USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub

The USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub (NFCH) helps natural resource managers, woodland owners, and others working in forested ecosystems to integrate climate change information into planning, decision making, and management activities.

SCIENCE APPLICATIONS

The USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub (NFCH) provides practical, science-based climate information and climate adaptation training. NIACS leads the NFCH, which tiers to and expands on the work of the Midwest and Northeast Regional Climate Hubs by providing forest sector-specific information and outreach. Additionally, the NFCH collaborates across the country with national partners and regional Hubs to produce specialized adaptation resources and training events.

2020 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The NFCH continues to provide leadership in climate change adaptation and response across its region— and beyond!

Integration with NRCS

The NFCH hosted Kristen Giesting as our second-ever Climate Hub liaison from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Her work this year included introducing the Adaptation Workbook and NFCH products to NRCS staff and partners, and developing new climate-informed resources.

"I want to thank you for an excellent workshop. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun too! "

- Lillian Ruiz, Executive Director, CT Council on Soil and Water Conservation

Support to USDA Regional Climate Hubs

The NFCH continues to be a leader within the national network of USDA Hubs. The NFCH supported the California Climate Hub to co-lead an adaptation planning workshop for the University of California, Davis and is leading the development of a series of climate summary reports with the Midwest Climate Hub. The NFCH partnered with SW FireCLiME to host a workshop on the Kaibab National Forest and test FireCLiME’s new Adaptation Strategies and Approaches for Fire-Adapted Ecosystems.

Training and technical assistance

The NFCH led 16 adaptation workshops for many organizations and partners, training nearly 550 professionals. NFCH expanded the online Adaptation Planning and Practices (APP) curriculum to land managers outside of the Midwest and Northeast and continued to support the Department of Defense on climate change education using CCRC educational resources. We partnered with the Land Trust Alliance to support land trusts in their efforts to integrate climate change into conservation planning and worked with the Ashland County (WI) Land and Water Conservation Department to create the first climate-informed Resource Management Plan in the state.

"Wow - that was amazing! I really appreciate your time, including the time to prepare for the call and provide the handout and be ready for the questions.... I was impressed not only with the amount, but the quality and depth of the questions, which I think shows that people are really beginning to focus on this topic. Your presentation set a great stage. Fantastic job! Serendipity played a part here in that you were the perfect person for this topic – being able to handle forests and grasslands and wetlands. "

- MaryKay O’Donnell, Midwest Senior Program Manager, Land Trust Alliance - Eastern Division

LOOKING FORWARD

The NFCH will continue developing and delivering tools for diverse groups of natural resources managers and provide a variety of topic-specific adaptation planning workshops for practitioners. One example is a freshwater coastal ecosystem adaptation menu, in close collaboration with the US Fish and Wildlife Service and a broad group of authors and experts. Additionally, the NFCH will continue working with other Hubs and organizations to help support regional and national efforts. For example, projects in California include a new California forested ecosystems adaptation menu and two planning efforts using the Adaptation Workbook and led by American Forests in the San Bernardino mountains and on the Sierra National Forest.