Engaging a Climate Ready Agency
From the Climate Change Advisor’s Office, Office of the Chief
April 30, 2015
IN THIS ISSUE:
Message from CCAO…..…….. ...……..1
From the field……………………….………3
Other events and opportunities……6
Climate Change Resource Center….7
Additional online tools………………….7
Recommended readings……………….8
Abbreviations……………………………….9
Submissions..………………………………..9
Tonto National Forest
WELCOME
Let’s try to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestration
efforts! This month’s update features a message from the Climate Change Advisor’s
Office (CCAO) on the recently released USDA Mitigation Strategy to help farmers,
ranchers and forest land owners respond to climate change. The update is designed to
inform you about Forest Service activities that are linked to our changing climate as we
all work to bring climate change knowledge into our organizational expectations and
actions. Please continue to share the details of your climate change related research,
management activities, and communications. Submission details are included in the
last section of the update.
MESSAGE FROM CCAO
On November 12, 2014, President Obama announced that by 2025 the United States
intends to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 26 to 28 percent below 2005
levels. This economy-wide commitment comprises the U.S. contribution to the global
effort to address climate change and will form a cornerstone of a new post-2020 international climate agreement. The USDA Climate Change Mitigation Strategy is a response to this commitment.
On April 23, 2015, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack unveiled the USDA Mitigation
Strategy to help farmers, ranchers and forest land owners respond to climate change.
USDA will work with partners and producers on a voluntary basis to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions and enhance carbon sequestration in agriculture and forestry by over
120 million metric tons over the next 10 years. Elements of the mitigation strategy include using existing conservation and energy authorities; relying on voluntary, incentive based approaches; providing multiple economic and environmental benefits; designing measures for working farms and production systems; and building improvements on cooperative ventures and building partnerships.
Plumas National Forest
USDA has formed ten “Building Block” teams tasked with developing detailed options
for the implementation of greenhouse gas mitigation technologies and practices. The
Forest Service (FS) has the lead on four of the teams. The ten teams are soil health, nitrogen stewardship, livestock partnership, conservation of sensitive lands, grazing and
pasture lands, private forest growth and retention (FS lead), stewardship of Federal
forests (FS lead), promotion of wood products (FS lead), urban forests (FS lead), and
energy generation and efficiency.
Chippewa
The teams have already reviewed potential technologies and practices, program authorities, and emission reduction potentials and prepared a set of preliminary reports
that could inform decisions on USDA climate change mitigation actions. Based on
those reports, the cumulative benefits of a concerted effort to increase these practices
and management systems could reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 120 million
metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2025. This is equivalent to taking 25 million cars off
the road or offsetting the emissions produced by powering nearly 11 million homes last
year. A fifth (22%) or more of these reductions (including carbon sink maintenance and
improvement) come from forest and grassland related actions.
(continued on page 2)
National Forest
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MESSAGE FROM CCAO (continued)
A quick overview of the 10 building blocks:
Soil Health: Improve soil resilience and increase productivity by promoting conservation tillage and no-till systems, planting
cover crops, planting perennial forages, managing organic inputs and compost application, and alleviating compaction. USDA
aims to increase no-till implementation from the current 67 million acres to over 100 million acres by 2025.
Nitrogen Stewardship: Focus on the right timing, type, placement and quantity of nutrients to reduce nitrous oxide emissions
and provide cost savings through efficient application.
Livestock Partnerships: Encourage broader deployment of anaerobic digesters, lagoon covers, composting, and solids separators to reduce methane emissions from cattle, dairy, and swine operations. USDA plans to support 500 new digesters over the
next 10 years, as well as expand the use of covers on 10 percent of anaerobic lagoons used in dairy cattle and hog operations.
Conservation of Sensitive Lands: Use the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) to reduce GHG emissions through riparian buffers, tree planting, and the conservation of wetlands and organic
soils. By 2025, USDA aims to enroll 400,000 acres of CRP lands with high greenhouse gas benefits, protect 40,000 acres through
easements, and gain additional benefits by transferring expiring CRP acres to permanent easements.
Grazing and Pasture Lands: Support rotational grazing management, avoiding soil carbon loss through improved management
of forage, soils and grazing livestock. By 2025, USDA plans to support improved grazing management on an additional 4 million
acres, for a total of 20 million acres.
