Since its inception in 2010, the GPLCC Steering Committee has approved a charter and mission statement, developed science priorities for the partnership, and is currently finishing the GPLCC operations plan. The Steering Committee will also use the results of an exhaustive geospatial community survey and a science needs assessment, which will be completed in the fall of 2011, to further set the LCC’s strategic direction.
The geospatial community survey and science needs assessment are part of the process to document present capacity, capacity gaps and requirements of GPLCC partners. The outcome of this process will be a vision and specific recommendations for further development of shared capacity, as well as greater cohesiveness and communication within the GPLCC community.
Since 2010, the Great Plains LCC has committed nearly $1.6 million to fund 16 science research projects that address the predicted impacts of environmental stressors on priority species and habitats in the Southern Great Plains. The Great Plains LCC is also helping to build partner states’ capacity through $347,000 in State Science Partnership grants.