The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is hosting a series of public engagement workshops in January and February as part of its Fifth National Climate Assessment “to solicit feedback on climate change-related issues that are important to the public.”

Developing the USGCRP was a key component of the Global Change Research Act of 1990. With representation from 13 federal departments and agencies, the USGCRP's  mission is to coordinate “a comprehensive and integrated United States research program which will assist the Nation and the world to understand, assess, predict, and respond to human-induced and natural processes of global change.” Every for years, the Program delivers a National Climate Assessment to congress and the people of the US.  From their website, the "NCA is required to a) integrate, evaluate, and interpret the findings of the Program and discuss the scientific uncertainties associated with such findings; b) analyze the effects of global change on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, human health and welfare, human social systems, and biological diversity; and c) analyze current trends in global change, both human-induced and natural, and project major trends for the subsequent 25 to 100 years."

Work is underway to produce the 5th National Climate Assessment (NCA5).

Thirty public engagement workshops will be held in January and February, beginning January 11th. Workshops are free to attend but registration is required.  Each workshop will focus on a different topic or region. Topical sessions are listed below. Go here to see the complete list of Topical and Regional sessions by clicking on NCA5 Engagement Workshops.