The National Climate Assessment (NCA) is an important resource for understanding and communicating climate change science and impacts in the United States. The quadrennial reports of the NCA synthesize and present information about the current knowledge of climate science, observed changes, and future trends. The reports highlight key findings about climate change science and impacts within regions of the US and for several ecological and socioeconomic sectors. The NCA also aims to establish a sustained assessment process, including developing and implementing consistent approaches to tracking and evaluating climate change impacts and human responses to climate change, identifying areas for new and expanded research, and building capacity to conduct and use assessments across the US. The next NCA report, the Third National Climate Assessment, is scheduled for release in 2013, with a draft available for expert review and public comment in late 2012. This session will provide an opportunity for report authors to present initial findings relevant to members of the ecological sciences community and for attendees to discuss and comment on these findings and the assessment process as a whole. The session will begin with an overview of the NCA process, followed by reports on chapters and technical inputs of interest to the ecological sciences community. Next, reports on the long-term assessment process will cover topics such as developing of a system of indicators to track climate change and climate change impacts and implementing a sustained assessment process. The session will conclude with a moderated discussion that will allow participants to ask questions about the NCA process and products, provide feedback on the assessment process, suggest topics for inclusion in future assessment reports, and comment on progress toward building assessment capacity across the US.