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Climate change is currently increasing the vulnerability of many forests to wildfire. Climate change is
<br /> projected to increase the frequency of wildfires in certain regions of the United States. Long periods of
<br /> record high temperatures are associated with droughts that contribute to dry conditions and drive
<br /> wildfires in some areas. Wildfire smoke contains particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides,
<br /> and various VOCs(which are ozone precursors) and can significantly reduce air quality, both locally and in
<br /> areas downwind of fires. Smoke exposure increases respiratory and cardiovascular hospitalizations;
<br /> emergency department visits; medication dispensations for asthma, bronchitis, chest pain, chronic
<br /> obstructive pulmonary disease (commonly known by its acronym, COPD), and respiratory infections; and
<br /> medical visits for lung illnesses.
<br /> Drought conditions may increase environmental exposure to dust storms, extreme heat events, flash
<br /> flooding, degraded water quality, and reduced water quantity. Dust storms associated with drought
<br /> conditions contribute to degraded air quality. Extreme heat events have long threatened public health in
<br /> the United States. Heat waves are also associated with increased hospital admissions for cardiovascular,
<br /> kidney, and respiratory disorders. Extreme summer heat is increasing in the United States, and climate
<br /> projections indicate that extreme heat events will be more frequent and intense in coming decades.
<br /> Milder winters resulting from a warming climate can reduce illness, injuries, and deaths associated with
<br /> cold and snow. Vulnerability to winter weather depends on many non-climate factors, including housing,
<br /> age, and baseline health. Although deaths and injuries related to extreme cold events are projected to
<br /> decline due to climate change,these reductions are not expected to compensate for the increase in heat-
<br /> related deaths.
<br /> The frequency of heavy precipitation events has already increased for the nation as a whole and is
<br /> projected to increase in all U.S. regions. Increases in both extreme precipitation and total precipitation
<br /> have contributed to increases in severe flooding events in certain regions. In addition to the immediate
<br /> health hazards associated with extreme precipitation events when flooding occurs, other hazards can
<br /> often appear once a storm event has passed. Elevated waterborne disease outbreaks have been reported
<br /> in the weeks following heavy rainfall, although other variables may also affect these associations. Water
<br /> intrusion into buildings can result in mold contamination that manifests later, leading to indoor air quality
<br /> problems. Buildings damaged during hurricanes are especially susceptible to water intrusion. Populations
<br /> living in damp indoor environments experience increased prevalence of asthma and other upper
<br /> respiratory tract symptoms, such as coughing and wheezing, as well as lower respiratory tract infections
<br /> such as pneumonia, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and RSV pneumonia.
<br /> Climate is one of the factors that influence the distribution of diseases borne by vectors such as fleas,
<br /> ticks, and mosquitoes, which spread pathogens that cause illness. The geographic and seasonal
<br /> distribution of vector populations, and the diseases they can carry, depend not only on climate but also
<br /> on land use,socioeconomic and cultural factors, pest control,access to health care, and human responses
<br /> to disease risk, among other factors. Daily, seasonal, or year-to-year climate variability can sometimes
<br /> result in vector/pathogen adaptation and shifts or expansions in their geographic ranges. North Americans
<br /> are currently at risk from numerous vector-borne diseases, including Lyme, dengue fever,West Nile virus,
<br /> Rocky Mountain spotted fever, plague, and tularemia.Vector-borne pathogens not currently found in the
<br /> Dunn Ranch Area LBA and Mining Plan Modification 50
<br /> Technical Resources Report
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