Fighting Climate Change

Carbon pollution from coal-burning power plants, refineries, and vehicles is causing a warming climate that poses the single most urgent threat to the future of America’s rich community of fish and game.

Hunters and anglers, who return to the same grounds yearly, have been some of the first to see on the ground impacts of climate change and understand the need to act now. How we address the challenges of global climate change now will dictate the sporting opportunities for future generations of wildlife conservationists.

Climate Impacts on Wildlife and Habitats

Many of America’s iconic game species face the risks of climate change, such as the northern bobwhite, brook trout, pintail, moose, sage grouse, lesser scaup, and many more. The dangers include:

• Increased incidence of extreme weather events including drought, flooding, warming winters and catastrophic fires that drastically alter and destroy habitat.
• Sea level rise of up to two feet, threatening people in heavily-populated coastal communities and wildlife-rich coastal habitats, such as the Chesapeake Bay, Coastal Florida and the Pacific Northwest.
• Major declines and extinctions in coldwater fish such as trout and salmon as water temperatures rise 
• Substantial declines in estuaries and wetlands
• Changes in habitat, food sources and migration patterns for America’s waterfowl, particularly in the prairie pothole region.

Learn more about climate change impacts in your state>>

Featured reports:
 

GAME CHANGERS: Air Pollution, a Warming Climate, and the Troubled Future for America’s Hunting and Fishing Heritage

ON THIN ICE: Warming Winters Put America's Hunting and Fishing Heritage at Risk
 
 

How NWF is Fighting Climate Impacts:

NWF works with America’s sportsmen and women to identify and advocate for the tools and resources wildlife management agencies, outdoor enthusiasts, policy makers and others need to monitor fish and wildlife resources and mitigate the effects of climate change.

Safeguarding Wildlife

Climate change is altering key habitats that are critical to wildlife survival and putting natural resources in jeopardy. As America's first conservationists, NWF and sportsmen have been at the forefront of the climate debate to take significant action to protect wildlife.

• Help us work towards reducing toxic mercury pollution
• Learn more about securing critical funding for wildlife management
• View the Teaming with Wildlife coalition website
• Learn about climate-smart conservation efforts near you

Learn more about NWF's work to safeguard wildlife from climate change>>