Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment & Adaptation Strategies for Sierra Nevada Resources; Sierra Nevada Workshop Series October 14-­17, 2014 Workshop Summary Report

EcoAdapt and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) led the Sierra Nevada Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Strategy project (SN-­‐VAAS), a cooperative venture that identified vulnerabilities of and adaptation actions for regionally important ecosystems and species to changing climate conditions. This 1.5-­‐year project was supported by the California Landscape Conservation Cooperative (CALCC) and resulted in a number of key products including: (1) vulnerability assessment findings for eight ecosystems and fifteen species; (2) climate change adaptation strategies for five ecosystems and three species; and (3) downscaled climate data and maps for the Sierra Nevada. As a follow up to this project, EcoAdapt led a series of workshops for Sierra Nevada resource managers and planners of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) in October 2014. The goal of these workshops was to create an opportunity for managers to review the results of the SN-­‐VAAS project, discuss their options for managing resources in the face of climate change, and improve understanding of how these products can inform on-­‐the-­‐ground decisions and aid climate adaptation actions.

Three workshops were held in the Sierra Nevada:
(1) Lassen National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Susanville;
(2) Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Supervisor’s Office in South Lake Tahoe; and
(3) Sierra National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Clovis.

Workshop attendees included managers and planners that work on Sierra Nevada National Forests; attendees represented a variety of disciplines and resource areas. The objectives of the workshops were to:
1. Present findings from Sierra Nevada Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Strategy project.
2. Evaluate potential vulnerabilities of participant goals, activities, or projects by using Sierra Nevada vulnerability assessment findings.
3. Brainstorm opportunities to incorporate adaptation strategies into participant planning and management activities, and/or to reduce vulnerabilities of participant goals, activities, or projects.
4. Collaboratively identify additional climate adaptation strategies for focal resources.
5. Provide climate change adaptation training and tools to extend this process to similar efforts in participants’ own work.

The workshops consisted of a 1-­‐hour presentation followed by a 2-­‐hour activity where participants evaluated the vulnerabilities of current management goals and activities and identified adaptation actions, including where and when to implement actions. A large group discussion was held following this activity in order to share activity findings, discuss issues and/or barriers to implementing actions, and identify common needs and recommendations for overcoming barriers. The following section presents the findings from this workshop series, beginning with general notes from the workshop discussions and continuing into more specific vulnerabilities and 3 adaptation actions for current management activities.