February 12, 2014


Dear VMC Partners,

Because you have a stake in a future that is shaped by climate change, 
we invite your participation in a process designed to deepen our 
region’s capacity to respond to the impacts of a changing climate.

*Background*
The Research on Adaptation to Climate Change (RACC 
<http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eepscor/new02/?q=node/30>) program, an 
interdisciplinary effort funded by the National Science Foundation, 
seeks to gather input on potential strategies that address the impacts 
of climate change and its consequences for severely degrading water 
quality in the Lake Champlain Basin. We invite you to participate in an 
online “Delphi” Survey involving experts and stakeholders from many 
fields in an extended online discussion of  adaptive interventions to 
climate change. This interactive survey will begin this March (2014). To 
participate in the survey, please click here 
<https://survey.uvm.edu/index.php/543123/lang-en> to register.

While the impacts of climate change cannot be fully predicted, 
historical trends suggest that changes in seasonal precipitation and 
temperature are becoming more prominent to our region. Click here 
<http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eepscor/survey_delphi/documentation.php?img=y#historical_trends> 
to view some of these historical data. A regional climate model 
developed by our team suggests that these trends will be accentuated in 
the coming decades. Click here 
<http://www.uvm.edu/%7Eepscor/survey_delphi/documentation.php?img=y#future_projections> 
to view climate forecasting data.

The online survey is an interactive tool designed to identify possible 
adaptive intervention strategies that, if undertaken, will help to 
lessen the effects of climate change on the region’s water quality, and 
the effects that decreased water quality can have on our region relative 
to other facets of our society: ecosystems, built environment, economy, 
infrastructure, and agriculture.  This survey builds upon a workshop 
hosted in November 2012, during which 130 experts from the region 
identified and discussed several of these impacts. We are aiming to have 
participation of ten times this many people in the online survey.

*Survey Overview*
Throughout the survey process, responses are _anonymously_ shared with 
all users, providing an opportunity for ideas to evolve and reflect 
areas of emerging consensus. Your first pass through the survey should 
take about _20 minutes_.  Unlike typical online surveys, you will be 
asked to return, repeatedly, to the survey to review how other 
participants have responded and add your comments/additions, revisions 
etc. Thus, your involvement can either be as limited or extensive as you 
like.

The success of this process hinges on the involvement of a diverse range 
of perspectives. We are recruiting participants from across all sectors 
and varieties of expertise and interests.

We would greatly welcome your feedback in recommending or passing this 
invite along to others within your network.

To participate in the survey, please click this link 
<https://survey.uvm.edu/index.php/543123/lang-en> to register  – and 
please pardon any cross listings.  If you have any questions, please 
contact Ann Hoogenboom 
<mailto:[log in to unmask]>.  
Thank you in advance.

Kindly,

Chris Koliba, Ph.D., Science Lead, RACC Social and Policy Modeling 
Group, [log in to unmask]
Asim Zia, Ph.D., Science Lead, RACC Integrated Assessment Modeling 
Group, [log in to unmask]
Stephanie Hurley, D.Des., Faculty Lead, RACC Adaptive Interventions 
Project, [log in to unmask]
Ann Hoogenboom, RACC Graduate Outreach Coordinator, [log in to unmask]
Sarah Coleman, RACC Graduate Project Leader, [log in to unmask]