Model: Implementing a Climate Response
Vision: Extension will accelerate the use and maintenance of climate resilience and adaptation strategies in partnership with all clients who manage and steward natural resources and agricultural lands. To do this, it will build the climate change expertise of Extension professionals through conducting knowledge and resource gap analyses and developing resources to fill those gaps, offering train-the-trainer programming, developing a system to house and ease access of locally relevant tools and resources, and play a leading role in expanding the climate-smart workforce. Long-term outcomes envisioned through this work over the next decade and beyond include 75% of farms served will have integrated climate adaptation and/or mitigation practices into their operations. Additionally, communities that have integrated specific kinds of climate adaptation and mitigation elements into community planning will have 50% of their commercial and residential buildings be energy efficient, and all communities will have at least one extreme event emergency shelter.
Short-Term Outcomes: Over the next one to three years, Extension seeks to deliver climate outcomes including:
• Programmatic Integration and Awareness
o Increased Extension climate science literacy and capacity to implement climate-related programming with clientele
o 80% of all Extension programming areas will have at least one climate component within three years serving natural resources customers, leading to improved climate change mitigation outcomes such as healthier soils, improved water quality, reduced climate footprint, more sequestered carbon within forests, and improved climate change adaptation outcomes, such as forest and range ecosystems better adapted to climate projections
o Within one year of inventory completion, 80% of Extension personnel will indicate increased awareness of current climate training programs and curricula
o Within two years of inventory completion, 25% of all Extension programming areas will have at least one climate component serving natural resources customers, leading to healthier soils, improved water quality, reduced climate footprint, and more sequestered carbon within forests
o 40% of all Extension programs will have a climate component within one year. This will lead to great awareness of Extension clients of the importance of addressing climate change.
Connectivity, Capacity, and Advocacy
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o Improved connectivity among Extension and USDA elements involved in climate and natural resources programming (i.e., 4-H, Experiment Stations, Hubs, NRCS, USDA-FS)
o Increased capacity among participants to advocate for natural resources climate solutions and to advocate for Extension as a trusted intermediary in providing training
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