University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences
The University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences (UMN CFANS) joined the NIACS partnership in 2015. CFANS includes multiple academic departments that intersect with NIACS work, including: Forest Resources; Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology; and Soil, Water, and Climate. NIACS also collaborates regularly with University of Minnesota Extension, through the Sustainable Forests Education Cooperative (SFEC) and the Minnesota Climate Adaptation Partnership (MCAP).
UMN Engagement in NIACS
- UMN and the Forest Service launched a shared project in 2024, focused on climate adaptation in lowland hardwood forests across the Great Lakes Region. UMN hosts a NIACS position to lead this effort, and the project leverages the NIACS partnership.
- UMN leads the Crosby Farm site for the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change project, and NIACS team members and UMN convened a workshop for the ASCC network in 2024.
- UMN hosts the first module of the National Advanced Silviculture Program, which trains new silviculturists for the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Affairs. NIACS team members have led a climate change segment of this training for over a decade.
- NIACS team members are working with SFEC and MCAP to lead a Minnesota Forest-Climate Working Group to build a community of practice across the state. Current efforts are focused on assisted migration guidance.