Private Forest Growth and Retention: Through the Forest Legacy Program and the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program, protect almost 1 million additional acres of working landscapes. Employ the Forest Stewardship Program to
cover an average of 2.1 million acres annually (new or revised plans), in addition to the 26 million acres covered by active plans.
Stewardship of Federal Forests: Reforest areas damaged by wildfire, insects, or disease, and restore forests to increase their
resilience to those disturbances. USDA plans to reforest 5,000 additional post-disturbance acres by 2025.
Promotion of Wood Products: Increase the use of wood as a building material, to store additional carbon in buildings while offsetting the use of energy from fossil fuel. USDA plans to expand the number of wood building projects supported through cooperative agreements with partners and technical assistance, in addition to research and market promotion for new, innovative
wood building products.
Urban Forests: Encourage tree planting in urban areas to reduce energy costs, storm water runoff, and urban heat island effects
while increasing carbon sequestration, curb appeal, and property values. Working with partners, USDA plans to plant an average of 9,000 additional trees in urban areas per year through 2025.
Energy Generation and Efficiency: Promote renewable energy technologies and improve energy efficiency. Through the Energy
Efficiency and Conservation Loan Program, work with utilities to improve the efficiency of equipment and appliances. Using the
Rural Energy for America Program and other programs, develop additional renewable energy, bioenergy and biofuel opportunities. Support the National On-Farm Energy Initiative to improve farm energy efficiency through cost-sharing and energy audits.
The overall question the FS is trying to answer through this strategy is: How do we continue to take care of the forest carbon
sink? We have been managing this buffer for over 100 years. By focusing and coordinating our programs, expertise, and partnerships, we help enhance and maintain landscapes that are functional and resilient in the face of multiple stresses and that
contribute to the quality of life of American citizens. Our strategy is focused on healthy forests producing resilient carbon; holding the losses of carbon and building resilience to withstand shocks. It’s about maintaining and enhancing healthy ecosystems
and landscapes and remaining true to our Forest Service mission—“to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations”.
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MESSAGE FROM CCAO (continued)
Please join us next Wednesday, May 6th from 2 to 3 pm ET for an internal USDA wide webinar on the mitigation
strategy. If you plan to attend, please register at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/
register/3557974913648776706. (Note: the audio for this webinar is not toll-free.)
The Forest Service will follow up with an internal FS webinar with more details on the forestry building blocks the
week of May 11th. Details will be posted on the Climate Change Advisor’s Office intranet webpage.
A public webinar will follow in a few weeks.
FS contacts for additional information:
FS leads: Sandy Boyce (daboyce@fs.fed.us) and Karen Dante (skdante@fs.fed.us)
FS building block leads:
 Private forests growth and retention: Steve Koehn (stevenwkoehn@fs.fed.us) and Scott Stewart (sstewart@fs.fed.us)

Federal forests stewardship: Nicole Balloffet (nballoffet@fs.fed.us), Jim Alegria (jalegria@fs.fed.us), Frank Fay
(ffay@fs.fed.us)

Urban forests: Lauren Marshall (lemarshall@fs.fed.us)

Promotion of wood products: Steve Marshall (smarshall@fs.fed.us)
More information on the strategy can be found here - http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?
contentidonly=true&contentid=climate-smart.html
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FROM THE FIELD
Climate change adaptation in United States federal natural resource science and management agencies: a synthesis
Developed by the University of Washington and Forest Service with funding from the Climate Change Advisor’s Office, Office of
the Chief, Washington, D.C, this report, organized under the auspices of USGCRP's Adaptation Science Interagency Working
Group, is a snapshot in time (2013-2014) of the status of climate change adaptation in Federal agencies that study and manage
land and water resources. Link to report here.
Intermountain Region launches new climate change assessment
On April 21, the Intermountain Region convened a meeting of the Intermountain Adaptation Partnership (IAP) (http://
adaptationpartners.org/iap) in Ogden, Utah, as the first step in developing a climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation strategy. The IAP includes all 12 national forests in the Region and may include other agencies and lands as well. At the
kickoff meeting, it was confirmed that the assessment will address physical resources, vegetation resources, terrestrial animal
species, aquatic animal species, infrastructure, recreation, cultural heritage, ecosystem services, and disturbance. Over the
next year, the Intermountain Region will be working with the Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, and Pacific Southwest Research Stations and others to develop the assessment. For more information, contact Natalie Little, nlittle@fs.fed.us.
