Northwest Climate Change Digest: Science and Learning Opportunities Combined
January 2015 Issue
The Northwest Climate Change Digest is an e-newsletter jointly produced by the Northwest
Climate Science Center and the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative aimed at
helping you stay informed about climate change science and upcoming events and training
opportunities that are relevant to your conservation work. Feel free to share this
information within your organization and networks, and please note the role the NW CSC
and NPLCC played in providing this service. Do you have a published article or upcoming
opportunity that you would like to share? Please send it our way to nwcsc@uw.edu. Many
thanks to those who have provided material for this edition, particularly the Pacific
Northwest Climate Impacts Research Consortium, the Climate Impacts Group and the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Change and Water News.
Note: In the interest of reducing clutter to your inbox we have combined science content
with events and learning opportunities this month. Please use our hyperlinks to minimize
scrolling.
To subscribe or unsubscribe please e-mail nwcsc@uw.edu.
SCIENCE: Recent climate change-relevant publications, special reports and science
resources.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Upcoming climate change-relevant webinars, workshops,
conferences, list servers and other learning opportunities.
PREVIOUS ISSUES: An archive of previous Northwest Climate Change Digest issues
developed by Region 10 of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Biodiversity/ Species and Ecosystem Response
Addressing and adapting to the current warming trend in the PNW
Congressional rider threatens iconic grouse species protection
A review of conservation buffer distance estimates for the Greater Sage-Grouse
Pacific salmon challenged by warming waters
Arid Ecosystems
Coastal/Marine Ecosystems/ Ocean Acidification/ Sea Level Rise
Tracking U.S. marine fish populations as climate changes
Global sea level rise scenarios for the United States National Climate Assessment
Natural variations playing an important role in sea level rise
Ocean Acidification threatening shellfish hatcheries
Aquatic Resource/ Stream Flow/ Hydrology in the Western U.S.
Devaluating drought indices for tracking interannual streamflow variability in the PNW
Hydrological effects of forest transpiration loss in bark beetle-impacted watersheds
Forests
Researchers find that as CO2 grows, trees don’t
Fire
Regional projections for the likelihood of very large wildland fires under a changing climate
in the contiguous Western United States
The climate-wildfire-air quality system – interactions and feedbacks
Land Use
Estimating climate change effects on net primary production of rangelands in the United
States
Halfway There? What the land sector can contribute to closing the emissions gap
Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Matters
Sauk-Suiattle reservation at risk from climate change
Taking Action
Climate data initiative releases ecosystem vulnerability and water resource resilience themes
Congress passes bill to protect over 250,000 acres of wilderness
Climate and Weather Reports and Services
Where and when will we observe cloud changes due to climate warming?
Temperature records occur in clusters
Why two-degrees Celsius?
Special Reports/ Announcements
Obama Administration releases final principles, requirements for federal investments in
water resources
Climate change indicators in the United States
Obama permanently withdraws Bristol Bay from leasing
Biodiversity/ Species and Ecosystem Response
Addressing and adapting to the current warming trend in the PNW: Over the past two
years the North Cascadia Adaptation Partnership (NCAP) worked with stakeholder groups
within the North Cascade region to recognize regional climate change issues relevant to
resource management, and to address adaptation strategies that will help facilitate a
transition into a warmer climate. In the PNW a 2.1 °C temperature increase is expected by
the 2040s and a 3.8 °C increase by the 2080s. The warming climate will have significant
regional effects for both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Some of the effects of a warmer
climate discussed in this paper include flooding, fluctuation in seasonal flows, reduction in
fish habitat suitability, and fluctuations in productivity/growth in tree species. While
adapting to and dealing with the aforementioned effects of altered climate is a challenge, this
paper addresses adaptation strategies that increase the potential for the PNW ecosystems to
remain functional in future decades.
Raymond, Crystal L.; Peterson, David L.; Rochefort, Regina M., eds. 2014. Climate change
vulnerability and adaptation in the North Cascades region, Washington. Gen. Tech. Rep.
