U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)

1. Purpose

The purpose of this Departmental Regulation is to implement sections of Executive Order (E.O.) 13514 related to climate change adaptation planning, consistent with the 2010-2015 USDA Strategic Plan and guidance from the Council on Environmental Quality and the Federal Interagency Climate Change Adaptation Task Force.

While the scope, severity, and pace of future climate change impacts are difficult to predict, it is clear that potential changes could have important impacts on USDA’s ability to fulfill its core mission. Through adaptation planning, USDA will identify how climate change is likely to affect its ability to achieve its mission, operations, and policy and program objectives. Climate change adaptation is a critical complement to mitigation; both are required to address the causes and consequences of climate change. Through adaptation planning, USDA will develop, prioritize, implement, and evaluate actions to minimize climate risks and exploit new opportunities that climate change may bring. By integrating climate change adaptation strategies into USDA’s programs and operations, USDA better ensures that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that USDA services and operations remain effective in current and future climate conditions. Through climate adaptation planning, USDA is taking a leadership role in ensuring the vision of a resilient, healthy, and prosperous Nation in the face of a changing climate.

USDA will continue to coordinate with other Departments and Federal government efforts on climate change adaptation issues that cut across agency jurisdictions, including areas where national adaptation plans are being or have been developed, and will identify a process for sharing climate change adaptation planning information throughout the Department and with the public.