I expect their research will come to the conclusion that their benefactors want.
Ding, ding, ding - we have a thread winnah!
http://www.globalchange.gov/what-we-do/advance-global-change-science
Though climate change is a central theme of our research, we have a broader mandate that urges a deeper integration of climate change with other critical dimensions of global change, including changes in land use and land cover and human alteration of key biogeochemical cycles. This broader view is essential for effective responses to global change because such decisions rarely involve climate change in isolation. Particularly at local scales and in the near term, stressors like urbanization and unsustainable agricultural practices can interact with climate change to affect ecosystems, water and food supplies, and human health.Now we have the answer to what is the driving force behind all the localized regs we've seen pushed the past decade, including 'mitigation factors' such as we've seen recently reported in Nevada.
Budget, fwiw.