Climate Impacts Group

New Publication on the Influence of Climate Change on Stream Temperatures Across the Northwest

A team of researchers from NOAA, UW, USGS and USDA published new research using high-resolution remotely-sensed water temperature data to characterize the distribution of summer water temperature in over 7,000 miles of rivers and streams across the Pacific Northwest and northern California. This research helps to identify the potential influences of climate change on the availability of cold-water habitat for species like salmon. CIG’s Se-Yeun Lee is a collaborator on this project, which was funded by the North Pacific Landscape Conservation Cooperative. 

CIG supports new guidance for integrating climate change into toxic clean-up planning

The Department of Ecology just published new guidance to help cleanup project managers assess the risks posed by our changing climate to a range of toxic cleanup sites across Washington state. This new guidance, which includes tools for conducting site-specific vulnerability assessments, aims to help managers identify adaptation measures that will increase the climate-resilience of cleanup sites. The Climate Impacts Group was consulted in the creation of this guidance and has provided assistance in the development of communications materials.

For the complete guidance document please see: Adaptation Strategies for Resilient Cleanup Remedies: A Guide for Cleanup Project Managers to Increase the Resilience of Toxic Cleanup Sites to the Impacts from Climate Change. 

Calling for Salish Sea Science Prize Nominations

Every two years, the SeaDoc Society awards the Salish Sea Science Prize to a prominent scientist or team of scientists whose work has resulted in the marked improvement of management or policy related to the conservation of marine wildlife and the Salish Sea marine ecosystem. Nominations are due by December 20th, 2017.  

CIG Involved in Governor Inslee’s Climate Change Town Hall Series

CIG’s Director, Amy Snover, will participate in a Climate Change Town Hall with Washington State Governor Jay Inslee on Wednesday, October 25th at the University of Washington’s Seattle Campus. This event is free and student participation is encouraged.

What: Climate Change Town Hall with Gov. Jay Inslee

When: 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Where: wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ – Intellectual House

At this special town hall with UW students and faculty, Gov. Inslee will discuss Washington’s current and future leadership on climate change action. Next month, Gov. Inslee will join the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change COP 23 summit in Bonn, Germany, as part of the U.S. 

CIG involved in new NSF-funded flood and landslide risk research

A team of University of Washington researchers, including the Climate Impacts Group’s Guillaume Mauger, recently started a new four year project aimed at improving our ability to forecast floods and to better understand the role of sediments in increasing flood risk. The funding is part of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Prediction of and Resilience Against Extreme Events (PREEVENTS) program, which recently awarded 15 new grants totaling $18.7 million.

Read the full press release here. 

New CIG Report: Integrating Climate Resilience in Flood Risk Management

Sea level rise, more extreme rainfall, and melting snowpack. These are just a few of the reasons why we want to be sure to have climate-smart flood risk management across the Northwest—now and in the future.

CIG researcher Guillaume Mauger and recent UW graduate Haley Kennard (now at the Makah Tribe’s Office of Marine Affairs)  recently embarked on a project to understand what is needed to help agencies plan for changing flood risk. Working with the Washington State Silver Jackets team—an interagency group that includes FEMA, the Army Corps, and several state and federal agencies charged with managing flood risk—they developed a work plan for making our state more resilient to flooding. 

Job Opportunities with UW College of the Environment, Climate Impacts Group & NW Climate Science Center

We are excited to announce several current and upcoming opportunities to work with the University of Washington College of the Environment, Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Science Center in a range of roles to further climate research and adaptation efforts across the Pacific Northwest.

Upcoming Openings (stay tuned as we anticipate accepting applications for these positions soon):

Awards Manager (Grants and Contracts Specialist) for the Climate Impacts Group and NW Climate Science Center

Please note that with our pending positions, the job description and duties are subject to revision. 

Climate Adaptation Specialist

UPDATE: This position has been filled.

The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) is seeking a full-time Climate Adaptation Specialist to develop and lead climate adaptation projects, build and maintains key partnerships throughout the Pacific Northwest, and participate in internal strategic planning along with CIG’s senior staff. 

CIG part of new federal grant to fund Seattle Youth Climate Action Network

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums, has announced a grant for Seattle’s “Youth Climate Action Network – Catalyzing a Community.” The grant will allow the Seattle Youth Climate Action Network (Seattle Youth CAN), now hosted by Woodland Park Zoo, to become even more rooted in community as youth work to create a plan to address climate change.

IMLS awarded nearly $150,000 to build on the momentum of Seattle Youth CAN, a program launched by Woodland Park Zoo in 2015, in partnership with the Pacific Science Center and the Seattle Aquarium working together to empower teens from each of the three institutions’ youth programs to address climate change. 

Climate Impacts Group Provides University Leadership For New Northwest Climate Science Center

The University of Washington is the new host for the Department of the Interior’s Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (Northwest CASC).  Boise State University, University of Montana, Washington State University and Western Washington University are also new partners in the Northwest CSC university consortium.

These five universities were selected as the CSC host and consortium partners after an open competition and extensive review by scientific experts. They will work as part of the collaborative network that defines the Northwest CSC. This includes working closely with Federal, state, and tribal entities, including those responsible for managing and protecting the land, water, and natural resources of the Northwest, to develop actionable climate science and decision support tools. 

Registration Now Open for 2017 Northwest Climate Conference

Registration is now open for the 2017 Northwest Climate Conference. This gathering will be held in Tacoma on October 10th-11th, 2017. The conference is the region’s premier opportunity for a cross-disciplinary exchange of knowledge and ideas about regional climate, climate impacts, and climate adaptation science and practice. The conference also provides a forum for presenting emerging policy and management goals, objectives, and information needs related to regional climate impacts and adaptation.

Early registration closes on September 20th, 2017.