PNW-GTR-892. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific
Northwest Research Station. 279 p. http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/47131
Congressional rider threatens iconic grouse species protection: Congress is finalizing
an omnibus appropriations bill for the fiscal year of 2015 containing a rider that would
temporarily prohibit listing the Greater Sage-Grouse as an endangered species and would
impede conservation efforts for the Gunnison Sage-Grouse. Historically, riders accepted
into appropriations bills are long-lasting and, in many cases, permanent. The grouse rider
undercuts major conservation efforts, and jeopardizes species recovery:
http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/141210.html
A review of conservation buffer distance estimates for the Greater Sage-Grouse: This
report summarizes a collection of published scientific studies that evaluated the effects of
anthropogenic activities and infrastructure on Greater Sage-Grouse populations. It is
intended to serve as a reference for land managers and others who aim to establish buffer
distances around sage-grouse habitats. While the report does not propose management
recommendations, it does provide summaries, interpretations, and citations of management
recommendations from the scientific literature. Due to inherent variation in ecosystems,
habitats, and populations, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for population buffer distance.
Therefore, the report presents buffer distance values for six categories of different land use
or disturbance categories commonly found in land-use plants.
Manier, D.J., Bowen, Z.H., Brooks, M.L., Casazza, M.L., Coates, P.S., Deibert, P.A., Hanser,
S.E., and Johnson, D.H. 2014. Conservation buffer distance estimates for Greater SageGrouse—A review: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2014–1239, 14 p.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20141239
Pacific salmon challenged by warming waters: This paper investigates the ability of
Chinook salmon to adapt to warming water temperatures caused by climate change. The
researchers found that the salmon developed cardiac irregularities in waters warmer than
24.5°C. Based on an average warming projection, researchers predict a 17% chance of
“catastrophic” loss in the population by 2100, with this chance increasing to 98% in a
maximum warming scenario. A constraint on the upper limit of thermal tolerance highlights
the susceptibility of Pacific salmon populations to projected increases in temperature.
http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nclimate2473.html
Muñoz, N.J., Farrell, A.P., Heath, J.W., and Neff, B.D. 2014. Adaptive potential of a Pacific
salmon challenged by climate change. Nature Climate Change.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2473
Arid Ecosystems
Coastal/Marine Ecosystems/ Ocean Acidification/ Sea Level Rise
Tracking U.S marine fish populations as climate changes: Developed by NOAA
Fisheries and Rutgers University, OCEANADAPT is a web tool designed to provide
distribution data on nearly 650 species of U.S fish and invertebrates important for
commercial and recreational fishing. Marine fish and vertebrate populations are responding
to changing ocean conditions by shifting their distributions northward to cooler waters.
OCEANADAPT is a valuable tool for fishermen, managers, scientists, and fishing
communities tracking and evaluating the distribution of marine fish and other species with
changing climate and ocean conditions:
www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/ecosystems/climate/activities/oceanadapt (landing page)
http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/stories/2014/12/oceanadapt_trackingfish.html (web story)
Global Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States National Climate Assessment:
Global sea level rise (SLR) has been persistent over the past several decades, and the trend
expected to continue though the next century. SLR poses a serious threat to the United
States as more than eight million people live in regions at risk of coastal flooding, and many
of the nation’s military, energy, and commerce resources lie on or in close proximity to the
ocean. This report, created by NOAA’s Climate Program Office, along with contributing
authors from various federal and academic science institutions, is a synthesis of SLR
scientific literature and a set of plausible future SLR scenarios. The report presents four
future SLR scenarios ranging from 0.2 meters to 2.0 meters by 2100. The group of scenarios
serves as a set of reasonable trajectories that can be used as a starting point for assessment
experts and their stakeholders to evaluate vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation strategies in
the face of uncertain futures. To download the report visit:
http://cpo.noaa.gov/ClimatePrograms/ClimateSocietalInteractionsCSI/RISAProgram/RIS
ANews/TabId/346/ArtMID/708/ArticleID/80/Global-Sea-Level-Rise-Scenarios-for-theUnited-States-National-Climate-Assessment.aspx
Natural variations playing an important role in sea level rise: Scientists have widely
accepted that sea level has been rising over the past one hundred years due to anthropogenic
activities that warm the planet and melt land-locked ice. If green house gas emissions
continue at their current rate, models suggest that sea level rise will continue at an
accelerated rate. However, despite the emphasis on anthropogenic factors as a driving force
of sea level rise, Dangendorf et al. posit that natural variation could be playing a larger role in
SLR than previously thought. After analyzing 138 years of tidal gauge and ocean reanalysis
data the authors found that natural variation caused random and persistent sea levels
changes spanning several decades. These natural variations could incorrectly be interpreted
as an acceleration of the rate of sea level rise. Therefore, future sea level rise could be higher
or lower than predicted levels because of deviations arising from natural variability.
