El Reno Selected As One Of Seven Climate Hubs Nationwide

The Grazinglands Research Laboratory in El Reno has been named as one of seven Nationwide Climate Hubs, something the US Department of Agriculture hopes will give citizens one location for information.

"I think dynamic is really the best way to describe Oklahoma's climate. I would say Oklahoma is the bull's eye for a lot of those issues," said Dr. Jean Steiner.

Steiner and other researchers at the Grazinglands Research Laboratory keep track of those climate changes, and now their lab has some help.

"This is an opportunity for us to take our research to the next level," Steiner said.

The research is a joint effort with labs stretching from College Station to Stillwater and into Kansas.

"We call them fuzzy borders," Steiner said.

They all report back to the El Reno lab to track climate changes and provide application within the Southern Plains Climate.

"We're able to tap into a lot of expertise and resources."

The effort stems from the US Department of Agriculture and Dr. Bill Hohenstein's department of Climate Change.

"[We] provide guidance and advice on how to manage lands to reduce risks."

One of those risks is the result from the droughts, which in 2011 accounted for over $1.7 billion in agriculture losses in Oklahoma.

"We don't know what the weather is going to be, but we know the range of conditions people are likely to see."

And that range is planned to help farmers and other stakeholders avoid another billion-dollar loss.

"[They can] manage their resources and feel comfortable with their decisions."

The Southern Plains Climate website is set to launch Wednesday.