Resilient Lands and Waters Initiative
The Department of the Interior (DOI), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recognized four collaborative landscape partnerships across the country where Federal agencies will focus
efforts with partners to conserve and restore important lands and waters and make them more resilient to a changing climate.
Building on existing collaborations, these Resilient Lands and Waters partnerships – located in southwest Florida, Hawaii, Washington and the Great Lakes region – will help build resilience in regions vulnerable to climate change and related challenges.
They will also showcase the benefits of landscape-scale management approaches and help enhance the carbon storage capacity
of these natural areas. More info here.
FY14 Sustainable Operations Accomplishment Report Released!
The FY14 Sustainable Operations Accomplishment Report highlights accomplishments of the Sustainable Operations (SusOps)
Collective during Fiscal Year 2014 (FY 2014). In FY 2014, the Sustainable Operations reached a milestone when it scaled up to an
agency-wide program. The report recognizes the commitment of the SusOps Collective’s 144 participants who support seven
field-based teams. It highlights a variety of pilot projects and their successes in tracking greenhouse gas emissions, greening
fire operations, and moving towards net zero.
PNW Updates
PNW Scientist Linda Kruger and Hydrologist Adelaide (Di) Johnson (Juneau Forestry Sciences Laboratory) received funding from
the Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center (WWETAC) for a vulnerability assessment of subsistence resources to environmental change. The study is one of two Alaska–based WWETAC funded projects. The study is interdisciplinary and will incorporate citizen science by engaging Alaska Natives, especially youth. Shoreline resources in Southeast Alaska
are vulnerable to change due to isostatic rebound, tectonic shift, sea level rise, exposure, substrate type, oil spill residence, and
native and non-native species invasion. Using the NOAA ShoreZone database. the team will incorporate nearshore information
with measures of expected coastal change and invasive species information. The project will highlight critical areas, including
eel grass and bull kelp beds, key habitats for juvenile fish and areas that may see change due to erosion, land uplift or sea level
rise. The team includes scientists from the University of Alaska, members of the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian
Tribes of Alaska, USFS R-10, NOAA-NMFS, and the Federal Subsistence Management Program, as well as community members
and youth from six southeast Alaska coastal communities. Native knowledge and observations will be integral to the vulnerability assessment. In the second Alaska project WWETAC funding will be going to Tom Heutte, Region 10 Forest Health Protection
Program, to develop and test an unmanned aerial system for stand-level assessment of forest insect damage.
Sustainable Operations- Earth Day Challenge Winners Announced
Congratulations to the Northeastern Area, Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests (Region 9), and Nebraska National
Forest (Region 2) for their top scores in the Sustainable Operations (SusOps) Collective Earth Day Challenge! Each of these units
will be receiving a $3,000 SusOps microgrant from the Nationwide SusOps Collective. Thank you to those who participated in
the SusOps Earth Day Challenge by completing the Green Information Technology (IT) / Power-IT-Down AgLearn module. As of
last Friday, 1,845 employees completed the AgLearn module. Employees still wishing to complete this module can search for
“1310 National Power-IT-Down and Green Information Technology (IT)” in the AgLearn Course Catalog.
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FROM THE FIELD (continued)
Researchers present at climate change science and implementation forum for Sierra Nevada forests
Assisted migration—the concept of moving species to new areas—could be a critical tool for reforestation and sustaining forest
productivity in a shifting climate. To raise awareness of the science behind assisted migration and the need for a consistent approach, the Tahoe National Forest, in cooperation with Region 5 Ecosystem Management and the Pacific Southwest Research
Station (PSW), hosted a climate change science and implementation forum to address the topic on April 16. The forum,
“Assisted Migration Reforestation in Sierra Nevada Ecosystems,” featured presentations by PSW Research Scientist Connie Millar, who reviewed assisted migration processes in Canadian forestry programs, and PSW Research Geneticist Jessica Wright,
who presented techniques for helping land managers choose optimal seeds for planting in a changing climate. Region 5 Regional Ecologist Hugh Safford discussed the need for structured and transparent decision making for relocating tree species as a climate change adaption strategy, and Region 5 Geneticists Arnaldo Ferreira and Tom Blush presented methods for identifying
potential areas for successional shifts in forest composition during climate change. Gary Cline, District Culturalist on the Tahoe’s
Yuba River Ranger District, presented the rationale for utilizing assisted migration in reforestation, the expected outcomes, and
planned monitoring efforts on the Tahoe. Tahoe National Forest Climate Change Coordinator Tim Cardoza organized the forum,
which also included a virtual audience. A recording is available at https://usfs.adobeconnect.com/p57k7xh26d9/, and slideshow
PDFs are available from Tim Cardoza (tcardoza@fs.fed.us).
