Minnesota
New project models impacts on northern MN forests
 Researchers from Portland State University and the Forest Service Northern Research Station are collaborating on a USDA AFRI-funded project to explicitly consider climate change in forest management planning in north-central MN. The project will bring together researchers and forest managers from the Chippewa National Forest and other organizations. The outputs will refine our predictions about how climate change and disturbances, such as insects and wind damage, will affect tree species important for timber and wildlife habitat. The project will also provide land managers with a tool to visually compare different scenarios of forest management with and without climate change to determine how their actions might affect future forests. This project will produce new outputs from the LANDIS model, which will complement previous modeling work done throughout the Northwoods. Please contact Melissa Lucash or Eric Gustafson to learn more.
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Michigan
Community adaptation plan in preparation for Delta County
 The Delta Conservation District in Gladstone, MI, participated in the Climate Solutions University to create a climate change adaptation plan for the community of Delta County. The District initiated the project in February 2012, and identified stakeholders interested in preventing and responding to the effects of climate change on the local community. Forest and water resources were analyzed, specifically looking at climate change risks and the potential economic cost to the community. The intent is for the community to use this plan when assessing needs and creating policies for future management of forest and water resources. Callie Bertsch, Soil Conservation Technician, is leading the project with assistance from District employees. Feel free to contact Callie with any questions or comments.
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| Suggested Reading & Video
Climate change vulnerabilities within the forestry sector for the Midwestern United States
 NIACS staff authored a newly released report that summarizes major climate change impacts and vulnerabilities for the forestry sector in the Midwest. This report is part of a series that examines climate change impacts on a range of sectors in the Midwest and was developed as input to the National Climate Assessment, a nationwide effort coordinated by the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The Midwest Technical Input Reports were organized by the Great Lakes Integrated Sciences and Assessments (GLISA) Center and the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment. To read the forestry report and the others in the series, visit the GLISA website. Also, you can watch a video presentation that summarizes the main points of the report, presented at the 2012 GLISA Symposium in Ann Arbor, MI. ________________________________________________________
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Suggested Webinar
Developing adaptive silvicultural strategies in the context of climate change
 Linda Nagel of Michigan Technological University recently gave a webinar on adaptive silviculture for climate change. Prepared for the Forest Guild webinar series, the presentation covered the probable effects of climate change on forest ecosystems and the role of forest management in addressing these effects. She highlighted silvicultural examples from northern hardwoods stands and some of the resources being developed as a part of the Climate Change Response Framework. This presentation also introduced the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project, a collaborative effort between Michigan Tech, NIACS, and the U.S. Forest Service. For more information please see the recorded webinar and presentation slides available on the Forest Guild website.
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