Approach
Managers will be challenged to take a long-term view of how future infrastructure and opportunities will be impacted by climate change. Effective planning will require that adaptation measures be considered in advance of implementation, especially regarding elements that are vulnerable to changing conditions such as coastal or riparian infrastructure, winter-use opportunities, and water-based opportunities. Although water-based recreation is projected to increase in certain areas, this may present an incompatibility if reservoir levels are too low for existing boat ramps to accommodate. Examples can include placing new winter-use trails on north-facing or east-facing slopes and away from wet or consistently saturated areas, locating new facilities and campgrounds away from flood zones, and building water-based access facilities outside of narrow riparian corridors.
Tactics
- Do not locate new trails or facilities at margins of lakes or reservoirs with fluctuating or uncertain water levels.
- Locate visitor centers or similar facilities inland, away from streams, rivers, coastlines, and areas of fluctuating water levels.
- Place new winter-use trails on north-facing or east-facing slopes and away from wet or consistently saturated areas that would be prone to resource damage from over-utilization.
- Locate new winter-use infrastructure at higher elevation.
- Locate new facilities and campgrounds away from streams, rivers, coastlines, and areas of fluctuating water levels. Do not locate new facilities or campgrounds within flood zones.
- Develop new energy-efficient buildings or facilities that meet LEED-certified standards.
- Design new trails and bridges to accommodate expected peak flows.
- Bury utility lines, as opposed to overhead lines, when constructing facilities with any vulnerability to strong wind events.
- Build water-based access facilities outside of narrow riparian corridors, favoring upland lakes where crowding could be more readily dispersed.
- Transfer water among reservoirs to offset predicted deficits in high-priority public access locations.
Strategy
Strategy Text
Changes in climate may prompt recreation professionals to revisit what are considered best management practices for the industry. Seasonality will change across diverse geographic locations. Winter recreation will be affected by shorter winters with less snow in northern areas. With this will come both risks to the industry and occasions to transition to new opportunities. This strategy includes both conventional and non-conventional actions to transition recreational infrastructure and opportunities into forms that would not be likely to suffer total loss over their lifespans, even given the uncertainties inherent in a changing climate.
O’Toole, D.; Brandt, L.A.; Janowiak, M.K.; Schmitt, K.M.; Shannon, P.D.; Leopold, P.R.; Handler, S.D.; Ontl, T.A.; Swanston, C.W. Climate Change Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for Outdoor Recreation. Sustainability 2019, 11, 7030.