New England and Northern New York

Stretching from the coast of the Atlantic Ocean to the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains, this region covers more than 50 million acres. Regional forests and natural ecosystems provide numerous cultural, economic, and environmental benefits, and are facing increasing threats from a changing climate. Warmer and more variable conditions are already impacting the region’s forests, increasing damage from extreme precipitation events and insect pests. Future changes could dramatically alter the landscape that characterizes the region. 

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Vulnerability Assessment

The report New England and Northern New York Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment and Synthesis: A Report from the New England Climate Change Response Framework Project details how climate change is affecting the region's 40 million acres of forest, which provide numerous cultural, economic, and environmental benefits. The report, which has more than 30 authors, provides a foundation of information that land managers can use to make ecosystems more resilient and adaptable to future conditions.

Download the Forest Vulnerability Assessment

View the Story Map

Summary and Highlights (4pg pdf)

Climate Change and Northeast Forests (video)

Featured Resources

Climate Change Projections for Tree Species

The region's forests will be affected by a changing climate during this century, but individual tree species will respond uniquely to climate change, depending on their particular silvics and ecological tolerances. These handouts summarize general climate change projections for tree species across the region based on future projections. The general trends derived from these models can be combined with local knowledge and management experience to judge risk on a particular site.

View New England Tree Species Projections

Forest Climate and Action Scorecard

This booklet is designed to help private landowners consider climate change in the context of their woods, and also to help landowners effectively talk with consulting foresters about their goals, potential risks, and actions they would like to take. This booklet contains four separate "Scorecards" to help landowners think about forests at a property-level, focused on topics such as forest diversity, structure, regeneration, and other factors. Each Scorecard is accompanied by a list of Climate-informed Actions that might help landowners address the greatest risks.

View the Climate and Action Scorecard

Work with us

The vulnerability assessment provides critical information about how climate change is expected to affect this region and serves as a starting point for other Framework activities.