SRS Updates
John Stanturf made a presentation at the Global Partnership on Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) and attended the Bonn
Challenge Roundtable in Bad Godesberg, Germany. John is participating in a collaborative project entitled “Inspire, Support, and
Mobilize Forest and Landscape Restoration” between the World Resources Institute and the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), funded by the German Ministry of Environment . The group of IUFRO scientists has developed a
framework to demonstrate how FLR can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The scientists assembled a list
of mitigation and adaptation activities relevant to FLR and evaluated 15 case studies of forest restoration from around the
world for their actual or potential contribution to climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley was developed as the USA Case Study.
The USDA Climate Hubs invite you to Beta test their new Tools Database. The intention of this database is to inventory tools
across the country that can assist in climate change adaptation on working lands, and to present these tools to the public in a
searchable, user-friendly format. The database includes tools that are directly relevant to climate change, as well as tools that
assist in managing factors that interact with climate change, such as drought, pests, and extreme weather. The target audience
is extension and consultants, but the database could also be useful for land managers, land owners, and researchers. We appreciate your feedback on the site, as we strive to make this website more user-friendly, comprehensive, and relevant. If you are
interested in Beta testing the site, please visit tools.serch.us, and use this form to provide feedback by May 31. There are other
forms linked in the site, but please use the form provided in this announcement for Beta testing feedback. If you have any questions, please email Sarah Wiener (sswiener@ncsu.edu).
National Climate Change Education Week
National Climate Change Education Week was the Week of April 20-24. If you missed it, wish to learn more, or care to browse
the resources for schools, information is available at: http://www.earthday.org/climateeducationweek/. Readers can promote
this information locally, on their units and in their communities.
NIACS co-hosts Climate Change & West Virginia’s Forests Workshop
NIACS and the Environmental Research Center at West Virginia University hosted a workshop focused on climate change impacts and adaptation for West Virginia forests. The 2-day workshop in mid-April brought together nearly 40 natural resource
managers from across the Central Appalachians region. The first day hosted eight presentations on the changing climate, adaptation concepts, real-world examples of adaptation in West Virginia, and an activity to consider climate-related challenges and
solutions. The second day facilitated a workshop to discuss ways to incorporate climate change considerations and identify actions for adaptation in four forest management and planning projects.
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FROM THE FIELD (continued)
Midwest and Northern Forests Regional Climate Hubs Vulnerability Assessment Published
The USDA Climate Hubs aim to deliver science-based information to forest landowners, farmers, ranchers, and resource managers to support climate-informed decision-making. As a part of this mission, the Midwest and Northern Forests Climate Hubs
have published a vulnerability assessment to provide their stakeholders with an introduction to the region, regional sensitivities
and adaptation strategies for working lands, a greenhouse gas emissions profile with mitigation opportunities, and an overview
of how partner USDA agencies are being affected by a changing climate. The Assessment establishes a baseline "snapshot" of
current climate vulnerabilities, while also providing region-specific adaptation and mitigation strategies to increase the resilience of working lands in the region. See a USDA announcement about the assessment, read or download the report, or visit the
Midwest or Northern Forests Regional Climate Hubs for more resources.
