In the Southwestern U.S., rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns are resulting in changes such as more frequent and severe wildfires and prolonged drought. Natural resource managers striving to make decisions in the face of these changing conditions can benefit from information on past, present, and future climate. While an array of climate assessments are available, it is unclear how useful or relevant this information is for resource management decision-making in the Southwest.
This project sought to identify the types of environmental information that resource managers in the Southwest need to make climate-related management decisions. To meet this goal, researchers first assessed the degree to which resource managers view climate information as relevant to the decisions they make. Next, they identified the types of decisions in which climate information has proven to be the most useful for managers. Finally, researchers identified best practices for coordinating science needs between resource managers and climate scientists, and for transferring relevant climate information to decision-makers. Together, these results can improve communication between stakeholders and scientists and ensure that managers receive the climate information they need to make effective resource management decisions in the face of climate change.
