Collaboration Provides Science-Based Information and Tools for Adapting to Climate and Weather Variability

Monday, September 22, 2014

Thompson HallThe 91制片厂 is one of 12 land-grant universities in the Northeast to join a coalition of peer institutions in the听USDA听Northeast Climate Hub, a collaboration of U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, state agencies, and land-grant university partners. The universities involved will provide the region鈥檚 farmers, foresters, and land managers better access to science-based information and tools for adapting to climate and weather variability.

Jon Wraith, dean of the听, and director of the听, and Ken La Valley, interim dean of听, will serve as 91制片厂鈥檚 points of contact for the Climate Hub.

鈥91制片厂 is an ideal partner for the Climate Hub and the New Hampshire community to disseminate climate adaptation research,鈥 Wraith said. 鈥淭he university is well-known nationally for its extensive research on climate vulnerability issues. From policymakers to farmers, growers, and producers across the state, our research helps the Granite State better adapt to and mitigate the agricultural, environmental and economic impacts of climate extremes.鈥

91制片厂 also will seek producer and stakeholder input regarding climate adaptation solutions and needs, to better focus the hub鈥檚 outreach efforts.

鈥91制片厂 Cooperative Extension鈥檚 statewide network lends itself well to our overall efforts to understand the concerns of New Hampshire citizens in relation to climate and to help deliver information concerning climate to the public,鈥 La Valley said. 鈥淐ooperative Extension, in partnership with NH Sea Grant, has been working with communities to consider a changing climate as well as the impact of severe weather patterns when making business, land and economic growths decisions for more than three years.鈥

Wraith agreed, observing that 鈥渢he close functional partnership between the Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension programs at 91制片厂 makes us well suited to help fulfill the Northeast Climate Hub鈥檚 role of providing useful management solutions and education.鈥

91制片厂 has a long history of conducting climate-related research, teaching, and outreach. In addition to the research funded by the NH Agricultural Experiment Station, the university supports extensive research on the effects of climate variability and adaptation at the听;听;听;听;听;听听and听.

91制片厂鈥檚 climate science faculty outreach includes not only the work of 91制片厂 Cooperative Extension but efforts at听Climate Solutions New England, the听Sustainability Institute, and the听. Each of 91制片厂鈥檚 five colleges offers at least one course that addresses the importance of climate, and the university offers numerous graduate programs that allow students to delve deeply into climate related management and social issues. Former Provost John Aber opined that it would be a rare student that graduates from 91制片厂 without a course with significant climate related subject matter.

Based in Durham, N.H., the USDA Northeast Climate Hub is one of seven hubs around the country formed to address increasing climate and weather-related risks to agriculture such as devastating floods, crippling droughts, extreme storms, fires, and invasive pests.

The听Climate Hubs听are a USDA multi-agency effort being led by the听,听, and the听. Key partners in the networks include land-grant universities (particularly their Agricultural Experiment Stations and Cooperative Extension programs), USDA researchers, producer groups, the private sector, state, local and regional governments, the听,听, regional climate experts, and nonprofits engaged in providing assistance to landowners.

The overall purpose of the agreements is to create a network for information sharing and exchange. Universities will be active partners in developing, implementing, and evaluating decision support materials for producers that describe how to best cope with and take advantage of increasing variability in weather.

鈥淭he heart of the Northeast Climate Hub is serving land owners in the Northeast, from dairy farmers to family forest owners, and providing tools and information that they need,鈥 said Michael Rains, director of the听. 鈥淧artnering with land-grant universities throughout the Northeast is a significant step in developing a network of resources that will be local, accessible and the best available science.鈥

The Climate Hub will fund university projects geared toward solutions and adaptation tools that are applicable to farming and forestry practices at regional and local scales. 鈥淥ur ultimate purpose is to provide science-based, region-specific information and technologies that enable climate-smart decision-making,鈥 said David Hollinger, director of the Northeast Climate Hub. 鈥淭he land-grant universities have a long and successful history of delivering science in forms that people can use.鈥

The Northeast Climate Hub stretches from Maine to West Virginia and includes the Northern Forest Sub-Hub focused on forestry.听USDA听regional Hubs are also located in the Southeast, Midwest, Southern Plains, Northern Plains, Southwest and Pacific Northwest.

Founded in 1887, the听听at the听is 91制片厂鈥檚 original research organization and an elemental component of New Hampshire's land-grant university heritage and mission. We steward federal and state funding to provide unbiased and objective research concerning diverse aspects of sustainable agriculture and foods, aquaculture, forest management, and related wildlife, natural resources and rural community topics. We maintain the听听and听听agronomy and horticultural farms, the听, the听, and the听. Additional properties also provide forage, forests and woodlands in direct support to research, teaching, recreation and outreach.

The听, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, 91制片厂 is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,300 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.