Defining the Future of Climate Adaptation: CASC Network Holds Successful Meeting to Chart Path Forward

Fifteen NE CASC team members recently joined more than 150 colleagues from the CASC network to participate in the CASC Futures Forum, a three-day meeting that showcased the network’s achievements in advancing climate adaptation science across the U.S. and developed plans for expanding on those successes. Held in San Diego, the meeting provided CASC researchers, fellows, and staff members with an opportunity to engage in wide-ranging discussions about how the network can maximize its impact in helping protect the nation’s natural and cultural resources as climate change intensifies in each of the nine CASC regions. Several NE CASC representatives contributed to the success of this unique event by organizing breakout groups, delivering presentations, leading panel discussions, and participating in poster sessions.

The forum commenced with a plenary session that featured an address by David Applegate, Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Noting that 2024 marked the network’s 15th year of existence, Applegate praised the CASCs for providing “practical and pragmatic science” where it is needed most. “The regional CASCs play a critical role in the USGS climate science strategy,” Applegate said. “By carrying out more than 900 climate science research projects so far, the network has become a trusted source of climate information for managers, practitioners, government agencies, and communities. People turn to the CASCs for help in addressing the drought crisis, protecting ecosystems, and ensuring the resilience of critical habitats….The unique CASC model of developing collaborations with universities, government agencies, and Tribal communities as well as other groups has allowed the network to consistently produce usable and useful science for the past 15 years while positioning it to continue doing so in the future.”  

Framed by Applegate’s endorsement of CASC research and engagement, the rest of the meeting focused on developing strategies and methods for improving the production and delivery of actionable science. Along these lines, several unifying themes emerged across the forum’s 30+ plenary and breakout sessions. Follow-up actions are being planned regarding the topics below in addition to several other pertinent areas: 

CASC Science: Many participants observed that individual CASCs have established research strengths in areas such as invasive species and climate change, drought management, resilient coastlines, and forest adaptation. Several discussions expressed enthusiasm for extending these successful research initiatives across the network through the creation of multi-regional partnerships. During these discussions, participants frequently referenced the RISCC Management Networks, which originated in the Northeast, as a possible template for cross-CASC collaboration. 

Scientist-Manager Partnerships: Attendees universally acknowledged that multi-organizational collaborations with federal, state and county or municipal management agencies are central to the CASC knowledge-generation model and thus should be prioritized for increased attention. To distill the vast experiential knowledge accumulated by CASC investigators on this topic, several team members advocated for the creation of informational resources, including a set of best practices, that would ideally help guide and systematize network-wide partnership-building efforts.  

Capacity Building: Breakout discussions on this topic focused on three crucial areas: 

• Increasing the ability of managers to incorporate climate adaptation strategies into their planning and decision-making, possibly through the development of formal training programs and more high-quality science syntheses
• Improving the effectiveness of CASC Fellow programs through multi-regional collaborations, increased interaction between fellows and management professionals, and the development of internships for CASC fellows within government agencies
• Better preparing members of historically underrepresented groups for careers in climate adaptation by expanding training opportunities and developing long-term partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)

Tribal Engagement: Attendees expressed a strong desire to strengthen relationships with Tribal Nations and Indigenous communities through several approaches: 

•  Implementing training programs for investigators and fellows in the area of ethical engagement
• Creating cohesive, coherent, and long-term Tribal engagement strategies rather than approaching interactions with Tribes on an ad hoc, short-term basis
• Ensuring that Tribal and Indigenous people benefit from their interactions with CASC personnel to avoid the exploitative behaviors that have historically characterized relationships between Tribal Nations and the federal government
• Improving communications with Tribal Nations to promote a mutual understanding of Tribal and CASC organizational structures
• Developing a better understanding of Indigenous Knowledges and how they can complement Western approaches to climate adaptation 

“I am incredibly thankful to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center for organizing this immensely informative and inspiring meeting,” said Bethany Bradley, NE CASC University Codirector. “We’re returning to the Northeast with a wealth of new ideas to better support regional climate adaptation. Reflecting on the collective accomplishments of the CASC Network was a truly energizing experience. Equally heartening was the fact that so many early-career professionals were deeply involved with planning and contributing to the forum, underscoring the fact that they have embraced the CASC commitment to developing actionable science. It is clear that the future of the CASCs–and climate adaptation more broadly–rests in very capable hands.”