National Network
The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (SW CASC) is one of nine regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers under the Department of the Interior (DOI) managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC). Like the SW CASC, each regional center is a federal-university partnership comprised of a host university, a multi-institution consortium of regional partners, and USGS staff and scientists.
History:
On September 14, 2009, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar signed Secretarial Order 3289 titled, “Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change on America’s Water, Land, and Other Natural and Cultural Resources.” The order established eight Climate Science Centers across the continental United States, Alaska, and the Pacific Islands and their managing center for the purpose of integrating DOI science and management expertise with expertise from academic institutions to support strategic adaptation efforts on public and private lands across the United States. The order also established the LCCs that, along with the CSCs, would help define and implement DOI’s climate adaptation response.
Pursuant to the secretarial order, the SW CSC was established in 2011. The CSCs were renamed Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) in 2018.