Welling named to lead Climate Change Response Program

National Park Service Press ReleaseFor Immediate Release:
September 08, 2010

Welling named to lead Climate Change Response Program


Washington, DC – National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis this week named Dr. Leigh Welling to direct the new Climate Change Response Program. Welling has for the past three years coordinated National Park Service climate change activities and led a service-wide steering committee to create a national climate change response strategy.

“Dr. Welling is a proven leader who has devoted her career to climate science and education,” Jarvis said. “In this new job she will be responsible for work with a wide range of partners to develop a cross-cutting approach to climate change.

“With 25 years of field research and university experience we look to Leigh to continue to push us to expand our scientific knowledge about climate change and its effects on the National Park System,” Jarvis said. “Leigh will also take a prominent role in the effort to reduce our carbon emissions and engage communities in learning and stewardship activities.”

The National Park Service Climate Change Response Program was created after Congress appropriated $10 million for climate science, monitoring, and adaptation efforts in national parks in the 2010 fiscal year. The program provides training and technical expertise, project funding, and educational products that support our actions to preserve the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system. It is part of a $133 million Congressional appropriation for the Department of the Interior climate change program.

“The National Park Service program will guide and implement initiatives and actions around four integrated components – science, mitigation, adaptation, and communication. As we approach the difficult decisions that must be made to protect the nation’s treasured resources, we will continue to apply the best available science,” said Dr. Bert Frost, National Park Service Associate Director for Natural Resources Stewardship and Science.

Welling said, “I’ve been at work on climate change issues since the mid-1980’s and I look forward to working with a talented team of scientists, managers, planners, and resource and communications professionals that are committed to helping the National Park Service effectively respond to this challenge.”

Welling started her climate science work as a student in the classrooms and laboratories of the University of Colorado where she earned her bachelor’s degree in geology. She later attended graduate school and conducted field research at Oregon State University where she received her MS and PhD in oceanography. She spent six years as a research professional and educator at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and the University of North Dakota. She joined the National Park Service in 2003.

Her previous positions include service as the Co-Chair for the Northern Great Plains sector for the National Assessment on the Impacts of Climate Variability and Change. Welling came to the Washington Office from Glacier National Park where she was Director of the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center for five years. She was the national coordinator for National Park Service research learning centers from 2006-2008.

Welling will be stationed at the National Park Service’s Natural Resource Stewardship and Science offices in Fort Collins, CO.

In addition to the announcement of Welling’s promotion, Jarvis released the National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy, a result of Welling’s collaborative efforts in her previous role as climate change coordinator.

Jarvis said the National Park Service response must be immediate and bold in some situations, and methodical and cautious in others, and in all cases must be informed by the best available science. The document is an urgent call for collective and individual action and will guide the National Park Service as it responds to the effects of a changing climate and engages millions of people in understanding the effects on the historic, cultural, and natural resources the bureau is charged with protecting.

The full document is available to the public at the service’s climate science web page: www.nature.nps.gov/climatechange/index.cfm.