Summer 2019 Issue 2

Summer 2019 - Issue 2

USDA California Climate Hub

News & Notes

The USDA California Climate Hub within the Agricultural Research Service at the UC Davis John Muir Institute works with partners across federal and state agencies, universities, and industry to help enable climate-informed decision making and advance the adaptive capacity for California's working and managed agricultural, range, and forest lands. These newsletters are just one approach toward meeting this objective. We encourage you to get in touch with us if we can be of further service or assistance.

Visit the USDA Climate Hub Website

Current Drought Monitor

and August Temperature Outlook

California continues to remain out of drought, with only Orange and San Diego counties experiencing abnormally dry conditions. Fortunately, despite predictions for above average temperatures over the coming weeks, the Climate Prediction Center does not anticipate that drought will develop.

Climate Prediction Center Outlooks & Forecasts

NIDIS Drought Portal Outlooks & Forecasts

Hub Partner Spotlight: Dr. Tapan Pathak

The California Climate Hub is fortunate to work with talented researchers, extension specialists, and industry experts to develop and share information that helps California's forest, range, and agriculture professionals make climate-informed decisions. We are excited to showcase some of our Hub partners through a new Spotlight series that will feature a Hub partner and some of their impactful, relevant work. This new series kicks off with a feature on Dr. Tapan Pathak. If you have a recommendation for a researcher, extension specialist or agent, industry expert, or collaborative project that should be featured, please be in touch.

Beaver Dams and Watershed Restoration

Northern California's Scott Valley is home to a pioneering new approach to watershed restoration that uses in-stream structures that function like beaver dams to promote positive ecosystem changes. The installation and monitoring of beaver dam analogues, as these structures are known, requires close collaboration between regulatory agencies, research and implementing partners, and private landowners. The challenges of working with diverse partner groups has come with payoffs for Scott Valley, and the outcomes and lessons learned from this early-adopting community have been catalogued. Project lead Susan Charnley details the experimental approach and key messages in this Forest Service report.

In the News: Wildfire Hazard Risk in Small Communities Across the West

Dedicated reporters from Arizona Central spent six months analyzing demographics and wildfire data to identify communities most vulnerable to wildfire hazards. The resulting interactive story map highlights community risk and the efforts communities are making to prepare for – what is in some places inevitable – wildfire. The report ultimately identifies some overarching actions that can help to save lives as forests become more populated and the fire season grows longer: (1) forest management, (2) community and individual evacuation plans, and (3) wireless emergency alert systems. For the full report and an interactive map where you can explore wildfire hazard and human risk for communities across the West, follow the link below.

Ahead of the Fire: Wildfire risks across the West

Upcoming Events

Meeting: California Society of American Foresters Summer Meeting, August 15th - 16th, Mammoth Lakes

Symposium: Climate Change and the Ecology of Sierra Nevada Forests, September 20th - 21st, Merced

Webinar: California-Nevada Drought and Climate Outlook Webinar. September 23rd, Online

Stay in Touch

Let us know if you have news worthy items, outputs or products, or associated resources that may be of interest to the USDA California Climate Hub community. You can email items to Steven Ostoja , USDA California Climate Hub Director, or to Lauren Parker , USDA California Climate Hub Postdoctoral Fellow.