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You're receiving this newsletter because you've participated or expressed interest in climate change-related activities occurring in the Northwoods.
This newsletter features projects, events, and documents related to climate change and northern forests. Our goal is to help you keep up to date on happenings across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan that are part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework, as well as other efforts.
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Minnesota
Local forestry experts meet to evaluate climate change vulnerability
 NIACS organized a workshop in Grand Rapids, MN, in July to discuss how climate change may influence forest ecosystems in the northern part of the state. Twenty-three experts from a variety of organizations participated in the workshop, including UPM-Blandin, Rajala Companies, DNR, The Nature Conservancy, Northern Research Station, University of Minnesota, and the Superior and Chippewa National Forests. Workshop participants used Minnesota's Native Plant Community system to organize the discussion. The results from this workshop will directly inform a forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment being produced as part of the Northwoods Climate Change Response Framework. To learn more please contact Stephen Handler.
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Michigan
Assessing species vulnerability to climate change
 Which species are most vulnerable to climate change? The Michigan DNR and Michigan Natural Features Inventory are trying to find out. They are using a rapid assessment tool on a wide range of over 400 plants and animals, both terrestrial and aquatic. Final vulnerability scores will be available in December, but initial results suggest that half of the species assessed are at least moderately vulnerable to predicted climate change. This assessment will complement other work on climate change vulnerability in the region. Contact Chris Hoving at the Michigan DNR to learn more.
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Wisconsin
Shared Landscapes Initiative continues to grow
The Shared Landscapes Initiative (SLI), a cross-ownership forum for northern Wisconsin's forestry community to discuss climate change, has had several exciting developments in recent months. The effort launched a new website at www.sharedlandscapes.org to more efficiently share news, ideas, and activities. Additionally, Jerry Greenberg from the American Forest Foundation is joining the SLI to coordinate the group's activities. Finally, The Nature Conservancy and the Bad River tribal natural resources department are actively working on adaptation demonstrations that will provide real-life examples of forest management that integrates climate considerations. The Nature Conservancy's demonstration was a topic of a summer field tour of Wisconsin's Council on Forestry (below; photo courtesy of Jane Severt), a governor-appointed group of leaders in the forestry community who direct Wisconsin's efforts to achieve sustainable forestry. For more information, contact Maria Janowiak.
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Suggested Resource
Climate change video and booklets from National Research Council
 The National Research Council has released a new booklet and video designed to help the public gain a better understanding of climate change. The 36-page booklet, Climate Change: Evidence, Impacts, and Choices answers commonly asked questions about the science of climate change in three parts. Part I summarizes the current state of knowledge about climate change with evidence of climate change being observed around the world; Part II summarizes projections of future climate changes and impacts expected in this century and beyond; and Part III examines how science can help inform choices about managing and reducing the risks posed by climate change. A new video, Climate Change: Lines of Evidence, follows Part I of the booklet and explains the lines of evidence that have built the current scientific consensus about climate change and its causes.
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| Community Resources
Community-based adaptation program seeks Great Lakes particpants
The Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) works with rural communities on climate change adaptation. MFPP is currently accepting applications for new communities to enroll in their 10-month educational curriculum and planning effort. Two communities in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have participated in Climate Solutions University in previous years - Alger County and Delta County. This year, they are offering separate programs for adaptation planning and implementation, which each come with a little bit of funding and a lot of guidance. Please share this announcement widely, and think about whether any Great Lakes communities you work with could benefit from this sort of advanced climate change planning.
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For more information about this newsletter or to suggest an item for a future issue, email Stephen Handler.
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