Climate Impacts Group

Letter from the Director – April 2026

Dear friends, supporters and colleagues:

I loved seeing so many of you at our 30th anniversary film screening event! We were honored to celebrate with over 250 supporters, collaborators, and community members. I particularly enjoyed the thoughtful panel discussion at the end, when former governor Jay Inslee asked far-reaching questions about resilience, storytelling, climate policy, and hope. And, I appreciated the insight of the former Climate Impacts Group director, Dr. Amy Snover, about the important climate change adaptation work happening at every level of government and across diverse organizations. Most importantly, the evening was a reminder of the power of being part of a vast community of people who care deeply about a more just and resilient future. 

Pacific Northwest Water Year 2025 Impacts Assessment Released

The sixth annual Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment provides a detailed evaluation of climate conditions and related impacts across Idaho, Oregon, and Washington during the 2025 water year (October 1, 2024–September 30, 2025). 

“Finding Tomorrow’s Climate in Today’s Landscapes”: New Study and Tools Available to Support Land Management Decisions Around Vegetation Change

A new, NW CASC-supported study led by researchers at the University of Montana and partners in the U.S. Forest Service, Conservation Science Partners, and Vibrant Planet, uses climate-analog modeling to explore the future of vegetation change in the western U.S. This study found that about one third of the western U.S. is highly vulnerable to ecological transformation by the middle of the 21st century, and that more than any other vegetation groups, subalpine forest and alpine ecosystems are most at risk of declining by mid-21st century.