Wendel, J. 2014. Sea levels changing in response to natural variations, Eos Trans. AGU,
95(48), 452. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014EO480009
Ocean acidification threatening shellfish hatcheries: A recent study published in Nature
Climate Change has found that the Pacific oyster and Mediterranean mussel larvae are sensitive
to saturation state, and not carbon dioxide partial pressure or pH. Saturation state is a
measure of how corrosive seawater is to calcium carbonate shells of calcifying organisms.
Successful larval development and growth during shell formation is heavily dependent on
seawater saturation state. While pH levels affect other physiological processes, the saturation
state threshold will be crossed decades earlier than pH thresholds, due to the nonlinear
responses of saturation state as atmospheric CO2 concentrations are increased. This study
adds to the body of evidence suggesting that moderate ocean acidification impacts almost
caused the complete collapse of the PNW oyster industry.
Waldbusser, G.G., Hales, B., Langdon, C.J., Haley, B.A., Schrader, P., Brunner, E.L., Gray,
M.W., Miller, C.A., and Gimenez, I. 2014. Saturation-state sensitivity of marine bivalve
larvae to ocean acidification. Nature Climate Change.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2479
Aquatic Resource/ Stream Flow/ Hydrology in the Western U.S.
Evaluating drought indices for tracking interannual streamflow variability in the
PNW: This study examines various indices and models used for monitoring interannual
streamflow variability in the Pacific Northwest. Standardized precipitation index,
standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI), Palmer drought severity index,
and water balance runoff (WBR) model output were correlated to water-year runoff for 21
unregulated drainage basins in the Pacific Northwest. Indices calculated using highresolution PRISM climate surfaces explained 10-15% percent more variance in streamflow
than metrics derived from coarser-resolution datasets. The paper addresses various ways to
monitor hydro-climactic variables at local and regional scales and enables resource managers,
landowners, and planners to see the additional benefit of using higher spatial resolution
climate layers to account for the complex topography of the PNW.
John T. Abatzoglou, Renaud Barbero, Jacob W. Wolf, and Zachary A. Holden, 2014:
Tracking Interannual Streamflow Variability with Drought Indices in the U.S. Pacific
Northwest. J. Hydrometeor, 15, 1900–1912.
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/JHM-D-13-0167.1
Hydrological effects of forest transpiration loss in bark beetle-impacted watersheds:
The mountain pine beetle infestation of the Rocky Mountains has resulted in unprecedented
tree death across North America. Researchers analyzed contributions to streamflow over
time and space to investigate the potential for increased groundwater inputs resulting from
hydrological change following the mountain pine beetle infestation. Results of this study in
Rocky Mountain National Park show that on average, groundwater fractions remain higher
after infestation even when including the assumption that interannual differences in snow
water equivalent translate directly to less streamflow. Additionally, results indicated that
forest transpiration decreased after trees infected with the mountain pine beetle died.
Understanding the impacts of mountain pine beetle infestation on the hydrological cycle
provides necessary understanding for water resource management in mountain pine beetle
infested forests.
Bearup, L.A., Maxwell, R.A., Clow, D.W., and McCray, J.E. 2014. Hydrological effects of
forest transpiration loss in bark beetle-impacted watersheds, Nature Climate Change 4, 481486. doi: http://www.dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2198
Forests
Researchers find that as CO2 grows, trees don't: Models predicted that as atmospheric
CO2 concentrations increased forests would take in more CO2 and grow, increasing their
ability to mitigate global warming. However, these model predictions were called into
question when an international team of scientists led by Peter van der Sleen analyzed
thousands of tree rings and found no correlation between increased atmospheric CO2
concentrations and increased tree growth (evidenced in tree rings). It is probable that this
study came to a different conclusion because of variations in research methods. Previous
studies evaluated biomass material located in small forest plots rather than using a random
sample of trees throughout a forest. Additionally, van der Sleen’s study used a long-term
dataset covering 150 years whereas previous studies typically evaluated tree growth on a
shorter time scale. Three possible explanations are posited to explain the absence of tree
growth: (1) it is possible that rising temperatures is preventing the expected tree growth, (2)
the tree’s fruits or roots did grow more, just not the tree rings, (3) there is an additional
resource, outside of CO2 concentrations and water, that is limiting tree growth:
http://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060010602/search?keyword=Researchers+fin
d+that+as+CO2+grows,+trees+don%27t
van der Sleen, P., P. Groenendijk, M. Vlam, N. P. R. Anten, A. Boom, F. Bongers, T.L.
