ANR’s Science Advisory Committee (SAC) started two years ago with the goal of strengthening science and monitoring, and encouraging data collaboration across departments. The SAC continues to enhance and promote science-based discussions and supports scientists across the Agency who develop the defensible, robust science needed to make smart management decisions. Here are three snapshots of the SAC in action:
#1 | Science Slams: These Slams invite all staff from ANR’s three departments to come learn about the wide array of research happening at ANR. Agency scientists give engaging seven-minute talks focused on a specific research topic or work in progress. Audience members can then ask questions or even join their fellow scientists for lunch. Past Science Slams have included topics like LiDAR and terrain analysis, bat health, communicating tenants of ecology or geology, a renewable fuel standard, and PFOA water contamination issues.
#2 | Science Summits: SAC hosts collaborative forums, bringing ANR’s scientists together to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing Vermonters. At the last forum, ANR staff looked at the full breadth of climate change adaptation work going on across the agency in order to connect ANR scientists, compile a comprehensive and descriptive list of current and past climate change-related actions, and provide a resource to the Vermont Climate Action Commission (VCAC).
#3 | Rapid Response Team: SAC functions as a rapid response team, responding to emerging issues. The Committee comes together, shares relevant data, conducts swift assessments of the situation based on collective scientific research, and assembles a suite of possible solutions to address the problem. Most recently, SAC members looked at chemicals of concern in the environment. The SAC’s work on toxic chemicals research helped Agency leadership develop a set of recommendations that were delivered to the legislature in 2017.