The US Geological Survey announced today that the University of Minnesota will host a new collaboration of higher education and natural resources institutions dedicated to advancing actionable science in response to the Midwest climate crisis.
The Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center will be housed at the U of M's Institute for the Environment (IonE) in close collaboration with College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS); Extension; and Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI). With the U of M, consortium partners include the College of Menominee Nation, the University of Indiana, the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Michigan State University, the Nature Conservancy, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Wisconsin.
UMN was selected by the USGS through an open competition and extensive review. The national CASC program is designed to produce research, datasets and tools that natural and cultural resource managers can use to help ecosystems and communities respond effectively to a changing climate. The new Midwest region was previously included in the 22-state Northeast CASC region. With this announcement, the USGS now has nine CASCs covering the entire US.
The five-year cooperation agreement, which took effect on September 20, includes operational funding of $4.5 million, creating a platform to coordinate collaborative projects and capacity-building activities. Because the U of M is a member of the consortium, its researchers and professional staff will be eligible to propose, compete and collaborate on CASC projects, which draw additional funding from the USGS. CASC comes with opportunities for students at consortium universities and regional tribal colleges, too, from scholarships to cohort experiences.
“We are excited to bring the cutting-edge science of the USGS and the CASC program to the Midwest region,” said Jessica Hellmann, IonE executive director and U of M professor of ecology, evolution and behavior. Hellmann will serve as director of Midwest CASC. “Working together with our consortium members, our singular focus will be on developing a world-class adaptation study and implementation capability that benefits all of the Midwest.”
The U of M worked closely with Congresswoman Betty McCollum, who supported the creation of the Midwest CASC. The new Center will focus on synthesis projects — work that builds on existing science and knowledge in a way that creates new resources and tools and catalyzes adaptability across the region. Engagement with stakeholders and practitioners is also important. The consortium will work closely with the USGS and other federal, state and tribal entities in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
“The greatest strength of our new Midwest CASC consortium is our connection to thousands of natural resource managers across the region. This will ensure that we stay connected to past work and make our research and education, going forward, relevant to practice on the ground,” said Dana Infante, an aquatic ecologist and professor at Michigan who will transfer from Northeast CASC to to serve in a leadership role for the Midwest CASC.
In addition to Hellmann, U of M leaders include; Heidi Rupp (Extension/CFANS), who will serve as program lead for capacity building; Michael Dockry (CFANS), who will head the Race Relations program. and Susan Galatovich (CFANS) and Lucinda Johnson (NRRI, Duluth), who will assume advisory roles for graduate interns and postdocs, respectively.
Given the USGS's mission to serve scientific needs of the US Department of the Interior, the Midwest CASC will focus on the ecosystems and natural resources of the Midwest, including forests, grasslands, Great Lakes and inland lakes, streams, and wetlands; as well as their intersection with agriculture and urban areas.
A ribbon-cutting celebration is planned at the University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus later this fall.
