Joint Canada-Mexico-USA (North American*) Carbon Program Planning Meeting January 25–26, 2007 *By North America we mean the North American land, adjacent ocean basins and coastal areas.

Outline Why a JNACP? Prospects Some history A joint statement Meeting objectives and expected results Agenda Overall charge to breakouts

Prospects for a Joint NACP  Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. scientists involved in North American carbon cycling research from local to regional and continental scales recognize the value of stronger collaboration and coordination.  The U.S., Canada, and Mexico are conducting national carbon cycle research programs that include North American carbon studies.  A joint Canadian-Mexican-U.S. North American carbon research program can take advantage of national programs, focusing on collaborative activities and synthesis of the national program results.  We have an opportunity to establish a joint program of collaborative activities and to develop a stronger synthesis of national and continental results.

Government Discussions September 2004 Ottawa Canadian-U.S. Opportunities for Collaboration in North American Carbon Cycle Research October 2004 Mexico City Mexican-U.S. Discussion of North American carbon cycle research opportunities November 2004 Morelia Mexican Carbon Program Workshop December 2004 Arlington, VA Canadian-U.S. Joint Carbon Program Planning September 2005 Ottawa Canadian-U.S. Joint Carbon Program Planning March 2006 Mexico City Mexican-U.S. Joint Carbon Program Planning June 2006 Ottawa Canadian-Mexican-U.S. Joint NACP Planning Workshop

A few issues from preliminary meetings Different governmental needs, such as to respond to the Kyoto protocol Inclusion of non-carbon greenhouse gases Inclusion of social and economic issues Funding differences Differences in database, inventory structures

Joint Government Statement Statement of Common Interest and Intent to Work Together on Carbon Cycle Research in North America  Approved as a working document on June 13, 2006 by representatives of Canadian, Mexican, and U.S. Government agencies involved in carbon cycle research. 

Common Interests Scientific community acknowledges that:  Human activities contribute to greenhouse gas increases;  Evidence that increasing greenhouse gases are linked to climate change;  Climate change, natural disturbance, and human activities alter carbon cycling; and  Humans through fossil fuel use are the main force acting on the carbon cycle.

Common Interests Canada, Mexico, and the United States have mutual interests in carbon cycle research including, but not limited to:  Temporal and regional distributions and magnitudes of carbon sources, sinks, and greenhouse gas fluxes;  Influences of climate change, natural disturbance, and socioeconomic and institutional drivers on carbon pools and fluxes;  Complex interrelationships between the carbon cycle and climate;  Management strategies and new technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or enhance carbon stocks; and  Environmental, economic, and social costs and benefits of potential management strategies, new technologies, and their implementation.

Common Interests A research strategy includes, but is not limited to:  Integrating studies of carbon stock changes and flux, measurements, and new technologies with studies of atmospheric composition and remote sensing at regional and continental scales;  Belowground carbon stocks and fluxes;  Continental focus to account for all major sources and sinks;  Consistent, high-quality regional and continental data;  Confidence in key factors controlling biospheric sources and sinks to allow predictions;  Understanding of the causes and underlying drivers of emissions trajectories;  Evaluation of management strategies and new technologies to reduce emissions or enhance sinks;  Identification of social and economic constraints and needs to build capacity to reduce emissions.

Intent to Work Together Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. agree to work together by:  Establishing a Government Coordination Working Group.  Establishing a joint Science Steering Committee  Organizing a joint workshop to identify priority areas for cooperative research;  Identifying the scope of disciplines and research expertise needed to address common research questions and insuring that major organizations within each country have opportunities to participate;  Encouraging existing research groups and projects to better integrate their work; develop standardized measurement protocols, and share results and insights;  Developing international projects with potential for cooperative funding within the participating countries;  Exploring opportunities in cooperative agreements between countries.

Meeting Objectives & Expected Products OBJECTIVES Identify science questions/goals/objectives for a Joint North American Carbon Program (JNACP). Define collaborative and synthesis activities. Consider relationships to other regional carbon studies and potential roles in other international carbon research. Discuss research planned or underway in each country. EXPECTED PRODUCTS Framework for a Science Plan for a JNACP. Broad outline for a program description. Plan and team to write up a JNACP program description. Terms and action plan for a JNACP Science Steering Group. Terms and action plan for a Government Coordination Group.

Agenda Thursday, January 25 –Plenary sessions to provide background and set the stage for break-out session discussions. –Poster session to report specific projects. –Break-out sessions for detailed discussions about topics and collaborative research activities. Friday, January 26 –Additional plenary session. –Break-out sessions. –Plenary discussion to tie down potential topics and approaches for collaborative research and synthesis into a framework for a Joint NACP.  Next steps

Charge to Break-Out Sessions The primary task of break-out sessions is to identify topics and research activities with high potential for collaboration in research activities or for synthesis of research results. Outline or prepare draft descriptions of the best suited topics. Consider how these topics interrelate, linkages between topics. Identify working groups (leaders) to undertake or coordinate collaborative research or lead synthesis efforts.

Break-Out Sessions Remote Sensing: Going beyond borders From the rivers to the ocean: incorporating riverine and coastal fluxes into terrestrial and ocean carbon budgets Gradient studies Processes that cross ecosystem boundaries (drought, fire, etc.) Modeling (inverse, coupled, global) Disturbances (pests, disease, catastrophes) Data Systems/Management Human Dimensions Break-out sessions will be consolidated into larger groups for continued discussions on Friday with increasing emphasis on relationships between potential topics and activities.