Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Scott Archer, 2005 President, asked members present for any changes to last years meeting minutes (http://www.lgu.umd.edu/lgu_v2/homepages/saes.cfm?trackID=404); as there were none, last years meeting minutes were approved unanimously by all members present. As there is no current (2005) Secretary, who would automatically become the 2006 President, nominations were solicited for both the 2006 President and Secretary positions. Jan Curtis was nominated unanimously by all members present to become the 2006 Secretary (and therefore the 2007 President), subject to his new employers approval. As there were no further nominations, the 2006 President position is currently vacant. All members present were encouraged to solicit nominations, including contact with the following members who were not present: Kelly Redmond (Western Regional Climate Center), Greg Johnson (NRCS-National Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team), and Peter Palmer (USDI-Bureau of Reclamation, AgriMet Program Coordinator.) The Committee discussed the need to encourage more participation at the Annual Meetings. The following individuals are currently listed as Committee members: Scott Archer, USDI-BLM, scott_archer@blm.gov Pao Shin-Chu, University of Hawaii/State Climate Office, chu@soest.hawaii.edu Michael Crimmins, University of Arizona, crimmins@u.arizona.edu Jan Curtis, USDA-NRCS, jan.curtis@por.usda.gov Arthur Gaetano, Cornell University, atd2@cornell.edu Nolan Doesken, CSU/Colorado Climate Center, nolan@atmos.colostate.edu Francis Fujioka, USDA-Forest Service, ffujioka@fs.fed.us Greg Johnson, USDA-NRCS, greg.johnson@por.usda.gov Esmaiel Malek, USU/ Utah Climate Center, emalek@mendel.usu.edu Peter Palmer, USDI-BOR, ppalmer@pn.usbr.gov Roger Pielke, CSU/Colorado Climate Center, roger.pielke@colostate.edu Russ Qualls, UI/Idaho State Climate Office, rqualls@uidaho.edu Kelly Redmond, DRI/WRCC, krwrcc@dri.edu Ted Sammis, NMSU/New Mexico Climate Center, tsammis@nmsu.edu Lee Sommers (Advisor), CSU/Agri Experiment Station , Lee.Sommers@ColoState.EDU Joyce Strand, UC/Integrated Pest Management, jfstrand@ucdavis.edu George Taylor, OSU/Oregon Climate Service, taylor@coas.oregonstate.edu Yubin Yang, TA&M/Agri Research & Extension Center, yyang@aesrg.tamu.edu The following individuals have also indicated an interest in participating as Committee members: Laura Edwards, DRI/WRCC, Laura.Edwards@dri.edu Ned Guttman, NOAA/NCDC, Ned.Guttman@noaa.gov Tim Owen, NOAA/NCDC, Tim.Owen@noaa.gov In addition, the Committee should consider inviting the following individuals to attend future meetings: Tony Bergantino, Wyoming State Climate Office, stateclim@wrds.uwyo.edu Chris Daly, Oregon Climate Service, daly@coas.oregonstate.edu Michael Dettinger, USGS-WRD, mddettin@usgs.gov Andrew Ellis, ASU/Arizona Office of Climatology, dellis@asu.edu John Gordon, USGS-WRD, jgordon@usgs.gov Jessica Lowery, NOAA-CIRES, jessica.lowrey@noaa.gov Phil Mote, Washington State Climate Office, philip@atmos.washington.edu Kristen Nelson, UOA-CLIMAS, knelson7@email.arizona.edu Phil Pasteris, USDA-NRCS, phil.pasteris@usda.gov Donald Potts, UOM/Montana Climate Office, don.potts@cfc.umt.edu Andrea Ray, NOAA-CDC, andrea.ray@noaa.gov Mark Svoboda, National Drought Mitigation Center, msvoboda2@unl.edu Lara Whitley-Binder, UOW/Climate Impacts Group, whitelybinder@yahoo.com Klaus Wolther, NOAA-CIRES, klaus.wolter@noaa.gov Jeff Underwood, UNR/Nevada State Climate Office, jeffu@unr.edu For next year's meeting, the Committee discussed having a focus topic, such as global climate change or mountain climate/influence on western climate, perhaps inviting speakers, and in a location such as Mount Hood (OR) or Lake Tahoe/Reno (NV.) Alternate meeting times were discussed, such as August/September, or later in October. Laura Edwards (WRCC) volunteered to pursue developing the meeting details. The Committee discussed the needs for the WERA-102 project, especially in light of other opportunities (such as the American Association of State Climatologists), and it was re-affirmed that this Committee provides activity-specific benefits, especially focused on western issues, not provided by other organizations. The Committee reviewed its current Western Extension Research Activity (WERA) Project Plan effective October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2010, as approved by the Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (WAAESD). Key items include the Objectives: 1) Coordinate collection and dissemination of weather and climate data and information in the western U.S. and serve as a forum for discussion of related issues; 2) Identify weather and climate issues and support research related to agriculture and natural resources especially in the West; 3) Promote access to, and use of, weather- and climate-based products in order to improve monitoring and decision making related to agriculture and natural resources issues (e.g.; drought, fire, water supply); and 4) Coordinate the development of new climatological analysis technologies such as remote sensing and geographic information systems. In addition, the Committee will conduct a detailed educational session at each annual meeting about current priority issues. Additional discussion focused on common climate data and process concerns. Items included: 1) data availability and quality concerns (ACIS/NCDC/RCCs); 2) funding sources and data needs; 3) National Integrated Drought Information System; 4) climate change issues (mapping, changing run-off patterns); 5) urban water managers need for climate information; 6) expanded drought discussions (guidance to State Engineers, what do agri/muni water managers really need to know); 7) what are uncertainties in water supply (monitoring system design, snow-pack/streamflow/run-off forecasts); and 8) data quality and users needs. Key focus areas in the future include: climate change, data systems, drought, projects/funding, and water users. A specific topic area is water supply, including: 1) streamflow modeling (WYCC); 2) native grass phenology (WYCC); 3) snow-pack melt/flooding; 4) water supply/transport; and 5) drought (water management, natural re-occurrence, phenology).

