Gila County

Natural Resources

Climate

Workshops

• Riparian
• Range (outside link)
• Forest

Resources

• Publications
• Links

Concerns of natural resource managers

• Ecotone shifts and ecosystem changes - need for direction to develop prescriptions for species composition following land disturbances.
• Lack of region-specific climate information and research to make sound management decisions.
• Cost/benefit analyses for climate change management actions have not been well-developed.

Effectiveness of workshop approach

• The workshop served as a first step in addressing the information needs of resource managers
• Participants indicated improved understanding of:
  *observed and projected climate change, and potential impacts in the Southwest;
  *the need to integrate climate information in their operations, and for long-term ecological studies.
• Seventy-five percent of the participants indicated interest in participatin in other climate workshops using this interactive approach.

Tangible workshop outcomes

• UACE and collaborators are producing fact sheets on workshop themes
• Partnership with Society for Range Management - Arizona Section to provide a 1 1/2 - day workshop on climate and rangelands at their annual winter meeting in 2006.
• Partnership with the Arizona Governor's Forest Health Advisory Council to write a technical white paper based on the workshop efforts.

Recommended follow-up activities

• "Translation" of climate science issues into simpler terms to facilitate better understanding.
• Extension educators serve as "information brokers" and facilitators of knowledge transfer and climate monitoring.
• Provide workshops, fact sheets, web resources and opportunities to continue exchange of ideas and information to affect planning and decision making.