Asserting that climate change has "moved firmly into the present," a federal scientific panel has released a report cataloging what it says are climatic changes already impacting regions of the United States and noting how the impacts of some of those changes could be perceived as beneficial, though "many more are detrimental."

The findings come from the U.S. National Climate Assessment, the result of four years of research that involved more than 300 experts and top administration officials, including President Obama's science and technology adviser and the head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The report was mandated in Obama's climate action plan initiated in 2013 and notes the need "for urgent action to combat the threats from climate change, protect American citizens and communities today, and build a sustainable future for our kids and grandkids," reads a fact sheet released be the While House.

The following are portions taken from the broader report that provide a run down of the impact of climate change on the major regions of the country country's regions, according to the White House Website:

  • Northeast - Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and District of Columbia: "Sixty-four million people are concentrated in the Northeast. The high-density urban coastal corridor from Washington, DC, north to Boston is one of the most developed environments in the world, containing a massive, complex, and long-standing network of supporting infrastructure. The Northeast also has a vital rural component." Communities in the Northeast "are affected by heat waves, more extreme precipitation events, and coastal flooding due to sea level rise and storm surge."
  • Southeast and Caribbean -Virginia, W. Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, S. Carolina, N. Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, and the Caribbean Islands: The Southeast and Caribbean region "is home to more than 80 million people and some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas... The Gulf and Atlantic coasts are major producers of seafood and home to seven major ports that are also vulnerable. The Southeast is a major energy producer of coal, crude oil, and natural gas." "Decreased water availability, exacerbated by population growth and land-use change, causes increased competition for water in this region. There are also increased risks associated with extreme events such as hurricanes."
  • Midwest - Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin: "The Midwest's agricultural lands, forests, Great Lakes, industrial activities, and cities are all vulnerable to climate variability and climate change." "Longer growing seasons and rising carbon dioxide levels increase yields of some crops, although these benefits have already been offset in some instances by occurrence of extreme events such as heat waves, droughts, and floods."
  • Great Plains - Wyoming, N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas: The Great Plains region "experiences multiple climate and weather hazards, including floods, droughts, severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and winter storms. In much of the Great Plains, too little precipitation falls to replace that needed by humans, plants, and animals. These variable conditions already stress communities and cause billions of dollars in damage. Climate change will add to both stress and costs." "Rising temperatures lead to increased demand for water and energy and impacts on agricultural practices."
  • Southwest - California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado: "The Southwest is the hottest and driest region in the United States. Climate changes pose challenges for an already parched region that is expected to get hotter and, in its southern half, significantly drier. Increased heat and changes to rain and snowpack will send ripple effects throughout the region... and its critical agriculture sector." "Drought and increased warming foster wildfires and increased competition for scarce water resources for people and ecosystems."
  • Northwest - Idaho, Oregon, and Washington: "The Northwest's economy, infrastructure, natural systems, public health, and agriculture sectors all face important climate change related risks. Impacts on infrastructure, natural systems, human health, and economic sectors, combined with issues of social and ecological vulnerability, will unfold quite differently in largely natural areas, like the Cascade Range, than in urban areas like Seattle and Portland or among the region's many Native American Tribes." "Changes in the timing of streamflow related to earlier snowmelt reduce the supply of water in summer, causing far-reaching ecological and socioeconomic consequences."
  • Alaska: "Over the past 60 years, Alaska has warmed more than twice as rapidly as the rest of the United States...The state's largest industries, energy production, mining, and fishing-are all affected by climate change." "Rapidly receding summer sea ice, shrinking glaciers, and thawing permafrost cause damage to infrastructure and major changes to ecosystems. Impacts on Alaska Native communities increase."
  • Hawaii and Pacific Islands: The U.S. Pacific Islands region "includes more than 2,000 islands spanning millions of square miles of ocean. Rising air and ocean temperatures, shifting rainfall patterns, changing frequencies and intensities of storms and drought, decreasing streamflows, rising sea levels, and changing ocean chemistry will threaten the sustainability of globally important and diverse ecosystems...as well as local communities, livelihoods, and cultures." "Increasingly constrained freshwater supplies, coupled with increased temperatures, stress both people and ecosystems and decrease food and water security."
  • Coasts: "More than 50 percent of Americans - 164 million people - live in coastal counties, with 1.2 million added each year... Humans have heavily altered the coastal environment through development, changes in land use, and overexploitation of resources. Now, the changing climate is imposing additional stresses..." "Coastal lifelines, such as water supply infrastructure and evacuation routes are increasingly vulnerable to higher sea levels and storm surges, inland flooding, and other climate-related changes."