As the climate changes, natural resource managers need to adapt their practices to meet new challenges in invasive species management. However, they often lack resources to guide their decision-making. The Northwest Regional Invasive Species and Climate Change Network aims to bridge this gap by connecting researchers, managers and decision makers to develop, synthesize and implement ecological research. Through an intentional and inclusive process that considers various ecological, sociological, economic and political contexts, the Network develops resources to improve invasive species management in a changing climate.

Although it is increasingly apparent that climate change is influencing invasive species’ spread and distribution, there has been a lack of synthesized information accessible to managers to guide their decision-making. As a bridging initiative, the NW RISCC Network aims to connect natural resource managers and researchers through an intentional and inclusive process in which researchers, managers and decision makers collaborate to develop, synthesize and implement ecological research. Through joint consideration of ecological, sociological, economic and political contexts, the NW RISCC Network aims to improve invasive species management in a changing climate.

The Northwest Network was established in 2020 and is part of a nationally coordinated group of regional networks with a collective goal to provide guidance to practitioners on how to manage invasive species under future climate conditions.

The NW RISCC Network will focus on two areas of engagement: (1) science translation and outreach, and (2) strategic planning and management of the NW RISCC Advisory Team and participation in activities across the nation-wide RISCC networks. Science translation and outreach activities will include the creation of research summaries, fact sheets, webinars and conferences.

The NW RISCC Advisory Team consists of members from local, state and federal agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organizations. This team guides the network’s goals and objectives and provides feedback on network events and products. The NW RISCC Network will host all materials on a website and will send relevant materials to network members directly through a listserv. In addition to regional activities, the NW RISCC network will be represented within the national RISCC network, and contribute to cross-RISCC research projects.

The Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center is a federal-university partnership whose mission is to deliver science to help fish, wildlife, water, land and people adapt to a changing climate.

Climate Adaptation Science Center Climate State of Knowledge is an ongoing effort to synthesize existing scientific knowledge of climate projections, impacts to natural systems, and adaptation options relevant to natural resource management in the Pacific Northwest (Washington, Oregon, Idaho and western Montana).

Photo Credit: USFWS Pacific Region, CC by-NC 2.0