Virginia Special Places at Risk From Climate Change - Report on Changes to Jamestown, Chincoteague and Shenandoah Will Detail Potential Impact on Jobs and Economy

Virginia's Special Places Face Rising Waters, More Severe Weather, Higher Temperatures

RICHMOND, Va. and WASHINGTON, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- From the sea-level site of historic Jamestown – which Time magazine describes as "where it all began" for the English settlement of North America – to the heights of the iconic Shenandoah National Park, Virginia's economy faces a major impact if climate change is left unchecked in the coming years, according to a major new report from Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).  

The RMCO/NRDC report will be released at 1:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday, (September 1, 2010), during a live, two-way phone-based news conference.  In addition to Jamestown, which is a part of Colonial National Historical Park (NHP), and Shenandoah National Park, the report also examines the potential impact of climate change on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).  Together, the sites support thousands of Virginia jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism dollars and other economic activity in the state.

News event speakers will include:

• Bill Wade, former chair of the executive council, Coalition of National Park Service Retirees, and former superintendent of Shenandoah National Park;
• Tom Cormons, Virginia director,  Appalachian Voices;  
• Stephen Saunders, president, Rocky Mountain Climate Organization;  
• Theo Spencer, senior advocate, Climate Center, Natural Resources Defense Council; and
• Duck hunting guide and decoy carver Grayson Chesser, a member of the Accomack County Board of Supervisors whose family has been on the Eastern Shore since 1620.

The RMCO/NRDC report examines the possible impact of projected elevated average temperatures in Virginia, stronger coastal storms, loss of wildlife, higher seas, and other factors.  

TO PARTICIPATE:  Join this live, phone-based news conference (with full, two-way Q&A) at 1:30 p.m. EDT on September 1, 2010 by dialing 1 (800) 860-2442. Ask for the "Virginia economy and climate change" news event.

CAN'T PARTICIPATE?:  A streaming audio replay of the news event will be available on the Web at www.nrdc.org as of 5 p.m. EDT on September 1, 2010.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (http://www.nrdc.org) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting public health and the environment, with more than 1.2 million members and online activists.

The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (http://www.rockymountainclimate.org) is a Colorado-based coalition that works to reduce climate disruption and its effects.

SOURCE The Natural Resources Defense Council; The Rocky Mountain Climate Organization