Pons, G. Terburg & P. A. Zuidema. 2015. No growth stimulation of tropical trees by
150 years of CO2 fertilization but water-use efficiency increased. Nature Geoscience 8, 24–28
doi:10.1038/ngeo2313
Fire
Regional projections of the likelihood of very large wildland fires under a changing
climate in the contiguous Western United States: Researchers evaluated changes in the
climatic potential for very large wildfires (VLWF) across the western United States during
the 21st century by using generalized linear models and downscaled climate projections for
two representative concentration pathways. There was a significant increase in the potential
for VLWF between contemporary climate and mid-century climate (2031-2060). The Pacific
Northwest, Northern Rockies, Rocky Mountains, Eastern Great Basin, and Southwest are
the regions that show the greatest increase in the probability of a VLWF over time.
Determining the frequency and the seasonality of VLFW is heavily dependent on future
climate space. The results and projections of this study can be used for form new fire policy
and by serve as a baseline for policy and management.
C. Alina Cansler and Donald McKenzie 2014. Climate, fire size, and biophysical setting
control fire severity and spatial pattern in the northern Cascade Range, USA. Ecological
Applications 24:1037–1056. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/13-1077.1
The climate-wildfire-air quality system – interactions and feedbacks: Current and
predicted effects of climate warming present a challenge for protecting ecosystem services,
which include air quality. Studies have demonstrated that increasing temperatures and longer
periods of drought will increase the area burned by wildfire in North America. Wildfire has a
significant impact on air quality in some locations, and is a contributor to pollutants of
concern. The authors propose that climate, wildfire, and air quality need to be studied and
defined as one system. Through synthesizing the latest research on climate, wildfire, and airquality the authors define interactions, feedbacks, and propose a method to studying the
system as a whole. Additionally, the authors discuss the larger scientific implications for
studying the system as a whole.
Starvos, E.N., McKenzie, D., and Larkin, N. 2014. The climate-wildfire-air quality system:
interactions and feedbacks across spatial and temporal scales. WIREs Climate Change, 5:719733. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/wcc.303
Land Use
Estimating climate change effects on net primary production of rangelands in the
United States: Researchers analyzed the potential effects of climate change on net primary
productivity (NPP) of US rangelands from 2001 to 2100. Results show that the agricultural
region in the Pacific Northwest could become more productive as a result of climate change.
Rangelands of the interior west were projected to experience the greatest increase in NPP.
Additionally, models predicted proportionally larger increases in NPP at higher elevations.
The management implications of these projections are equivocal. The authors cite evidence
suggesting that increased NPP could lead to an increase in grazing carrying capacity.
However, other cited evidence suggests that increased NPP could lead to a reduction in
overall carrying capacity because of other limiting factors.
Reeves, M.C., A.L. Moreno, and K.E. Bagne. 2014. Estimating climate change effects on net
primary production of rangelands in the United States, Climatic Change, 126:429.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1235-8e
Halfway There? What the land sector can contribute to closing the emissions gap:
The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that half or more of the reductions needed to
reach the two degree target (for both 2020 and 2030) could come from land sectors
(agriculture, forests, and other land use: commonly referred to as AFOLU) of eight major
emitting countries. There are three major AFOLU mitigation groups: (1) reducing carbon
emissions from deforestation, forest degradation, and the clearing of peat lands; (2)
decreasing emissions from agricultural sources such as methane from cattle and rice patties,
nitrous oxide from fertilizer and manure, and carbon from soil; (3) carbon sequestration
through reforestation and other forms of ecological restoration. The United States has the
