Climate-informed Land Management Planning workshop.
The Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science (NIACS) has partnered with the Maryland DNR to host a two-day workshop to consider the impacts of climate change on forested reservoir watersheds. This event will provide opportunities to learn about climate change and its effect on forested reservoir watersheds in the Mid-Atlantic.
Background: A USDA Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry Landscape Scale Restoration project, “Adapting Mid-Atlantic Reservoir Forests to Climate Change” seeks to bring together watershed and forest managers in the Mid-Atlantic Piedmont and Coastal Plain to address climate considerations, growing wildland-urban interface issues, and fragmentation. The first phase of the project was launched with a January 2020 workshop to explore climate change vulnerabilities and develop regional strategies approaches for adaptive silvicultural techniques. This workshop brought together 70 natural resource professionals from the Maryland Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, and municipal reservoir forest managers from the cities of Frederick and Baltimore. The second phase of the project will implement climate-adapted silviculture in 15-year forest management plans for 2 municipal source water protection forests: Baltimore City Reservoirs and the Frederick City Watershed. The desired outcome of the project is to increase climate-adapted forest management across 300,000 acres in the Mid-Atlantic region to promote forests that continue to protect water quality and regenerate themselves in a changing climate. For more information, please contact Anne Hairston-Strang, Associate Director of the Maryland Forest Service.
Day 1 - January 30. Preparing for Climate Change in Forested Watershed Management
As our climate shifts, stewards of Mid-Atlantic reservoir forests are beginning to focus their experience and creativity on ways to successfully respond to those changes. Slides from the presentations given on Day 1 are available for download:
- Maryland’s Climate Variability and Change. Philip Stratton, Assistant Maryland State Climatologist
- Climate Change Trends and Effects on Forest Ecosystems. Patricia Leopold, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
- Controlling Invasive Species in a Changing Climate. Kayla Cross, Invasive Plant Control, Inc.
- Climate Change Effects on Carbon. Kendall DeLyser, American Forests
- Adapting Reservoir Forests to Climate Change: Approaches for Action. Danielle Shannon, Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science
- Silviculture of Northern Forests through the Adaptation Lens. Tony D’Amato, Rubenstein School, University of Vermont
- Global Change Impacts on Central Appalachians Forests. Margot Kaye, Penn State University
- Mid-Atlantic Hardwood Silviculture and Promoting Regeneration for Climate Adaptation. Jamie Schuler, West Virginia University
- Enhancing Climate Adaptation of Central Appalachian Spruce Ecosystems. Deborah Landau, TNC – Maryland/DC Chapter
- Using Applied Climate Science Modeling to Develop Forest Management Strategies. Leah Johnson, Longwood Garden
Day 2 - January 31. Forest Adaptation Planning and Practices Workshop
Natural resource managers will incorporate climate change considerations and identify actions for adaptation into their own real-world forest management projects. This active, hands-on training s being held for a limited number of participants who will bring their own real-world project and use the Adaptation Workbook (pgs. 74-89) and menus of strategies and approaches to create a custom adaptation plan.
Note: This workshop was approved for Continuing Forestry Education credits for both days. Day 1 is approved for 7 Category 1 CFE units. Day 2 is approved for 4 Category 1 CFE units. The attendance form has been submitted to SAF, and you should your units appear on your record in up to 4 weeks.
More Resources
- If you're working in western Maryland, check out the Central Appalachians Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment
- If you're working in eastern Maryland, check out the Mid-Atlantic Forest Ecosystem Vulnerability Assessment
- For more information on tree species and species projections
- Climate Adaptations in the Northeast's Forest Products Supply Chain and Adaptation Toolkit
This workshop will be valuable to those managing forested areas. This workshop is being organized by the USDA Climate Hubs, Forest Service, Maryland Forest Service, and Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science. For more information about the Adaptation Workbook or menus of Adaptation Strategies, please contact Patricia Leopold and Danielle Shannon. For more information about the LSR project, please contact Anne Hairston-Strang, Associate Director of the Maryland Forest Service.