Oregon Global Warming Commission Re-Opens Application for the Natural and Working Lands Advisory Committee

CONTACT: Catherine Macdonald, 503-475-6782

SALEM – The Oregon Global Warming Commission is seeking applicants to serve on a new Natural and Working Lands Advisory Committee to provide input on the implementation of the Commission’s Natural and Working Lands Proposal, which was adopted in August 2021. The proposal set a net goal for sequestration and storage in natural and working lands, made recommendations for how to track progress toward the goal, and identified key strategies and programs needed to achieve the goal.

The Advisory Committee will review draft products developed by the Institute for Natural Resources (INR) and other technical experts on behalf of the Commission, including but not limited to:

1. Defining the scope of work for a Workforce and Training needs analysis;

2. Developing a methodology for establishing an inventory of net sequestration in Oregon’s Natural and Working Lands;

3. Developing activity-based metrics and establishing an activity-based baseline;

4. Identifying community impact metrics; and

5. Finalizing a report documenting the process and products reviewed by the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee will be made up of individuals with interest in natural and working lands (urban, forests, rangelands, croplands, and coastal blue carbon ecosystems) and diverse expertise. The Commission is looking for people to fill expertise and geographic gaps identified following the initial recruitment period, including tribal, environmental justice and workforce expertise, and people from southeast Oregon.

An application is available online and is due by 5 p.m. on September 6, 2022. Applications should be emailed to Oregon Global Warming Commission Chair Catherine Macdonald (cmacdonald@tnc.org), and to the Director of the Institute for Natural Resources, Lisa Gaines (lisa.gaines@oregonstate.edu).

The Commission anticipates inviting between 20 - 25 people to serve on the Advisory Committee. Members of the Committee will be selected by a subcommittee of the Commission based on an analysis of the following collective characteristics.

1. Geographic representation of the state;

2. Diverse expertise/background;

3. Knowledge of different types of natural and working lands (e.g., blue carbon, forests, agricultural lands, urban lands);

4. Knowledge of state and federal natural and working lands investment programs;

5. Knowledge of the interests and needs of people managing natural and working lands; and

6. Demonstrated track record of working collaboratively across interests to find novel solutions and triple bottom-line outcomes for natural and working lands issues and opportunities.

Advisory Committee members will be expected to attend approximately eight Committee meetings and two to four Focus Group meetings over a period of about 13 months. The Committee will review and approve a charter and draft work plan. The Oregon Global Warming Commission will take public comments during Commission meetings on the work products being developed by INR and reviewed by the Committee.