A new report outlining the potential impacts of climate change on North America's fish and game species has been released by a joint cooperation of nine leading conservation organizations, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

Funded by the Bipartisan Policy Center in an effort to engage sportsmen and sportswomen in the global warming debate, Seasons' End: Global Warming's Threat to Hunting and Fishing summarizes the predicted impacts of climate change to North America's fresh- and salt-water fish, waterfowl, upland birds, and big game. The report incorporates data from numerous outdoor and conservation organizations and is based on accepted climate-change models identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Seasons' End is the result of a collaborative partnership between the American Sportfishing Association, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, BASS/ESPN, Coastal Conservation Association, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Isaac Walton League of America, Pheasants Forever, Trout Unlimited and the Wildlife Management Institute. Delta Waterfowl recently joined the partnership to aid in the outreach and dissemination of the report.

The partners also launched a Web site, http://www.seasonsend.org, designed to inform and update sportsmen and sportswomen on current and ongoing research into climate change and to provide opportunity and mechanism for registered users to exchange knowledge and opinion about global warming. Users also can access summaries about the potential impacts of climate change to numerous fish and game species and can read the technical reports and research papers that are the foundation of Seasons' End.

"Seasons' End is a strong first step towards educating sportsmen and sportswomen on the impacts of climate change to their hunting and fishing heritage," said Steve Williams, President of the Wildlife Management Institute. "Hopefully, hunters and anglers will recognize the need to become more involved with the issues that are critical to the sustainability of fish and wildlife species in future climate change legislation and policy."

While only summaries of the 111-page report are available online, copies of Seasons' End are available upon request and free of charge from the Bipartisan Policy Center at 1225 Eye Street, NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. (mcd)