OTHER EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
First Friday All Climate Change Talks
May 1, 2015. Randy Kolka, Team Leader and Research Soil Scientist with the USDA Forest Service’s Northern Research Station
will present SPRUCE: Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental Change Experiment.The SPRUCE Experiment is an ambitious ecosystem-level experiment that will test the response of high-carbon northern peatland ecosystems to
increased temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide. Located at the Northern Research Station’s Marcell Experimental Forest
near Grand Rapids, MN. The experiment is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Energy’s Oak
Ridge National Laboratory and numerous others agencies and universities. The experiment is projected to run for 10 years beginning in 2015. The experiment promises to provide important data on peatland water, soil, plant, microfauna and microbial
responses to climate and atmospheric change that will feed into both ecosystem and global climate models that will assist policy makers and the public plan for the future. See http://mnspruce.ornl.gov/
Time: 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (eastern), 10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (central); 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. (pacific). Audience: Forest
Service internal and external partners and stakeholders, non-governmental organizations, universities, customers, and other
interested individuals. LiveMeeting Access
https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usda/join?id=56CKQ9&role=attend&pw=FFACCTs. To access audio, dial (888) 844-9904, after
voice prompt: 9066591#.
Social Vulnerability Webinar Series
The Social Vulnerability Webinar Series continues to explore community vulnerability to climate change and how natural resource managers can integrate social vulnerability assessment into planning and decision making. Please join us for the final
webinar in the series: Integrating Social Vulnerability into Planning and Decision-Making presented by Laurie Yung, Dan Williams, Carina Wyborn, and Daniel Murphy (May 6th, Noon-1:00 pm Mountain Time). The series is sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Research Station and the University of Montana. For additional information, visit http://www.fs.fed.us/rmrs/webinarseries/social-vulnerability/ or contact Laurie Yung at the University of Montana (laurie.yung@umontana.edu).
2nd National Adaptation Forum
May 12-14, 2015 - St. Louis, Missouri. The National Adaptation Forum is a biennial gathering created by a group of professionals
from the private and public sectors concerned about the need to respond to and prepare for the effects of climate change. The
Forum represents a collective effort to enhance the resilience of the Nation's communities, resources and economy in the face
of a changing climate.http://nationaladaptationforum.org/
Climate Change Atlas Webinar on May 14
The Climate Change Atlas is a useful tool that assesses the potential changes in habitat for common tree and bird species in the
eastern United States. New data have been prepared for 107 tree species in the New England and northern New York as part of
a synthesis of regional climate change impacts on forest ecosystems that is underway. Join us for a webinar and discussion on
Thursday, May 14 at 1:00-2:30 to learn more about the Atlas. Louis Iverson (US Forest Service) and Steve Matthews (Ohio State)
will describe how the Climate Change Atlas projects changes in tree and bird habitats under climate change and highlight the
new data that is available. Additionally, Maria Janowiak (NIACS/US Forest Service) will show examples of how the data have be
used to inform management decisions. Details are online at www.forestadaptation.org/NE-Atlas
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OTHER EVENTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Applications Now Accepted for 2015 Climate Solutions University
Do you know communities that are ready to develop or update a climate adaptation plan with forest and water components, or
who could benefit from connecting to a network of communities implementing their plans? Please share this opportunity. Climate Solutions University is now accepting applications for its 2015 program. In 2015 the focus is on urban and rural communities that are linked through a shared dependence on intact natural resources. Urban areas need to protect upstream watersheds beyond their jurisdictional control. Rural underserved communities need the support of urban resources to implement
conservation priorities in their watersheds. Also, it is essential to develop solutions that include, protect, and advance low income citizens. The program is provided at no cost to qualified applicants! Contact jeff@mfpp.org for more information."
Grants Available for GreenSchools! Program
USFS, Conservation Education, in partnership with Project Learning Tree, leads the GreenSchools! program, part of the growing
movement to green the environmental footprint of our nation’s schools through student-led efforts. There are currently more
than 3,000 registered schools in the network. CE’s GreenSchools! program is a monthly feature of the Chief’s report to USDA’s
Know Your Farmer/Know Your Food Initiative (KYF2). School gardens have been a popular action project in the program, and
172 of GreenSchools! gardens are included on the USDA’s Compass Map for KYF2. Since its’ inception three years ago, schools
in our GreenSchools! program have received 25 percent of the Dept. of Education’s, Green Ribbon School awards. The awards
recognize schools for exemplary efforts to reduce environmental impact and utility costs, promote better health, and ensure
effective environmental education, including civics and green career pathways. To find out about GreenWorks! Grants:
www.plt.org/greenschools
Webinar Series: Building Climate Resilience for Vulnerable Citizens in Urban Areas
Climate change does not impact all communities and people equally. Race, income, and age impact how someone experiences
climate change. This webinar series provides you with the tools and resources to integrate social vulnerability into your work. It
brings together climate adaptation practitioners and those focusing on environmental and social justice issues. Sign up for one
or all webinars in the series. It's free!
