The National Workshop on Climate and Forests was held at the DuBois Conference Center at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, on May 16-18, 2011.
The workshop was conducted by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension and the Society of American Foresters. Sponsors also included the USDA Forest Service, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Northern Arizona University. Professional CFE credits were made available through the Society of American Foresters.
The theme was Planning Tools and Perspectives on Adaptation and Mitigation Options. Renowned scientists and administrators addressed these options and related topics at the workshop, which was designed to:
- stimulate thinking about how ecosystems may adapt to changes;
- explore the role that managers may have to mitigate ecosystem responses;
- foster discussion and partnerships among managers and scientists; and
- make planning and modeling tools available accessible online.
Also included was a pre-workshop afternoon field trip during which participants explored the Four Forests Restoration Initiative and sites of Ponderosa pine ecosystem restoration, aspen decline, wildfire, and piñon pine bark beetle mortality.
The following links provide access to the workshop presentations, poster abstracts, and registration:
- Presentations May 17th, 2011
- Presentations May 18th, 2011
- Poster Abstracts
- National Workshop on Climate and Forests - Main Page
- Registration Website
The workshop was attended by 205 participants representing private, public, and nonprofit forest practitioners, federal and university researchers, and extension educators. They heard from 34 renowned research scientists and modelers, national association and lobby leaders, and extension administrators to learn the most current state of climate and forest research, management options, and policy. More than 100 participants went on the pre-workshop field trip, and 63 posters were submitted for the poster session. A concurrent session demonstrated eight online models and tools for forest management that address climate. The workshop ended after nine regional focus groups discussed the adaptation options for forest management and how they might pertain to their region.
