The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) partnered with the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State University (CSU) on a workshop to help the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) incorporate drivers of change into their Forest Action Plan update process. This workshop used the NIACS adaptation workbook to provide an active, hands-on training to assist CSFS foresters and partners on incorporating climate change considerations and identifying actions for adaptation into their 2020 Forest Action Plan update.
Overarching goals of the workshop included providing the participants skills to be able to:
- Describe regional and local effects of climate change on Colorado’s forest ecosystems and identify gaps in knowledge;
- Understand adaptation concepts and principles in the context of sustainable forest management;
- Describe resources and tools that can be used to integrate climate change adaptation into on-the-ground management; and
- Connect climate change adaptation strategies to the CSFS Forest Action Plan (FAP).
Courtney Peterson is a Research Associate II in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO where she serves as the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Coordinator, focusing on disseminating project findings and translating them into outreach and training opportunities with land managers and scientists working to manage forests for climate change adaptation. Courtney collaborates with NIACS on climate science communication and adaptation initiatives, working to connect partners to NIACS programs, resources, and training opportunities.
Linda Nagel is Professor and Department Head of the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO and serves as the lead principal investigator for the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) Network. Linda collaborates with NIACS through educating natural resource professionals on how to integrate climate change considerations into management planning and decision-making.
Patricia serves as coordinator for the Climate Change Response Framework projects in the Central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic regions. She has recently assisted the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to complete a vulnerability assessment and adaptation plan. Patricia continues to work with partners in both regions to incorporate climate change into planning and management.
Chris is the director of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS), a partnership led by the US Forest Service and designed as a boundary-spanning organization providing climate adaptation services to land managers.
Megan Matonis is an instructor with the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship Department at Colorado State University, and the Colorado State Forest Service-Warner College of Natural Resources Liaison and Experiential Learning Coordinator. Megan helps connect students and forest managers to professional development resources and trainings.
This workshop was organized in partnership with the Colorado State Forest Service as a component of their 2020 Forest Action Plan update.
