NCASC Partnership Coordination

Supporting Climate-Informed Management  

Our goal is to respond to high-priority natural and cultural resource management challenges and to foster engagement between scientists and managers.

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Climate change is transforming ecosystems across the nation, creating new challenges for resource managers, conservation practitioners, and communities. The National CASC (NCASC) partners with diverse public and private organizations to help them navigate a changing climate.  

The NCASC operates under a partnership driven model and engages with partners at the national level to work on shared goals. NCASC science and tools help partners make climate-informed management decisions. The NCASC specializes in building partnerships with agencies, organizations, and institutions that operate on regional, national, and international scales.

Building Relationships Across the Nation 

As the managing office of the CASC network, the NCASC serves as a bridge between national-scale partner organizations, the regional CASCs, and university scientists. The NCASC’s specialized partnership coordination team: 

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• Meets with existing and potential partner agencies to understand their science needs, including assessing gaps in scientific information, tools, and capacity. 

• Shares relevant science from across the CASC network with partners, including pointing to existing tools and resources and providing updates on ongoing projects of interest. 

• Leverages resources with partner organizations on collaborative workshops and projects. 

Examples of NCASC Partnerships 

InFish Network 

InFish is an international professional network of fisheries researchers tackling issues surrounding the important roles of inland fish and fisheries in food security, livelihoods, recreation, and broader society. Founded in 2012 by the NCASC and collaborators at Carleton University, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Michigan State University, and the USGS Great Lakes Science Center, the organization has grown to include over 150 members from 75 organizations across 30+ countries. Through InFish, scientists from all over the world come together to foster decision-making discussions, submit research proposals, publish scientific articles, inform policy, and advance sustainable management goals surrounding inland fish. 

Developing Innovative Climate Adaptation Strategies with the National Wildlife Federation 

As climate change continues to have wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, resource managers will increasingly need to implement new and creative management strategies. The NCASC and South Central CASC are partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to convene a working group to identify case studies and develop a framework for incorporating innovative solutions to address emerging climate challenges. This group will also host workshops to engage the management community to understand the utility and limitations of these strategies.  

Incorporating Climate Risk Management into USAID Outreach to Developing Countries 

The NCASC works with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to help incorporate climate risk management into their Country Development Cooperation Strategies for countries in Africa and east Asia. For example, NCASC scientists interviewed stakeholders in Madagascar and conducted a literature review to collect the best available information on climate change effects on Madagascar, resulting impacts on natural and human systems, and the potential for climate adaptation and mitigation activities in the region.