largest potential to reduce emissions from land sectors:
http://www.ucsusa.org/global-warming/stop-deforestation/halfway-there-what-landsector-can-contribute-closing-emissions-gap - .VKcJZMapz8E
Tribal and Indigenous Peoples Matters
Sauk-Suiattle reservation at risk from climate change: An assessment conducted by
Natural Systems Design concluded that the Suak-Suiattle Indian Reservation is at risk from
flooding and erosion. The Suak-Suiattle Reservation lies on the banks of the Suak River near
Darrington, Washington. Over the next 80 years it is expected that flooding extent will
increase by fifty percent and the frequency of the floods will more than double. Currently,
the Tribe has no defenses in place to prevent the river from flooding into residential housing
areas and Tribal offices: http://nwifc.org/2014/11/sauk-suiattle-reservation-risk-climatechange/
Taking Action
Climate data initiative releases ecosystem vulnerability and water resources resilience
themes: The Obama Administration released two datasets as part of the Climate Data
Initiative, a focal point of Obama’s Climate Action Plan. The datasets focus on “Ecosystem
Vulnerability” and “Water.” Data from the Ecosystem Vulnerability hub can be used to
further understand the climate change impacts on water resources, biodiversity, invasive
species, the ability of our ecosystems to sequester carbon, and the frequency and extent of
wildland fires. Data from the water resources resilience theme provides information that can
help communities and governments develop plans and policies to ensure the provisioning of
water resources in the face of climate change. For more information visit:
http://www.data.gov/climate/
Congress passes bill to protect over 250,000 acres of wilderness: Congress has passed
the largest public lands bill in six years. In the bipartisan package over 250,000 acres of
wilderness in Washington, Montana, Nevada, and Colorado will be protected, 140 miles of
rivers will be protected, over a dozen national parks will be established or expanded, and
hundreds of thousands of acres will be removed from mineral development. The following
are examples of what the bill will protected: Hermosa Creek Special Management Area and
Wilderness (Colorado), Wovoka Wilderness (Nevada), Pine Forest Range Wilderness
(Nevada), Alpine Lakes Wilderness (Washington), Rocky Mountain Front Conservation
Management Area and Wilderness (Montana), North Fork watershed mineral withdrawal
(Montana): http://www.eenews.net/eedaily/2014/12/16/stories/1060010616
Climate and Weather Reports and Services
Where and when will we observe cloud changes due to climate warming? Models
predict that cloud distribution will change in response to climate warming, however
uncertainties in the satellite record are greater than the magnitude of the predicted effects.
Authors of a recent publication in Geophysical Research Letters discussed the effects of climate
change on cloud distribution. The researchers used satellite observations and modelsimulated observations to detected changes in cloud distribution that were attributable to
climate change. This study demonstrates that cloud vertical distribution is sensitive to
climate change and that cloud radiative effect and total cloud cover are not robust signatures
of climate change.
Chepfer, H., V. Noel, D. Winker, and M. Chiriaco. 2014. Where and when will we observe
cloud changes due to climate warming? Geophysical Research Letters, 41,
doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061792
Temperature records occur in clusters: Researchers analyzed the chronology of absolute
highest and lowest temperature records for minimum and maximum temperatures across the
US using climate station data from 1920 to 2013. Many of the absolute highest temperature
records were set during the 1930s, during the most severe drought of the twentieth century.
Additionally, during the same time period over 25% of the weather stations recorded their
highest minimum daily temperature. The authors then used 20 global climate models to
analyze the evolution of absolute temperature records through 2049 under a high-end
greenhouse gas scenario. These models predicted that high temperatures are expected to
increase and low temperatures are also expected to increase. The projected novel
temperature records may necessitate adaptation measures to minimize damage to
ecosystems.
