2012-2013 Pilot Programs

The WALCC is initiating a two-year Pilot Program with a major focus on Coastal Storms and their Impacts and a smaller separate effort on Stream and Lake Temperature Monitoring. The Pilot Program will demonstrate how the WALCC adds value to existing efforts in western Alaska and helps partners address shared science needs. The program seeks to improve efficiency through coordination, dissemination, and development of applied science. The program is intended to produce both short term results and longer term benefits to an array of stakeholders.

Coastal Storms Pilot Program Factsheet (PDF - 261 KB)

Why these topics?

In spring 2011, the WALCC, with contributions from DOI's Alaska Climate Science Center, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and BLM, gathered 150 land and resource managers, field specialists, researchers, and local knowledge experts to identify climate change-related priority science needs for resource management in western Alaska.

"Changes in Coastal Processes" (e.g., inundation, erosion, salinization, etc.) and 'Changes in Hydrologic Processes' were two of the three most important changes expected in regional geophysical processes with anticipated impacts on important resources throughout the LCC.

Will Coastal Storms and/or Hydrology be the long-term focus of the WALCC?

No. The pilot program will be the focus of funding only during fiscal years 2012 and 2013, with the studies concluded in roughly three years. Meanwhile, the LCC will develop its long-term Strategic Science plan, which will consider a broad range of topics.

Pilot Program on Coastal Storms and their Impacts

The Steering Committee organized a team of 21 scientists and managers familiar with the region to refine the Coastal Processes program objectives, identify key components, and identify strategies and opportunities for leveraging. The Team recommended focusing on Changes in Coastal Storms and their Impacts since large changes in coastal storm characteristics are expected due to climate change.

Storms have a wide range of impacts on local, regional, and national decisions (e.g., management of subsistence resources and other fish and wildlife, infrastructure siting and operation, emergency response planning, etc.) and provide the opportunity for projects that address cross-cutting gaps and issues. Existing efforts and stakeholders are varied and disparate, providing opportunities for partner engagement, leveraging, collaboration, and synthesis.

Components

FY12 efforts will address known needs and tasks for guiding FY13 efforts.

  • Inventory coastal projects to identify existing resources, on-going work and opportunities for collaboration and leveraging.
  • Workshop to refine understanding of decision makers' information needs, major sources of uncertainty in addressing those needs, and strategic areas of focus regarding coastal storms and their impacts in western Alaska.

  • Request for Proposals with the following elements:

    • impacts of changes in coastal storms on coastal biological resources (including subsistence resources and habitats)
    • shorefast ice dynamics
    • using citizen science to monitor coastal change
    • opportunities to leverage deployment of instrumentation or data collection

Summary of 2012 projects is available here.

Program on Stream and Lake Temperature Monitoring

The WALCC is providing seed-money in FY12 to initiate statewide discussions regarding monitoring of stream, river and lake temperatures and other hydrologic parameters. Details on this program will be announced as they are developed.