Purpose/Goals

The Pacific Northwest Climate Change Collaboration (C3) is intended to:

• Better organize, integrate and focus the federal community’s efforts to address the effects of climate change on natural resources in the Pacific Northwest region.
• Foster collaborative efforts between research, management and regulatory agencies and programs (“knowledge-to-action”)
• Provide a portal to the federal climate change community in the Pacific Northwest, for states, academic organizations, tribal organizations and others.  

What

C3 is a regional forum of federal agency and science center climate change coordinators and leaders.  The forum provides information exchange and enhances collaboration across several Departmental efforts, science centers and agencies at a broad scale, helping to bridge each organization's connection to the multiple efforts that are underway.  These efforts include federal agencies' research and management activities, the DOI Northwest Climate Science Center, three Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) in the Pacific Northwest, the NOAA-funded (RISA) Climate Impacts Research Consortium, and numerous other programs and activities of the universities in the Pacific Northwest. 

Two workgroups have been formed, and indicate the type of collaborative efforts C3 is well positioned to help lead:

Workgroup to Coordinate Federal Outreach to Tribes on Climate Change. The intent of this workgroup is to develop an effective and coordinated approach by federal agencies and federally funded entities when they reach out to Tribes to participate in processes to learn more about and respond to tribal climate change adaptation science needs.

The Data Management Work Group seeks to develop an effective and coordinated approach to manage and deliver data, information, models, maps, and project-related information among organizations and individuals interested in climate change adaptation science in the Pacific Northwest. 

How

C3 representatives meet by phone every month, and via video-conferencing locations several times a year.  We pursue activities that:

• Help coordinate and avoid duplication of national or regional efforts
• Assist federal entities in meeting their current and future needs and responsibilities regarding climate change
• Remain relevant into the future and are sustainable and manageable. 

Objectives

• Serve as a forum to strengthen and enhance federal coordination on climate change related issues and to enhance collaborative opportunities
• Create a regional network of key federal employees working on climate change issues
• Engage top agency executives and managers to encourage effective alignment of resources and programs that address climate change
• Share information about regional conferences, workshops, and other activities organized by participating agencies to avoid duplication
• Share and exchange information on climate change related grants and scientific studies funded and/or managed by federal agencies in the region
• Exchange and coordinate climate change tools, data and information, best practices and scientific knowledge in the region
• Encourage federal coordination with tribal, state, and local, government, NGOs, and private partners.
  

Featured Product: Online Database of federal projects. 

C3 is building an inventory of federal climate change research, research tools, models, modeled scenarios, monitoring programs/projects and assessments related initiated or completed since 2005.  The inventory is in development and over 200 projects have been uploaded to date. See:  http://www.c3.gov/PNW_inventory.cfm

Geographic Scope and Coordination with other Efforts

C3’s efforts are focused in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  C3 is designed to complement other Pacific NW regional efforts and related efforts in Alaska, California, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.

Membership and Participating Agencies

Membership is open at any time to key climate change staff of any federal agency in the Pacific Northwest. Members must be active participants.  Current membership includes:
Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Highway Administration, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (National Marine Fisheries Service, Coastal Services Center, National Climatic Data Center, National Weather Service, and several headquarters Program Offices), National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Navy Region Northwest, Environmental, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Geological Survey.  Agencies can also chose less active participation, receiving information by email.

How to Get Involved

If you would like to join C3, join a Work Group or make a presentation, please contact us.  Overall C3 coordination is led on a rotating basis by: 

Lief Horwitz, NWA Program Officer & Climate Change Liaison, U.S. Geological Survey  (206) 220-4616  lief_horwitz@usgs.gov

David Patte, Climate Change Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, (503) 231-6210 david_patte@fws.gov

Claire Schary, Climate Change Policy Advisor, Environmental Protection Agency, (206) 553-8514 schary.claire@epa.gov

Work Group Leaders