Abatzoglou, J.T., and R. Barbero. 2014. Observed and projected changes in absolute
temperature records across the contiguous United States, Geophysical Research Letters, 41,
6501–6508. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2014GL061441
Why two-degrees Celsius? The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states
that we must keep the average global temperature increase since the pre-industrial era below
2 °C. Why do we focus so heavily on this specific target? This target number (2 °C) was
derived from the work of William Nordhaus who stated that beyond this point “the effects
of global warming on society became dangerous and problematic.” This specific two-degree
target became well established in the policy domain when it was toted as a potentially
achievable target during talks that preceded the Kyoto Protocol. Thereafter, two degrees
Celsius became known as a “tipping point”, after which ecosystems would be increasingly
disrupted. Given present projection trends we are expected to reach and surpass this twodegree tipping point within just 30 years:
http://pics.uvic.ca/news/news-scan/pics-climate-news-scan-december-18-2014 - science
Special Reports/ Announcements
Obama Administration releases final principles, requirements and guidelines for
federal investments in water resources: The Obama Administration released final version
of Principles, Requirements, and Guidelines (PR&G), designed to “govern how Federal
agencies evaluate proposed water resource development projects.” This is the first update to
the PR&G in over than thirty years. The guideline modifications improve the current
approach to water resource development by evaluating and expediting projects with the
greatest economic and community benefits:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/initiatives/PandG
Climate change indicators in the United States: The EPA has released the third edition
of “Climate Change Indicators in the United States,” a report designed to help readers
“understand long-term trends related to the causes and effects of climate change.” The
report includes 4 new indicators: Wildfires, heating and cooling degree days, Lyme disease,
and water level and temperature in the Great Lakes. All indicators included in the report are
related the causes or effects of climate change, with some indicators representing trends that
are more anthropogenic than others:
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/indicators/index.html
Obama permanently withdraws Bristol Bay from leasing: President Obama has
permanently withdrawn Alaska’s Bristol Bay, one of the world’s most valuable salmon
fisheries, from future oil and gas leasing. Invoking authority from the 1953 Outer
Continental Shelf Lands Act, President Obama removed the North Aleutian Basin planning
area (which includes Bristol Bay) from oil and gas leasing. This withdrawal will stand until
Obama or a future a president reverses it. This action was unsurprising because Obama has
granted Bristol Bay temporary protection in 2010 and was set to expire in 2017. This
memorandum withdraws approximately 32.5 million acres from development:
http://www.eenews.net/assets/2014/12/17/document_daily_01.pdf
UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming Webinars, Courses and Meetings
Jan 8, 11:00am-12:00pm (Pacific), Webinar, Climate Change in America's National Parks Climate Change: Simple. Serious. Solvable. With speaker A. Scott Denning is Monfort
Professor of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University
Jan 12, 9:00am-2:00pm, Webcast & Event, Sacramento, CA. – Public Policy Institute of
California Managing Drought
Jan 14 – Workshop, Everett, WA. NPLCC-funded workshop: Using Beaver to Restore
Streams
Jan 15-16 – Workshop, Portland, OR. Tribal Leaders Summit on Climate Change
Jan 21-22 – Workshop, Portland, OR. NPLCC-funded workshop: Using Beaver to Restore
Streams
Jan 15-March 17 - Online Course, Decision Analysis for Climate Change” NCTC class (ALC
3196). Register online.
Jan 21, 9:00am-12:00pm (Pacific) – Webinar, Regional framework for preventing an
introduction of dreissenids to the Pacific Northwest
Jan 21, 2015 10-11:30am (Pacific) - Call, Pacific Northwest Tribal Climate Change Network
Call
Jan 21-22, 2015 – Workshop, Portland, OR. NPLCC-funded workshop: Using Beaver to
Restore Streams
Jan 23, 11:00-12:00 (Pacific), Webinar, NCTC - “Wood Replenishment: A Superhero in the
Battle against Climate Change” Presented by: Scott Nicolai, Yakama Nation Fisheries.
Jan 26, 2015 - Training, Santa Fe, NM. NCTC Course Climate-Smart Conservation
Jan 27, 11:00am-12:00pm (Pacific) – Webinar, Great Northern LCC - Quantifying the
benefits of watershed restoration in the face of climate change: Developing and testing a
toolbox for managers that focuses on the impacts of road systems
Jan 27-29, Conference, Washington D.C. The 15th National Conference and Global Forum on
Science, Policy and the Environment
Jan 28, 2015, 10-11am (Pacific) - Webinar, NPLCC Science-Management "Stream
temperature database & high-resolution NorWeST climate scenarios." Registration required.
Feb 3-5 - Conference, Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. 14th Annual Stream Restoration
Symposium
Feb 3 - Training, Online. NCTC Climate Academy.
Feb 9 - Symposium, Portland, OR. Urban Ecology & Conservation Symposium
Feb 10, 11:00am-12:00pm (Pacific), Webinar – OneNOAA Science Seminar - WeatherClimate Linkages: Analysis, Modeling, and Prediction Efforts
Feb 12 – Workshop, Weed, CA. NPLCC-funded workshop: Using Beaver to Restore Streams
Feb 12-16 – Conference, San Jose, CA. American Association for the Advancement of Science
Annual Meeting
Feb 17-19 - Conference, Boise State University, ID. Great Basin Consortium Conference
Feb 23-25 – Conference, Washington, D.C. Association of Climate Change Officers Climate
Leadership Conference
Mar 8-11 – Conference, Pacific Grove, CA. The Pacific Climate Workshop (PACLIM) 2015
Apr 21-25 – Conference, Chicago, IL. Association of American Geographers' Annual Meeting
May 12-15 - Conference, St. Louis, MO. 2nd National Adaptation Forum
Other Ongoing Activities
NOAA Webinar Series on Ocean Acidification
COMET Program Makes Available Recorded Presentations from 2013 Climate Variability
and Change Course: The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research's COMET
Program has made available recorded presentations from its 2013 offering of the Climate
Variability and Change Virtual Course. The five-day course provided extensive background
on climate variability and change with emphasis on effective communication skills. The
course is free and open to anyone. Content is geared towards those who already understand
the foundations of climate science.