Ned Guttman, National Climatic Data Center, presented several spatial techniques used in quality control/quality assurance. He described several interagency efforts to develop and utilize tools to improve the quality of climate data used for a wide variety of applications and policy efforts. He also described the planned development and implementation of the Climate Reference Network of new monitoring and data management systems. Finally, there was also discussion of quality management processes in the Cooperative Observer Monitoring Network. Dick Reinhardt, Western Regional Climate Center, described several projects associated with remote wind monitoring to support MM5 modeling, Washoe County evapo-transpiration measurements, Nevada-wide wind energy potential, as well as RAWS data management and sensor evaluations. Jan Curtis, until recently the Wyoming State Climatologist and Director of the Wyoming Water Resources Data System, provided his Annual Report about several Water Basin Plans, based on information obtained when preparing the Wyoming Climate Atlas. They use Basin Advisory Groups, and instrumentation (such as soil moisture sensors) to evaluate drought model predictions. Jan also mention the expansion of the CoCoRaHS network with support of the Farm Services Agency, a multi-million dollar weather modification project, and distribution of drought-related information throughout the State (he estimates drought represents about half of his work efforts.) He also provided the newest Water Resources Data System brochure. George Taylor, Oregon State Climatologist, gave a very detailed presentation A Probabilistic-Spatial Approach to the Quality Control of Climate Observations, and described their extensive use of mapping products to interpret and distribute climate information through the Spatial Climate Analysis Service (http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/). Francis Fujioka, Research Meteorologist, USDA-Forest Service, discussed research into both the Hawaii Fire Danger Rating System (http://fireweb.pdc.org/) as well as land use planning efforts to address Living With Fire In The Chaparral Ecosystem. Francis also had an interesting video clip (see htest8.vc) modeling fire progression in the wildland-urban interface. Laura Edwards, Western Regional Climate Center, gave a presentation regarding their support of California Climate-related activities, including support from the California Energy Commission. Activities include monitoring long-term variability and change, the California Climate Watch (http://calclim.dri.edu/), the Terrain Induced Rotor Experiment, or T-REX (http://www.joss.ucar.edu/trex/), and a National Park Service inventory and monitoring program. Russ Qualls, Idaho State Climatologist, described two projects, including a planned re-alignment of U.S Highway 95 subject to fog and ice impacts, and a study of carbon and water fluxes from forests. Russ also provided a detailed report of activities related to WERA-102 objectives (see Qualls-2005 Annual Report.doc). Nolan Doesken, Colorado Climate Center, presented a through description of Climate Services provided to interested parties in Colorado, including an update on the very successful volunteer CoCoRaHS Program. Scott Archer, USDI-Bureau of Land Management, shared three items of interest with the Committee. First, the Society for Range Management has prepared its Rangelands and Global Change issue paper, which is available for distribution (www.rangelands.org/pdf/Global_Issue_Paper.pdf). He also shared an Abstract for HCDN: A U.S. Geological Survey streamflow data set for the United States for the study of climate variations, 1874  1998 (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1992/ofr92-129/), and a restricted draft of the Table of Contents from Our Changing Planet (the U.S. Climate Change Science Program for FY 2006; now at http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/Library/ocp2006/default.htm). Educational Session The Committee also conducted an Educational Session on the topic of Global Climate Change Science and Policy Implications in the West. George Taylor initiated the open-discussion session with his informative presentation An Assessment of Climate Change in The Pacific Northwest. Each Committee member related their own experiences, concerns, and opinions regarding the observed conditions, potential causes and effects, policy implications, and potential responses to this issue which has impacted how climate-related activities are addressed in the West. Although few conclusions were drawn, the Committee agreed that a similar timely topic should be identified, scheduled, and discussed at future annual meetings.