CLIMATE CHANGE RESOURCE CENTER
Video highlights watershed restoration on the Monongahela and its contribution to climate change resilience
Many national forests are thinking about climate change in their day-to-day management. A new video from the CCRC, the Monongahela National Forest, and partner organizations describes ongoing efforts to improve watershed health by decommissioning roads. Managers involved in the work describe how restoring the natural flow of water through a forested landscape
can be a good strategy for building resilience to climate change. The video is also available on Forest Service YouTube. See the
CCRC video library for more examples of climate change adaptation and other topics.
ADDITIONAL ONLINE TOOLS
Science You Can Use Bulletin
The Bulletin is a regular electronic publication of the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station that synthesizes current scientific research on hot topics in the Intermountain West. Each issue delivers key science findings and management implications to people who make and influence decisions about managing land and natural resources. Find the latest Bulletin, read
the archives and sign up to receive future Bulletins, at: www.fs.fed.us/rm/science-application-integration/publications/
NIACS Carbon and Climate Update
An update brought to you from the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science. To subscribe, email Kristen Schmitt.
Science Findings
Science Findings is a monthly publication by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. It provides scientific information to who people who make and influence decisions about managing land. To read the current issue or to sign up to
receive e-notifications or hard-copy delivery, please visit: http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/scifi.shtml
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ADDITIONAL ONLINE TOOLS (continued)
CompassLive
CompassLive is the online science magazine of the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station. Sign up here - http://
www.srs.fs.usda.gov/compass/.
Mountain Views
The Spring 2014 issue of Mountain Views (MVN) newsletter-journal was recently released for viewing and download:
www.fs.fed.us/psw/cirmount/publications/mtnviews.shtml. MVN is a seasonal newsletter-journal, featuring reports on current
mountain-climate and climate-response studies, Brevia of recently published articles, book reviews, mountain climate news and
announcements, and a round-up of mountain artwork and poetry.
TACCIMO
TACCIMO, the Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options (http://www.taccimo.info), is now
available in a new and improved version (v3.0) and currently contains information from over 2000 peer-reviewed journal articles on climate change. Information from newly published literature is added to the database on a weekly basis. For information on how to run a report in TACCIMO or to request more information on climate change effects for specific focal resources contact Emrys Treasure (etreasure@fs.fed.us) or Lisa Balduman (lbalduman@fs.fed.us).
Yale Climate Connections
Climate Connections is a daily public radio series produced by the Yale Center for Environmental Communication. The series
aims to help radio listeners understand how climate change is impacting our lives and what diverse people and organizations
are doing to reduce the associated risks. The series “connects the dots” between climate change and a wide range of issues
such as energy, extreme weather, public health, food and water, jobs and the economy, national security, the creative arts, and
religious and moral themes. Watch and listen here - http://www.yaleclimateconnections.org/climate-connections/
Would you like to get training in Sustainable Operations, but need some ideas of where to look? Check out the Sustainable
Operations Training List developed by the Sustainable Operations Collective! This list includes workshops, conferences, university programs, and online training & resources offered across the country. Many opportunities are free! The following individuals would benefit from these trainings: Energy Managers, Green Team Leads, Facility Engineers, Environmental Engineers, Sustainable Operations Educators, Climate Change Coordinators, Purchasing Agents, and others with an interest in expanding their
sustainability toolbox. These opportunities can help you and your Unit fulfill Climate Change Scorecard Element 10
“Sustainability Leadership” Action Item #5 -“Do 10% or more of permanent employees on your Unit annually participate in sustainable operations related training or professional development?”
The Chief and Advisor Discuss Climate Change
This video is another resource enabling employees to engage in climate change education and Element 1 of the Scorecard.
ITEP: Adapting to Climate Change Video
Video that showcases effects of climate change on tribal communities. https://vimeo.com/118150835
RECOMMENDED READINGS
Climate change adaptation in United States federal natural resource science and management agencies: a synthesis
Halofsky, J.E.; Peterson, D.; Marcinkowski, K.
