To help the moose, wildlife group sets climate change agenda

Bull moose
In a 2011 photo, a bull moose grazed on water lilies in the canoe country north of Ely, Minn.
AP Photo/The Duluth News-Tribune, Sam Cook, file

A new report from the National Wildlife Federation includes the Minnesota moose among the big game animals most affected by climate change.

"Rising temperatures, deeper droughts and more extreme weather events fueled by manmade climate change are making survival more challenging for America's treasured big game wildlife from coast to coast," the report says. A report summary calls for four steps:

1. Address the underlying cause and cut carbon pollution 50 percent by 2030.
2. Transition to cleaner, more secure sources of energy like offshore wind, solar power and next-generation biofuels and avoid polluting energy like coal and tar sands oil.
3. Safeguard wildlife and their habitats by promoting climate-smart approaches to conservation.
4. Factor a changing climate in big game plans and management.

The Daily Circuit speaks with a Minnesota DNR official about the report.

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