Congress charged each state and territory with developing a wildlife action plan, in order to receive funds through the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program and the State Wildlife Grants Program. These proactive plans, known technically as “comprehensive wildlife conservation strategies,” assess the health of each state’s wildlife and habitats, identify the problems they face, and outline the actions that are needed to conserve them over the long term.

New York is one of eight states that not only acknowledged climate change as a primary challenge to conserving the state's wildlife populations, but also incorporated planning guidance, research, and monitoring into their plan. Recommendations are made to research effects of climate change and atmospheric deposition on the species of greatest conservation need, and to develop a statewide assessment of the effects of climate change on New York’s natural resources.