Monthly: NOAA Hosts Monthly Webinar Series on Climate Information for Managing
Risks in Water Resources: Working with collaborators such as the U.S. National Integrated
Drought Information System, Water Research Foundation, Water Environment Federation,
Water Environment Research Foundation, and American Water Works Association, the
Sectoral Applications Research Program in NOAA's Climate Program Office is hosting a
series of webinars the third Thursday of every month. For a listing of webinars, visit this
site.
Interactive Education Module on Climate Change Science and Modeling The Climate
Change Resource Center has released a new interactive online education module on basic
climate change science and climate modeling. The module was designed to make climate
change science approachable to the general public and to provide flexibility for busy
professionals, but also to facilitate a greater level of understanding and depth through
interactive features. It will help the Forest Service continue to make progress on the Climate
Change Scorecard by giving all employees access to a new education option. The module,
“Climate Change Science and Modeling: What You Need to Know”, gives a brief overview
of the climate system, greenhouse gases, climate models, current climate impacts, and future
climate projections. Interactive features allow users to control their learning experience, with
opportunities to explore outside links, and learn definitions and relevant facts. The main
material is followed by an activity specific to the user’s geographical region, and completing
the activity will generate a personalized certificate. The climate change module is available
here.
PICS Canada Offers Online Climate Courses: Climate Insights 101 is a short course series
designed to provide users with an in-depth understanding of climate science and related
issues. New courses in 2014 focus on mitigation.
Regional guides for teachers/interpreters: Educational resources for each region of the
country, tied to the National Climate Assessment's key findings have been assembled and are
now posted on NOAA's teaching climate webpages. (Scroll down to use the clickable map to
get to the resources that have been gathered into an online educators "guide" for your
region.) Each region's educators "guide" includes a short synopsis of the findings of the
Assessment, and a listing of educational resources for the key messages for that region.
Resources include background info, lesson plans, videos, etc. This will provide one good
place to start if you are looking for info specific to your region. The guides have been vetted
by scientists and educators.
List Servers
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BioClimate News & Events from NCCWSC & the CSCs
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ClimateNews-- is a snapshot from British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests, Lands and
Natural Resource Operations, provides new and emerging climate change adaptation and
mitigation activities in the natural resource sector. Contact:
katharine.mccallion@gov.bc.ca
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Climate CIRCulator (Oregon Climate Change Research Institute)
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Climate Impacts Group (Univ. Washington)
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Earth to Sky Newsletter (NASA/DOI Partnership): anita.l.davis@nasa.gov
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EPA Climate Change and Water E-Newsletter
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FRESC monthly e-newsletter: Contact fresc_outreach@usgs.gov
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FWS CC Monthly E-Newsletter: Contact kate_freund@fws.gov
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LCC list servers (see your LCC’s website) and the national LCC Network newsletter
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Ocean Acidification Report
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OneNOAA Science Webinars
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NASA's Climate Change Newsletter climate-feedback@jpl.nasa.gov
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North Pacific LCC Listserve – North Pacific Tidings - important news and
announcements; and NPLCC Climate Science Digest - new science/information
affecting natural and cultural resources.
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NCTC Climate Change List server (upcoming webinars and courses): contact
christy_coghlan@fws.gov
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Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS) (British Columbia) Climate News Scan- a
weekly summary of the major climate-change related science, technology, and policy
advances of direct relevance to the BC provincial and the Canadian federal governments
and more generally to businesses and civil society
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PointBlue Weekly Ecology, Climate Change and Related e-Newsletter: Contact
ecohen@prbo.org
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PNW Tribal Climate Change Network: Contact kathy@uoregon.edu
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US Forest Service Fish & Wildlife Research Updates
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USGS Climate Matters
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White House Energy and Environment Updates