01732254

Component

http://www.trb.org/Publications/Blurbs/179567.aspx

Climate change poses many serious threats to the nearly 193 million acres of public lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Most of the existing National Forest transportation system was built over 60 years ago to accommodate timber harvest and log removal. The roads, bridges, and other critical transportation infrastructure needed to access and travel within Forest Service lands were first constructed using the design standards of the 1960s and 1970s. In 2011, the Forest Service developed the National Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change and a Climate Change Performance Scorecard. The National Roadmap calls for “Protecting infrastructure by modifying or relocating roads, culverts, trails, campgrounds, and other facilities to resist floods and other major disturbances” by using a science-based approach to assessing vulnerability and determining adaptation actions, but it gives each area of the country a chance to develop its own methodology in response to its unique challenges. The Forest Service is currently responsible for over 370,000 miles of road and 6,200 road bridges. While a comprehensive analysis of the vulnerabilities to the transportation infrastructure would be ideal, the Forest Service has chosen to continue its ongoing activities using the most current science to facilitate adaptation and mitigation strategies. The Forest Service, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, has developed the U.S. Forest Service Transportation Resiliency Guidebook. It is based on studies that provide a framework to help field staff assess the most vulnerable transportation assets, which can be incorporated into comprehensive climate change vulnerability assessments at a broad land management scale. All Forest Service units have been tasked with addressing the impacts of climate change. Methodologies for how each unit assesses, adapts, and/or mitigates the impacts have been carried out in similar ways and adapted to local circumstances. This report presents case studies for three different approaches to climate change adaptation.

01730920

English

pp 64-69

2019-9

Transportation Research Circular

12th International Conference on Low-Volume Roads

Digital/other

Figures; References

Bridges; Case studies; Climate change; Climate change adaptation; Forest roads; Infrastructure; Risk assessment; Risk management

National Forest System; U.S. Forest Service

Bridges and other structures; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Pavements

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 25 2020 11:35AM