state, tribalandlocalgovernments, andprivatelandownerpartners, todeveloplandscape-levelstrategiesforunderstandingandrespondingtoclimatechangeimpacts. Interiorbureausandagencies, guidedbytheClimateResponseCouncil, willworktostimulatethedevelopmentofanetworkofcollaborative “LandscapeConservationCooperatives.” Thesecooperatives, whichalreadyhavebeenformedinsomeregions, willworkinteractivelywiththerelevantDOIRegionalClimateChangeResponseCenter(s) andhelpcoordinateadaptationeffortsintheregion.

AdditionalDepartmentalActiontoMitigateClimateChangeSec. 4 . InaccordancewithSecretarialOrderNo. 3285, theDepartmenthasprioritizeddevelopmentofrenewableenergyonpubliclandsandoffshorewaterstoreduceourdependenceonforeignoilandtoreducegreenhousegaspollution. ThisOrderestablishestwoadditionalprojectstomitigateclimatechange: theDOICarbonStorageProject, andtheDOICarbonFootprintProject. AdditionalmitigationprojectswillbeencouragedandsupportedbytheClimateChangeResponseCouncil.

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a) TheDOICarbonStorageProject. ThisprojectisbeingimplementedunderP.L. 110- 140, “TheEnergyIndependenceandSecurityActof2007,” whichgivestheDepartmentstatutoryresponsibilitytodevelopcarbonsequestrationmethodologiesforgeological (i.e., underground) andbiological (e.g., forestsandrangelands) carbonstorage. TheUSGShastheleadinadministeringtheCarbonStorageProject, butwillworkcloselywithotherbureausandagenciesintheDepartmentandexternalpartnerstoenhancecarbonstorageingeologicformationsandinplantsandsoilsinamannerconsistentwiththeDepartment’sresponsibilitytoprovidecomprehensive, long-termstewardshipofitsresources. TheDOICarbonStorageProjectisvitalforsuccessfuldomesticandglobalgeologicalandbiologicalcarbonsequestrationefforts.

b) TheDOICarbonFootprintProject. Theprojectwilldevelopaunifiedgreenhousegasemissionreductionprogram, includingsettingabaselineandreductiongoalfortheDepartment’sgreenhousegasemissionsandenergyuse. TheAssistantSecretaryforPolicy, ManagementandBudgetwillhavetheleadinadministeringtheDOICarbonFootprintProject, withthecooperationofalloftheDepartment’sagenciesandbureaus.

AmericanIndiansandAlaskaNativesSec. 5. Climatechangemaydisproportionatelyaffecttribesandtheirlandsbecausetheyareheavilydependentontheirnaturalresourcesforeconomicandculturalidentity. AstheDepartmenthastheprimarytrustresponsibilityfortheFederalgovernmentforAmericanIndians, AlaskaNatives, andtriballandsandresources, theDepartmentwillensureconsistentandin-depthgovernment-to-governmentconsultationwithtribesandAlaskaNativesontheDepartment’sclimatechangeinitiatives. Tribalvaluesarecriticaltodeterminingwhatistobeprotected, why, andhowtoprotecttheinterestsoftheircommunities. TheDepartmentwillsupporttheuseofthebestavailablescience, includingtraditionalecologicalknowledge, informulatingpolicypertainingtoclimatechange. TheDepartmentwillalsosupportsubstantiveparticipationbytribesindeliberationsonclimate- relatedmechanisms, agreements, rules, andregulations.

ImplementationSec. 6. TheDeputySecretaryisresponsibleforensuringimplementationofallaspectsofthisOrder. Thisresponsibilitymaybedelegatedasappropriate. ThisOrderdoesnotalteroraffectanyexistingdutyorauthorityofindividualbureaus.

EffectiveDateSec. 7 . ThisOrderiseffectiveimmediatelyandwillremainineffectuntilitsprovisionsareconvertedtotheDepartmentalManualoruntilitisamended, superseded, orrevoked, whicheveroccursfirst.

s/ KennethL. SalazarSecretaryoftheInterior

SO#32899/14/09

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