Climate Science Alliance-South Coast Director, Dr. Amber Pairis, was among eight recipients honored nationally on May 8th, 2017 for helping safeguard America’s valuable natural resources.
For their outstanding work in raising awareness and helping the nation’s natural resources become more resilient to the impacts of a rapidly changing world, eight organizations and individuals were honored on May 8th by their peers at the National Adaptation Forum as recipients of the Climate Adaption Leadership Award for Natural Resources. Recipients were selected from 27 nominations representing activities from individuals and federal, tribal, state, local and non-governmental organizations from around the country.
“Today we recognize individuals and agencies who are developing and using innovative methods to safeguard the nation’s living natural resources from a rapidly changing world,” said Kevin Hunting, Chief Deputy Director of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and co-chair of the Joint Implementation Working Group of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy. “Their leadership is a source of inspiration for additional efforts to advance climate-smart resource conservation and management with lasting positive impacts on the nation’s communities and economy.”
The eight awardees are:
Federal Government Individual Category: The Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook from Rebecca Beavers, Amanda Babson, and Courtney Schupp, National Park Service
Federal Individual Category: Bruce G. Marcot, PhD, U.S. Forest Service
State or Local Category: Dr. Amber Pairis, Climate Science Alliance – South Coast
Tribal Category: 1854 Ceded Territory Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan from the 1854 Treaty Authority, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa
Tribal Individual Category: Michael Durglo Jr, Confederated Salish and Kootenai (CSKT)
NGO Category: Climate Adaptation Fund, Wildlife Conservation Society
NGO Individual Category: Dr. Jessica Hellmann, Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota
Broad Partnership Category: Massachusetts Wildlife Climate Action Tool partnership: University of Massachusetts Amherst, DOI Northeast Climate Science Center, Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Massachusetts Office of Energy & Environmental Affairs
Read more about our honorees and about the Honorable Mentions here.
The Climate Adaptation Leadership Award was established in 2016 to recognize outstanding leadership by individuals, organizations, businesses and agencies to support the resilience of America’s vital natural resources and the many people, businesses and communities that depend on them.
Our nation’s natural resources provide important benefits and services to Americans every day, including jobs, income, food, clean water and air, building materials, storm protection, tourism and recreation. For example, hunting, fishing and other wildlife-related recreation contribute an estimated $120 billion to our nation's economy every year, and marine ecosystems sustain a U.S. seafood industry that supports more than 1.8 million jobs and $214 billion in economic activity annually.
The Award is sponsored by the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plant Climate Adaptation Strategy’s Joint Implementation Working Group in partnership with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA).
For more information about the 2017 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards for Natural Resources, including the eight recipients, honorable mentions, and all 27 nominees, please visit the Climate Adaptation Leadership Award main page.