B.17. NEW YORK NONINDIGENOUS AQUATIC SPECIES COMPREHENSIVE 
MANAGEMENT PLAN 
B.17.1. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF NEW YORK’S PLAN 
New York’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species (NAS) Comprehensive Management Plan 
was written by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in 1993 
(available at http://www.anstaskforce.gov/State%20Plans/NY%20Mgt%20Plan%201993.pdf) . 
The goals of the Management Plan are to prevent NAS from being introduced, to limit the spread 
and impacts of NAS already present, and to educate the public on preventing introductions and 
reducing impacts. New York’s Management Plan outlines the problems related to accomplishing 
the goals and related actions to overcome these problems. The Plan also includes 
recommendations for implementation and an implementation schedule. 
B.17.2. CLIMATE CHANGE AND AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES IN NEW YORK 
Projected increases in annual surface temperatures in the Northeastern region of the 
United States are projected to average 10°F (5.3°C) by 2070. Nearly all model simulations of 
future precipitation show consistent increases in winter precipitation and no change to a decrease 
in summer rainfall. By 2100, precipitation is projected to increase an average of 11 to 14% in 
the winter. Regional sea surface temperatures are projected to increase in accordance with 
regional air temperatures; these increasing temperatures have the potential to expand the range of 
warm-water species northward and permit invasive species to spread into these waters, which 
had previously been previously too cold to allow for invasive species’ survival (Hayhoe et al., 
2007). 
Evaporation is likely to increase with warmer temperatures, resulting in lower river flow 
and lower lake water levels in the summer and fall. In general, New York is expected to 
experience higher stream flow in the winter and spring and lower stream flow in the summer and 
fall (Hayhoe et al., 2007). This may give a competitive advantage to the round goby, a 
problematic aquatic invasive species in New York that can survive in degraded water conditions 
(USACE, 2007). 
B.17.3. THE NEW YORK PLAN’S CURRENT INTEGRATION OF CLIMATE 
CHANGE 
Table B-16 summarizes how the NAS Comprehensive Management Plan addresses and 
incorporates the projected effects of climate change. Although the Management Plan does not 
incorporate climate change, it has strong provisions for monitoring new introductions of NAS. 
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