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Wisconsin
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| Flood damage in northern Wisconsin, July 2016. |
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Extreme rainfall and the connection to climate change climate
On July 11 and 12, a powerful storm dropped 7 to 10 inches of rain across a large swath of northern Minnesota and Wisconsin, from Brainerd to Ashland to Ironwood. Flooding damage was intense, with many roads and bridges washed out across the region. Extreme weather events like this usually beg the question about the possible contribution of climate change, and in this case the connection is quite clear. The Climate Signals website lays out a very compelling argument about how this recent storm fits into the overall pattern of more intense rainfall across the Midwest. Also, an article by Professor Randy Lehr in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discusses how events like this force us to make serious decisions about planning for the future.
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Michigan
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| Kailey Marcinkowski and Stephen Handler at the BIA Partners in Action Meeting. |
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NIACS shares climate change information at regional BIA meeting
The Midwest Region of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) organizes an annual meeting for BIA staff to connect with tribes and other partners across the region. The "Partners in Action" meeting covers a wide range of topics, including early childhood education, land acquisition, natural resources management, and self-determination. The 2016 meeting was in Sault St. Marie, MI, and NIACS staff were invited to give two presentions. One talk focused on climate change basics and Frequently Asked Questions, while the other talk concentrated on forest impacts and real-world adaptation examples. NIACS will continue to work with tribal partners throughout the Midwest and Northeast in the year ahead! |
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Minnesota
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| SFI Logo. |
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SFI State Implementation Committee considers climate change
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is one of the most widely-used certification standards for forest management and fiber sourcing, with millions of certified acres across the Northwoods. The Minnesota State Implementation Committee (SIC) for SFI is kind of like a governing board that helps determine how the SFI certification standard is implemented within the state. SIC members include Minnesota Forest Industries, Minnesota Logger Education Program, Minnesota DNR, Molpus, Louisiana-Pacific, Verso, UPM-Blandin, Norbord, and other certified organizations. NIACS was recently invited to participate in an SIC meeting. Stephen Handler shared information about climate change risks to forests in Minnesota, adaptation examples, and ways that SFI could help promote further awareness on this issue across the state. We look forward to future collaboration with the SIC and forest industry members! Contact Stephen Handler or Ben Bagdon (Minnesota Forest Industries) to learn more. |
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Upcoming Events
September 27-28, 2016 - Boyne Falls, MI
NIACS is partnering with Heart of the Lakes and the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
to organize a summit for Michigan's tribes and land conservancies around a common theme: forest conservation in an era of rapid change. Day 1 will be a large meeting with informational presentations and panel discussions, and Day 2 will be an in-depth adaptation workshop. Come join us!
October 5-7, 2016 - Ann Arbor, MI
The Great Lakes Adaptation Forum is bringing people together from across our region to share information and best practices about climate adaptation. The meeting will cover a variety of disciplines (including forestry!), and is being organized by GLISA, and sponsored by the Northeast Climate Science Center, Michigan State University, NOAA, and other partners.
The Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative and the University of Minnesota have teamed up to create a monthly series of forestry webinars. The next webinar will be "Forest Management Effects on Water" on March 15 at 1pm Eastern. Check out the whole series!
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Learning Opportunities
Michigan State University is continuing to offer an innovative, online graduate course for working professionals who want to learn more about forest carbon.The curriculum is applied and interdisciplinary, and scholarships are available for 25% off the cost of tuition. Learn more at the
MSU Forest Carbon website and contact
Lauren Cooper.
These two-page handouts summarize climate change model results for several different landscapes across the Northwoods. Print a copy to keep at your desk or carry with you in the woods!
If you haven't seen it yet, please take a moment and visit the online version of the Workbook. It's designed for professionals, and we think the self-paced, interactive environment will be a nice fit for people who want to consider climate adaptation for their own forestry projects.
Watch a recorded webinar that explains the features of the Online Workbook (wait for the player to load, then skip to about 15 minutes into the recording).
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Feel free to contact
Stephen Handler with any comments questions or suggestions for projects within the Northwoods Response Framework!
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