The world has finally begun to wake up to the reality of climate change and many local governments are taking responsible steps because of definitive reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and obvious impacts such as retreating glaciers, rising sea level, and record breaking hurricanes.
Since “two-thirds” of U.S. fresh water originates on forested land, forest management, water resources and climate change go hand in hand. The Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) is addressing the urgent issue of climate change by training climate resilient communities through its premiere training program, Climate Solutions University.
The Model Forest Policy Program has chosen six communities across the county to participate in the 2010 Climate Solutions University: Forest and Water Strategies. These six vanguard communities were chosen to participate in this unique on-line Climate Adaptation Planning program that is resulting in a locally focused action plan unique to each community’s landscape, resources, and economic reality. The project draws upon a partnership led by the Model Forest Policy Project in collaboration with The Cumberland River Compact and The Climate Project. The Compact coordinates the Climate Solutions University curriculum and provides education on team building, water resources, watershed issues and action implementation.
“We are excited to have such a diversity of communities, wide geographic representation, diversity of climate issues, backgrounds and age range of participants all learning together and from each other about sound land use planning and climate adaptation,” said Dr. Nancy Gilliam, Executive Director of the Model Forest Policy Program.
The six organizations and states are:
· Tennessee - Sumner County Planning Department
· New Hampshire – The Sustainability Project
· Colorado – Mountain Studies Institute
· Utah - Canyonlands Watershed Council and Living Rivers
· New Mexico – Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
· Washington – Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association
Funded by a grant from the Kresge Foundation, this innovative on-line educational program underscores that rural communities and forested watersheds play a vital role in solving our climate crisis.
The Model Forest Policy Program (MFPP) is a national nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to forest stewardship and sustainable forestry practices by private forest land owners. MFPP partners with local governments, businesses, and public and private organizations by showing them how land use and sustainable practices that protect forested areas also provide long term, cost-effective climate solutions, water supplies and sustainable communities.
We are partnering with local governments, businesses, public and private organizations by showing them how land use and sustainable practices that protect forested areas also provide long term, cost-effective climate solutions by:
· Protecting community drinking and ground water
· Preserving vital habitat
· Ensuring economic stability
· Sequestering carbon dioxide
· Cooling air, water, soils
· Reducing the impact of flooding
…… all issues important to stabilizing global warming impacts at the local level.
