BioEarth – Extension and Communications research

1. BioEarth – Extension and Communications research Chad Kruger, Fok-Yan Leung, and Andy Perleberg Washington State University Jennie Stephens Clark University

2. BioEarthExtension and Communications research: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Fully integrated research requires an ongoing dialogue between researchers and stakeholders The purpose of the project is to: Create the dynamic process between researchers and stakeholders so that real integrated research can take place. • Gains: • Research that is useful for policy making and respected by stakeholder groups • Stakeholders and Researchers benefit from the knowledge base of both groups.

3. BioEarthExtension and Communications research: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction When two very different constituencies meet • Inadequate or inappropriate tools for communication – technology, infrastructure, common language. • Indifference or Hostility The goal of extension activities is to provide appropriate venues and tools for communication The goal of the communications research is to identify problems in the process and produce workable solutions.

4. BioEarthExtension and Communications research: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction The overall goal of the process is to aid in the process of determining critical requirements for model success Model which focuses on meeting critical needs Researchers capabilities, desires, and limitations Skateholder wants and needs Our job

5. BioEarthExtension and Communications research: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Requirements: • Respect between researchers and stakeholders – willingness to accommodate and adapt. • Ongoing, effective communication between the stakeholders and researchers: • 2-way flow of information; • for stakeholder to be able to inform research directions, they must also be aware of the capability and limitations of researchers and the scope of the project • For researchers to be able to make informed decisions re. research priorities and directions, they must be aware of the priorities of stakeholders

6. BioEarthExtension and Communications research: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction Approach: We will simultaneously: 1. develop frequent, regular, two-way interactive communication between model developers and decision-making stakeholders workshops, meetings, and virtual internet forum 2. Analyze the perceptions of utility to decision-making of both stakeholders and scientists through-out process (surveys & interviews)

7. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Prior stakeholder processes • Ag, Forestry and Water Preparation and Adaptation Working Groups (PAWGS) – 2007 • Climate Advisory Team; Ag and Forestry Technical Work Groups (TWGS) – 2007 • Climate Action Team; Agriculture and Forestry Sector Carbon Market Workgroups (ASCMW / FSCMW) – 2008 • Working Lands Technical Advisory Committee (Agriculture, Forest and Water) – 2010 . . . • State Energy Strategy (energy issues related to water and terrestrial energy sources) – 2010 – 2011 • Oregon Global Warming Commission • USFS Forest Landowners Climate Change Needs Assessment (2010 – 2011)

8. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Prior research project engagement of stakeholders • Climate Friendly Farming Project – 2004 – current • Prior biomass inventory / assessment projects (Dept. of Ecology – WSU) • Washington Climate Change Impact Assessment Project (Agriculture, Water chapters) – 2007-2009 • Columbia River Supply and Demand Forecast Project – 2009 - 2011

9. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Diversity of Stakeholder (ie. “Decision-making” complex) audiences • “Growers”, Forest Managers • Landlords • Labor (Depends on the issue) • Industry service and product suppliers (include financial, marketing / crop consultants, fertilizer / pesticide dealers, processors / mills, etc.) • Industry Technology Providers • Water managers • “Organics” Management Industry • Grower / Industry organizations / representatives • Government Agency (Regulatory / Conservation Assistance) • Extension (County / community based) • Environmental Organizations • Communities • Markets (depends on product, but becoming a powerful driver of change)

10. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Concerns to expect from stakeholders vs. desired outcomes • Lack of understanding and concerns about Reliability of Models • Concern that models might give the “wrong answers” • Lack of “belief” in climate change / “fatigue” about climate change / resistance to regulation • Lack of understanding of the relevance of climate change to their enterprise • How can these modeling tools improve our management capacity, planning and decision-making?

11. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Current “parallel” research efforts with engagement of stakeholders • REACCH PNA – Regional Approaches to Climate Change for Pacific Northwest Agriculture – “Wheat-based USDA Climate Change CAP” • Various ongoing biomass inventory / assessment projects (Dept. of Ecology - WSU, Dept. of Natural Resources - UW) • Various “agriculture & climate change” research projects – OFOOT, Site-Specific CFF, CIG Nutrient Recovery

12. BioEarth Extension: Agriculture & Forestry Stakeholder Interaction • Design questions to still be answered • “Pre-selected” stakeholders vs. random sampling – probably the single most important design question to answer • “Repeat” audiences vs. different audiences for each workshop. [*Proposal stressed “consistency in workshop participants over time will be encouraged”, but we’ve also cut from 4 annual workshops to 2.] • Geographic vs. industry vs. “role” of stakeholders • Research and Educational “Needs Assessment” for agriculture (proposals under development) – [USFS project underway for Forests]

13. BioEarth: Communications Research Overarching Project Goal: To improve understanding of the interactions among C, N, and H2O at the regional scale in the context of global change to inform decision makers’ strategies regarding natural and agricultural resource management Relevance and utility to decision-makers will be enhanced through integrated stakeholder input throughout model development

14. BioEarth: Communications Research Analyze perceptions and understandings of both stakeholders and scientists throughout the integrated model development process You are being studied – or we are studying ourselves throughout the process

15. BioEarth: Communications Research Critical Assumptions of Our Approach Ultimate goal of this project is to inform regional decision-makers/practitioners. Stakeholders have relevant knowledge that model developers may not have (Kainer et al 2009)

16. BioEarth: Communications Research Building on Previous Work Workshops could include “mediated modeling” activities that foster shared systems learning among stakeholders and scientists (Thompson et al 2010) Interactive computer-aided decision-making Integrated shared visioning and principles learned from others on models for planning purposes (Palmer, 2006)

17. Communication Research Research question How does regular interaction between model developers and land-use stakeholders influence the perceived relevance and utility to decision-making? Outcome Map out changes in stakeholder and scientists perceptions over time. Contribute to sustainability science literature on stakeholder engagement Methods Pre and post workshop surveys Interviews between workshops

18. Communication Research Analyze perceptions and understandings of both stakeholders and scientists throughout the integrated model development process You are being studied – or we are studying ourselves throughout the process

19. BioEarth: Communications Research Initial Questions to Model-Developers How do you currently envision this integrated model informing decision-making? Who do you think might be able to use this integrated model to inform their decision-making? What stakeholder knowledge can you imagine might be helpful in the development of this integrated model?

20. This project will contribute…… ….. a sophisticated tool to help decision-makers deal with climate impacts. ….. to breaking down barriers between scientists and decision-makers