The Yale Forest Forum is excited to announce the Fall 2023 speaker series on the topic of Climate-Smart Forestry. Webinars will take place on Mondays, September 11–November 27 from 12:00 pm–1:00 pm U.S. ET. The series is jointly hosted by The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, and the USDA Southeast Climate Hub, and co-sponsored by the Yale Center for Natural Carbon Capture. Facilitated by Mark Ashton (The Forest School at YSE), Gary Dunning (The Forest School at YSE), Lindsey Rustad (USDA Northeast Climate Hub), and Steve McNulty (USDA Southeast Climate Hub).

Climate-smart forestry (CSF) has become a buzzword across the forestry sector and beyond. In this webinar series, we will learn from practitioners and researchers about how they put climate-smart forestry into practice. We will also learn how forests can be managed to enhance their carbon storage capabilities and/or increase their resilience to the impacts of climate. The webinar will explore questions including:

• How can forests be managed to be resistant to fires, storms, pests, and other acute risks that are exacerbated by climate change?
• What are the tradeoffs between managing forests for climate adaptation, climate mitigation, and other goals for producing goods and services and protecting ecological health?
• How can CSF help keep communities safe and resilient and provide economic opportunities?
• How do policies and markets influence CSF and its outcomes?
• How are public forests being managed in a “climate smart” fashion? Is climate-smart forestry different on public and private land?
• How can incorporation of Indigenous knowledge and community connections to land improve outcomes for forests in a time of changing climate?

The series will primarily focus on forest management practices in the United States. We will dig into both the hype and the practice of the term ‘climate smart forestry’ and hear from a wide range of perspectives and experiences. Speakers will include public-sector organizations like the U. S. Forest Service, nonprofits, researchers, and academics from across the country, as well as “on-the-ground” practitioners.

On October 23, the speaker is Stephanie Chizmar with the US Forest Service Southern Research Station.

To register, visit https://yff.yale.edu/speaker-series/understanding-climate-smart-forestry-practice.