Via NOAA – Using climate change projections, conservationists can assess which of the wildest lands remaining in the contiguous United States are most vulnerable to the impacts of future climate change – “Undeveloped natural areas—also known as wildlands—aren’t just empty land: these areas are essential for the health and sustainability of the environment and the ecosystems it supports. Benefits from wildlands include habitat for diverse plant and animal species, water and air purification, and outdoor recreation for people. Conserving wildlands and their assets has been an important conservation goal for decades. Historically, conservationists have focused on protecting plants and animals within reserves such as national parks and wilderness areas. They also work to restore degraded lands that might be missing key features or species. For example, conservationists have worked to re-establish open, park-like forests of ponderosa pine, and reintroduced wolves to Yellowstone National Park. However, climate change and some other problems—invasive species, for instance—cross reserve boundaries and create moving targets for restoration, leading many ecological scientists to rethink traditional conservation strategies…’