Preparing for Climate Change in Oregon
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This page provides an overview of the steps Oregon is taking to prepare for the impacts of climate change.
In 2006, Governor Ted Kulongoski established the Governor’s Climate Change Integration Group (CCIG), with representation from industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, and representatives from federal, state, and local government. In 2008, CCIG produced a report, Oregon’s Framework for Addressing Rapid Climate Change. The report articulated high-level principles and recommendations for adaptation planning in the state. In October 2009, Governor Kulongoski asked state agencies and partners in Oregon’s university system to develop an initial framework to determine the most important climate-related risks to the state and make recommendations for how the state could prepare for those risks. In response, the state published the Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework in December 2010 (“2010 Framework”).
The 2010 Framework identifies 11 key risks that are likely to be associated with climate change. For each risk, the plan provides: (1) risk assessment results; (2) consequences of the risk to key sectors and communities (e.g., ecosystems, built environment, public health, economy, forestry, and agriculture); (3) current state agency efforts to address the risk; (4) gaps in agency capacity; (5) needed actions; and (6) priority implementation actions including coordination, research, and resource needs.
In 2007, Governor Kulongoski signed Oregon House Bill (HB) 3543, “Global Warming Actions,” which called for many actions related to mitigating the causes of climate change, including establishing greenhouse gas reduction goals for the state and a Global Warming Commission. In addition, HB 3543 created the Oregon Climate Research Institute at Oregon University to facilitate research on climate change and its effects on natural and human systems in Oregon and to provide state and local governments with informational and technical support to develop climate change policies and programs. HB 3543 also required the Institute to assess, at least once every two years, the state of climate change science and the likely effects of climate change to the state. In 2010, the institute released the first Oregon Climate Assessment Report (OCAR). Subsequent versions of OCAR have been released in accordance with HB 3543, with the most recent, the Third OCAR, in 2017.
The 2010 Framework and the 2010 OCAR were developed in parallel with and are intended to complement one another. Specifically, OCAR identifies the most likely impacts from climate change, which will help the state prioritize resources to prepare for and adapt to a changing and variable climate. Conversely, the 2010 Framework includes short and long-term goals for state agency action while acknowledging that it will be necessary to continue to develop adaptation strategies and plans, particularly at the regional and local levels.
On January 19, 2021, the state released a new version of the Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework ("2021 Framework") to provide an updated guide to ensuring Oregon’s people, ecosystems, and economy are able to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate. The 2021 Framework is divided into five sections: Why We Must Adapt; Implementing Comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation; Climate Change Effects and Strategic Responses by Theme; Next Steps; and the Oregon Climate Equity Blueprint. Part Three specifically details numerous actionable adaptation strategies and approaches organized into six themes: Economy; Natural World; Built Environment and Infrastructure; Public Health; Cultural Heritage; and Social Relationships and Systems. The 2021 Framework was developed by a Working Group, composed of 24 state agencies, and coordinated by the Department of Land Conservation and Development.
These pages highlight the progress Oregon is making in implementing the goals set forth in the 2010 Framework. Since Oregon just released the 2021 Framework, these pages will be updated in the future with the progress the state is making in implementing the adaptation actions and goals set forth in the 2021 Framework. Other resources from the Adaptation Clearinghouse, which have been developed and adopted to help Oregon prepare for the impacts of climate change, are featured in the chart below.
The Georgetown Climate Center’s State Adaptation Progress Tracker, which tracks the progress states are making in implementing adaptation plans, was supported by the MacArthur Foundation.
(Research last updated: July 21, 2021).
Oregon
Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework 2021
Finalized: January 19, 2021
The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework
Finalized: December 2010
State Law and Policy
| Resource Name | Resource Type | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon EO 15-09: Directing State Agencies to Plan for Resiliency to Drought, To Meet the Challenge that a Changing Climate Brings | Law and Governance | July 27, 2015 |
| Oregon House Bill 3543: Global Warming Actions | Law and Governance | June 2007 |
State Agency Plans
| Resource Name | Sector(s) Covered | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework 2021 | Cultural resources, Land management and conservation, Land use and built environment, Public health, Frontline Communities | January 19, 2021 |
| Oregon 2017 Integrated Water Resources Strategy | Coastal, Fish and fisheries, Land management and conservation, Water resources | December 2017 |
| Oregon Climate and Health Resilience Plan | Public health | February 2, 2017 |
| Oregon Conservation Strategy - State Wildlife Action Plan, 2016 Update | Biodiversity and ecosystems, Fish and fisheries, Land management and conservation, Wildlife | 2016 |
| Oregon 2015 Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan | Coastal, Emergency preparedness, Forestry, Land management and conservation, Land use and built environment, Water resources, Wildlife | September 24, 2015 |
| Oregon Integrated Water Resources Strategy 2012 | Biodiversity and ecosystems, Land management and conservation, Land use and built environment, Public health, Water infrastructure, Water resources | August 2, 2012 |
| Oregon Dept. of Transportation Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Report | Emergency preparedness, Transportation | April 2012 |
| The Oregon Climate Change Adaptation Framework | Agriculture and food, Biodiversity and ecosystems, Forestry, Land use and built environment, Public health, Water resources | December 2010 |
| Climate Ready Communities: A Strategy for Adapting to Impacts of Climate Change on the Oregon Coast | Biodiversity and ecosystems, Coastal, Emergency preparedness, Land use and built environment | January 2009 |
| Preparing Oregon's Fish, Wildlife, and Habitats for Future Climate Change: A Guide for State Adaptation Efforts | Biodiversity and ecosystems, Coastal, Fish and fisheries, Forestry, Land management and conservation, Wildlife | 2008 |
Local and Regional Plans
More Featured Resources
| Resource Name | Resource Category | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Climate and Health in Oregon: 2020 Report | Assessments | 2020 |
| Third Oregon Climate Assessment Report (OCAR3) | Assessments | January 2017 |
| Oregon Climate and Health Social Vulnerability Assessment | Assessments | October 2015 |
| Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Options Study for Oregon | Assessments | December 2014 |
| Risk Communication Toolkit for Flooding in Oregon | Education and Outreach | 2014 |
| Oregon Climate and Health Profile Report | Assessments | September 25, 2014 |
| First Oregon Climate Assessment Report (OCAR) | Assessments | December 2010 |
| Oregon Shores Coastal Climate Change Adaptation Project | Education and Outreach | |
| Climate Change Health Preparedness in Oregon | Education and Outreach | April 2009 |
| Oregon Global Warming Commission 2009 Report to the Legislature | Monitoring and Reporting | January 2009 |
| Oregon's Final Report to the Governor - A Framework for Addressing Rapid Climate Change | Planning | January 2008 |
