The Gulf of Mexico Alliance announced they have recently received a 2021 Climate Adaptation Leadership Award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. This national award recognizes exceptional leadership in advancing adaptation of natural resources in a changing world. The Alliance received the honorable mention award in the Broad Partnerships category.
“Climate change poses growing risks to our Nation’s valuable fish and wildlife resources and the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them,” said Sara Parker Pauley, president of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “This year’s awardees have done outstanding work to help safeguard species, habitats, and communities in a changing world, and we are thrilled to recognize their efforts.”
This award specifically recognizes a project by the Alliance, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Texas AgriLife Extension to support adaptive and resilient coastal management in two Gulf Coast communities. Using a forward-thinking approach that includes the natural and built environments, the project team has combined habitat and wildlife conservation data from the Southeast Conservation Blueprint with the Community Health and Resource Management planning platform. This enhanced tool provides greater capacity for the communities to plan for climate-related impacts and explore nature-based solutions.
“We are honored to receive this recognition and excited about the innovative approach this work brings to addressing current and future climate impacts along the Gulf Coast,” said Christina Mohrman, program manager for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance. “This project creates opportunities for important conversations about coastal hazards and brings together multiple partners to move forward in ways we cannot do alone.”
More information about the 2021 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources, including the recipients and honorable mentions, is available here.