The Connecting Wildlands and Communities (CWC) team convened with the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group - a diverse and dedicated group of Tribal representatives and staff - to garner feedback on data and analysis tools, ensuring Tribal perspectives and priorities are integrated into each aspect of the project to best meet the needs of Southern California Tribes.
The Connecting Wildlands & Communities (CWC) project, funded by the California State Strategic Growth Council through the California Climate Investments initiative, is a collaborative effort of the Institute for Ecological Monitoring and Management (IEMM) at San Diego State University and the Climate Science Alliance. The CWC project brings together an interdisciplinary team of Tribal partners, jurisdictional planners, environmental engineers, ecologists, and geographers to explore how connected landscapes can support adaptation and resilience to climate change for both ecosystems and local communities in southern California.
Outreach to and feedback from partners and stakeholders is one of the driving forces in developing this project and the data deliverables that are intended to inform planning across the region. Thus, the CWC team convened with the Climate Science Alliance Tribal Working Group to assist in determining best avenues for integrating CWC work products into planning practice and to review and comment on data and analysis tools being developed by the CWC team.
In the latest interactive feedback session, the Workgroup reviewed data and analysis tools from the CWC team covering the topics of Connectivity, Carbon Sequestration, and Recreational Exposure Data. The Workgroup provided critical feedback to products on best metrics, data enhancements, and effective delivery methods of the final products. This collaborative process ensures that Tribal Working Group feedback is integrated into each aspect of the project to best meet the needs of Southern California Tribes.
Overall, this project takes a comprehensive planning approach to meet State objectives on protecting communities, mitigating wildfire risk, supporting water sustainability, and protecting biodiversity. The goal of this research is to provide an integrated planning and decision-making framework that supports multi-benefit landscape-scale planning and facilitates science-informed climate adaptation strategies across the region.