This report, organized under the auspices of USGCRP's Adaptation Science Interagency Working Group, is a snapshot in time
(2013-2014) of the status of climate change adaptation in Federal agencies that study and manage land and water resources. Link to report here.
New Maps & Data section offers easy-to-understand maps and entry-level information on climate data
People who are interested in climate have a new source of maps and data on Climate.gov. The recently updated Maps & Data
section offers easy-to-understand climate maps, a visual catalog of popular climate products, and instructional pages that cover
the fundamentals of measuring climate variables and processing and using climate data. http://www.climate.gov/maps-data.
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RECOMMENDED READINGS (continued)
Central Appalachians forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis
Butler, P.; Iverson, L.; Thompson, F.R.; Brandt, L.; and others.
Forest ecosystems in the Central Appalachians will be affected directly and indirectly by a changing climate over the 21st century. This assessment evaluates the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in the Central Appalachian Broadleaf Forest-Coniferous
Forest-Meadow and Eastern Broadleaf Forest Provinces of Ohio, West Virginia, and Maryland for a range of future climates.
Information on current forest conditions, observed climate trends, projected climate changes, and impacts on forest ecosystems was considered by a multidisciplinary panel of scientists, land managers, and academics in order to assess ecosystem vulnerability to climate change. Appalachian (hemlock)/northern hardwood forests, large stream floodplain and riparian forests,
small stream riparian forests, and spruce/fir forests were determined to be the most vulnerable. Dry/mesic oak forests and dry
oak and oak/pine forests and woodlands were determined to be least vulnerable. Projected changes in climate and the associated impacts and vulnerabilities will have important implications for economically valuable timber species, forest-dependent
wildlife and plants, recreation, and long-term natural resource planning. Link to report here. (http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/
pubs/47885)
Climate, snowpack, and streamflow of Priest River Experimental Forest, revisited
Tinkham, W.; Denner, R.; Graham, R.
The climate record of Priest River Experimental Forest has the potential to provide a century-long history of northern Rocky
Mountain forest ecosystems. The record, which began in 1911 with the Benton Flat Nursery control weather station, included
observations of temperature, precipitation, humidity, and wind. Later, other observations stations were added to the network
and observations were expanded to include snow courses and streamflow measurements. The region contains nearly all of the
dominant forest types within the northern Rocky Mountains, from the xeric ponderosa pine forest type, to the highly mesic
western red cedar type, with mesic Douglas-fir forests in between. Over the last century, the area has experienced an increase
in minimum daily temperatures of 2.8 °F, while no discernable trend can be seen in the maximum temperatures. This observed
increase in minimum daily temperature is consistent with changes expected from global warming. The total annual precipitation has not changed over the last century, while the March 1st snowpack at the lower elevations within the catchment has
declined by over 30%. Although there is no change in total precipitation, there has been a 33% increase in average annual
stream runoff. This change in runoff is attributed to both a shift in streamflow timing, due to earlier snowpack melt, and to
large changes in tree species composition following the white pine blister rust epidemic in the 1950s. This unique dataset has
the potential to inform managers and researchers about the changes regional climatic water balances may undergo as climate
continues to shift. Article here.
ABBREVIATIONS
FFACCTs - First Friday All Climate Change Talks
FLR - Forest landscape restoration
IAP - Intermountain Adaptation Partnership
IUFRO - International Union of Forest Research Organizations
NIACS - Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
NOAA – National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
PNW - Pacific Northwest
PSW - Pacific Southwest
SRS - Southern Research Station
SusOps - Sustainable Operations
TACCIMO - Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts
and Management Options
WWETAC - Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center
SUBMISSIONS
Please send your submissions on Forest Service climate change
related activities to Karen Dante: skdante@fs.fed.us by COB
May 26th. It’s most helpful to have a short description with a
web link to more information.
Share your great work by contributing your PowerPoint
presentations to our O drive O:\OfficeOfTheChief\ClimateChange\Project\CCPresentations.
If you have a climate change related presentation or slides that
you want to contribute, but don’t have write access, please
send to Karen Dante.
Contact information for the Climate Change Advisor’s Office is
on our Intranet and our Internet site. Here you will also find
materials like the National Roadmap for Responding to Climate
Change, the Performance Scorecard, and Scorecard guidance.
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