14. An Interagency Forum on Climate Activities and Needs
Afternoon Session – Ends at 4:30PM (Washington/York Room, 2nd Floor)
* 2.5 credits are available for this session through APA AICP
* Two presentations in this session have been approved for training contact hours (TCH) through the State of Maine Board of Licensure of Water System Operators. Please see below for details.
Co-Chairs:
Nathan Robbins, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Climate Program, Augusta, ME
Bob Marvinney, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Geological Survey, Augusta, ME
The Maine Interagency Climate Adaptation Work Group (MICA) is a State agency interdisciplinary network that facilitates a shared understanding of climate-related issues and resources. Members released the report, Maine Prepares for Climate Change: 2019 Update, and contributed resources to the Maine Climate Clearinghouse and Adaptation Toolkit. Presentations will provide an overview of MICA, highlight action areas underway, and provide a deeper understanding into a few specific activities from agency presenters. Among the topics considered in detail will be habitat implications of climate change, impacts to drinking water supplies, changing peak flows and practical tools for transportation infrastructure, climate change in the State Hazard Mitigation Plan, and other topics.
Session Schedule
- 1:30PM – 1:55PM:
A. Interagency Climate Coordination, Nathan Robbins
B. Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxins, and Climate: Potential Impacts to Drinking Water in Maine, Sophia Scott (0.5 TCH) - 2:00PM – 2:25PM: Wildlife Conservation Actions for a Changing Climate, Amanda Shearin and Tim Spahr
- 3:00PM – 3:25PM: GIS Tool for Simple Resilience Assessment of Highway Corridor Culverts, Charlie Hebson
- 3:30PM – 3:55PM: Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation, Anne Fuchs
- 3:55PM – 4:25PM: Panel Discussion, Nathan Robbins, Sophia Scott, Amanda Shearin, Tim Spahr, Charlie Hebson, Ryan Gordon (0.5 TCH)
Session Presentations
* Presenters are indicated in bold font.
A: Interagency Climate Coordination
Nathan Robbins, Maine DEP Climate Program, Augusta, ME
Representatives from nine departments, agencies, and offices make-up the Maine Interagency Climate Adaptation Work Group (MICA). Over the past few years the group has focused on raising awareness of existing resources, activities, and of where technical expertise can be accessed. Several strategies and actions have been identified that the group and its participating agencies anticipate pursuing in the months and years ahead.
B: Cyanobacteria, Cyanotoxins, and Climate: Potential Impacts to Drinking Water in Maine
Approved for 0.5 TCH
Sophia Scott, Maine CDC Drinking Water Program, Augusta, ME
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can produce toxins that negatively impact human health and pose a threat to public water systems. This emerging contaminant rapidly reproduces in nutrient-rich, warm surface waters, forming blooms that are commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms. Across the country, drinking water systems have been impacted by large-scale cyanobacteria events – affecting millions of Americans. Scientists predict that changing climatic conditions, such as warming water temperatures and increased heavy precipitation events, will increase the frequency of cyanobacteria blooms.
To better understand the risk posed to Maine’s drinking water systems supplied by surface water, the Maine CDC Drinking Water Program embarked on a study of cyanobacteria in 2017. The study concluded that Maine’s drinking water systems remain relatively unimpacted by cyanobacteria. However, it is important that Maine’s public water systems remain vigilant and maintain diligent drinking water protection measures to ensure the continued provision of clean, safe drinking water for all Mainers.
Wildlife Conservation Actions for a Changing Climate
Amanda Shearin1, Tim Spahr2
1 Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Bureau of Resource Management, Augusta, ME
2 Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Maine Warden Service, Augusta, ME
The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and our conservation partners assess the health of Maine’s fish and wildlife populations every ten years. These findings are published in Maine’s Wildlife Action Plan. The 2015-2025 Wildlife Action Plan identifies 378 species in greatest need of conservation. Of these, over 25% are significantly affected by changing climates. If agencies and partners take action now to conserve these species and their habitats, we can halt further declines.
The Maine Warden Service is the bureau of the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife responsible for natural resource law enforcement, wilderness search and rescue and mitigating human/wildlife interaction. Out of the 8,725 public complaints handled by Warden Service in 2018, 3,686 or 42 percent were nuisance wildlife to include dead wildlife and rabies specimens. Data collected in 2016 showed a three-year average (2014-2016) of 2,112 nuisance wildlife calls. This information suggests longer summers and warmer winters are resulting of extended periods of wildlife activity and shifts in wildlife migration. Game wardens are now spending more time responding to nuisance wildlife and less time enforcing natural resource laws.
2:30PM – 3:00PM
Afternoon Break – Auditorium
GIS Tool for Simple Resilience Assessment of Highway Corridor Culverts
Charles Hebson, Maine Dept. of Transportation, Environmental Office, Augusta, ME
Road culverts are typically designed for a specified peak flow annual exceedance probability Pex (or return period T). Developments in hydrology and hydraulics software over the past few years have greatly simplified the culvert sizing process, yet sizing still takes place on a project-by-project, location-specific basis. Thus, standard analysis methods are unsuitable for system-wide resilience assessment. MaineDOT has combined hydrology (StreamStats) and hydraulics (HY-8) tools with a comprehensive statewide culvert / bridge database so that simple H&H results are available for practically every stream crossing in the MaineDOT system. The results indicate culvert capacity according to current design standards as well as required size to comply with those standards. These results are immediately useful for routine project planning and as input to preliminary design and can form the basis for future system-wide resilience assessment. The basic methodology is applicable to any culvert / bridge database and a related tool is currently being piloted with several municipalities around the state by the Environmental Finance Center at University of Southern Maine / Muskie School.
Climate Change and Hazard Mitigation
Anne Fuchs, Maine Emergency Management Agency, Hazard Mitigation, Augusta, ME
For decades’ flood and storm damage have had devastating impacts on communities across the State of Maine. As rising sea levels and storm frequency become increasingly impactful to Maine communities, Maine Emergency Management Agency has taken a proactive role in working with the scientific community and local emergency management officials to accurately identify and address these changes across coastal and riverine communities. The State Hazard Mitigation Plan is a tool that identifies statewide hazards and acknowledges the State’s commitment to strategically mitigate risk. This session will discuss our State’s Plan as it pertains to climate change, and risk-reduction grant opportunities available to non-profit organizations, state government, local government, and tribal communities.
Approved for 0.5 TCH
Panel Discussion
With participating agencies of the Maine Interagency Climate Adaptation Work Group (MICA)
Moderator
Bob Marvinney, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Maine Geological Survey, Augusta, ME
- Nathan Robbins, Maine DEP Climate Program
- Sophia Scott, Maine CDC Drinking Water Program
- Amanda Shearin, Maine IFW Bureau of Resource Management
- Tim Spahr, Maine IFW Maine Warden Service
- Charles Hebson, MaineDOT Environmental Office
- Anne Fuchs, MEMA Hazard Mitigation
- Ryan Gordon, Maine Geological Survey