Natural resource managers worked to develop management actions that help ecosystems respond to climate change. This workshop was designed to:
- Provide information on the current and anticipated effects of climate change on the forested landscapes across New York and New England.
- Outline adaptation concepts and strategies supporting sustainable management of forests, water, and other natural resources.
- Describe resources and tools that can be used to integrate climate change into the management of forests and forest watersheds.
- Identify actions that enhance the ability of forests and other ecosystems to adapt to changing conditions.
Real-world examples of climate adaptation projects that work to meet landowner goals were featured, and participants engaged in a variety of interactive activities to identify climate change issues and potential adaptation actions.
Organized by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Environment Division, NIACS, and USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub.
Maria Janowiak is deputy director of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, led by the USDA Forest Service. Her biggest project is to coordinate the Climate Change Response Framework activities in New England and northern New York, an area that includes more than 40 million acres of forest stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the peaks of the Appalachians. She has also assisted in expanding adaptation work to new topics, including agriculture and carbon management. Maria has more than ten years of experience in helping natural resource professionals understand and adapt to climate change, with particular emphasis on the northern forests ecosystems. She has led multiple ecoregional vulnerability assessments, created decision-support tools, taught courses, and provided direct outreach to thousands of people.
Patricia Leopold coordinates the Climate Change Response Framework projects in the Central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic. In both regions, our partners work together to create and update forest vulnerability assessments that synthesize scientific models and published research to predict forest response to climate change under a range of future climate scenarios. Patricia helps managers use the Adaptation Workbook process to consider how vulnerabilities may affect management goals and supports them when developing individual adaptation actions that can help address vulnerabilities and meet management objectives. These resources are adaptive, incorporate new information into planning processes, and work at multiple scales - from from wood lots to state agencies and cross-boundary management topics.
Rob Croll joined the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission (GLIFWC) in June of 2018 as a Policy Analyst in the Division of Intergovernmental Affairs. His duties include coordination of GLIFWC’s Climate Change Program and providing policy analysis and operational experience to the Enforcement Division. Prior to GLIFWC Rob served for eighteen years as a Waterways Conservation Officer with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, specializing in environmental enforcement and natural resource criminal investigations. Rob has a Masters in Environmental Law & Policy from Vermont Law School and did his undergraduate work in Environmental Studies at Northland College.
