Natural resource managers and private forest landowners from the Black Hills region of South Dakota and Wyoming were interested in incorporating climate adaptation strategies into their planning and implementation. In partnership with NRCS and the Dakotas Society of American Foresters, this workshop utilized the Adaptation Workbook process to help participants consider climate change impacts and vulnerabilities specific to dry-mixed conifer forests in the Black Hills, and how those might affect the ability to meet project goals and objectives.
A pre-workshop webinar took place on March 12th, 2026 from 9-12 MT and covered what to expect at the workshop; climate projections, tools, and resources; projected shifts in tree habitat suitability; and pre-work requests. View the combined webinar presentation slides.
During the workshop on March 24th, participants identified actionable silvicultural strategies that increase resilience to expected future environmental shifts within Black Hills forests while meeting goals and objectives; explored silvicultural tactics across the resistance-resilience-transition adaptation spectrum; and discussed how to monitor adaptation actions for success. View the workshop presentation slides.
Workshop participants explored local climate change impacts, challenges, and opportunities, and considered resistance-resilience-transition adaptation strategies for 5 projects. A regional climate change summary was provided, along with project-specific climate change summaries for each project area:
This workshop was organized by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Dakotas Society of American Foresters, Colorado State University, and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science.
