Collaborative forest management in a changing climate

The Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change (ASCC) project is a collaborative effort to help guide forest managers in preparing forest ecosystems for climate change. Scientists, land managers, and a variety of partners have developed seven initial trial sites as part of this multi-region study to research long-term ecosystem responses to a range of climate change adaptation actions. USDA-FS scientists partnered with universities and local, state, and federal agencies (including DOI and USACE) to develop the first ASCC project in an urban national park, the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Data are being collected to understand how different management approaches affect species and forest health in a changing climate. Long-term data collection for this 20-year study is conducted by local university students and community scientists, and outreach to community members includes signs installed at the park that communicate the cultural importance of floodplain forests using Indigenous art and language.