Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science (ACCCNRS)

By Climate Adaptation Science Centers

The Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resource Science (ACCCNRS) was established in 2013 to advise the Secretary of the Interior on the operations of the USGS National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center and the Department of the Interior Climate Science Centers (renamed in 2018 as the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers).

ACCCNRS was composed of 25 members that represented (1) State and local governments, including state membership entities; (2) Nongovernmental organizations, including those whose primary mission is professional and scientific and those whose primary mission is conservation and related scientific and advocacy activities; (3) American Indian tribes and other Native American entities; (4) Academia; (5) Landowners, businesses, and organizations representing landowners or businesses. All ACCCNRS meetings were open to the public. Interested members of the public were able to present, either orally or through written comments, information for the Committee to consider during the public meetings.

In 2015, ACCCNRS released its 2015 Report to the Secretary of the Interior. The report recognizes USGS and DOI for achieving significant accomplishments with the Climate Science Center program and provides several recommendations to clarify, focus, and enhance the program's efforts. This report includes an Actionable Science How-To Guide for Scientists, Managers and Funders & executive summaries of a Guidebook for Traditional Knowledges, and a Primer for Climate Change and Indigenous Peoples.

The following ACCCNRS reports can be downloaded below:

ACCCNRS Charter
2015 Report to the Secretary of the Interior
Actionable Science How-To Guide for Scientists, Managers and Funders
Climate Change & Indigenous Peoples: A Primer

In addition, summary reports and presentations from ACCCNRS meetings can also be downloaded below.

Note: In 2018, the name of the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center was changed to the National Climate Adaptation Science Center, and the Climate Science Centers were renamed the Climate Adaptation Science Centers. You will still see our old names used in the reports below.

Meeting Materials:

ACCCNRS Briefing Book Documents (July 2013)
ACCCNRS Report Implementation - Webinar
Issue Brief: CASC External Reviews 2016

Key Reports:

2015 Report to the Secretary of the Interior
2015 ACCCNRS Charter
Actionable Science How-To Guide

Materials from Meeting 1 (September 18-19, 2013)
Summary Report for Meeting 1 (Sept 2013)
Meeting Agenda
Discussion Briefs
Member Interview Summary
Briefing Book Document for Members
Presentation to Committee the Federal Climate Landscape
Presentation to Committee DOI CSCs and NCCWSC
Presentation to Committee NCCWSCCSC Strategic Science Planning Approach
Presentation to Committee Recommendations from Tribes and Pacific Islanders
Presentation to Committee Ethics Responsibilities of ACCCNRS Members

Materials from Meeting 2 (January 22-23, 2014)
Summary Report for ACCCNRS Meeting 2 (Jan 2014)
Meeting Agenda
Presentation to Committee ACCCNRS Workplan 2014
Presentations to Committee Actionable Science and the Southeast CSC

Materials from Meeting 3 (June 11-12, 2014)
Summary Report for ACCCNRS Meeting 3 (June 2014)
Meeting Agenda