diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6c74023f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+Copyright (c) 2013-2015, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR)
+All rights reserved.
+
+Developed by: 
+              University Corporation for Atmospheric Research - National Center for Atmospheric Research
+              https://www2.cesm.ucar.edu/working-groups/sewg
+
+Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining 
+a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), 
+to deal with the Software without restriction, including without limitation 
+the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, 
+and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom 
+the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
+
+    - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, 
+      this list of conditions and the following disclaimers.
+    - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, 
+      this list of conditions and the following disclaimers in the documentation 
+      and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+    - Neither the names of UCAR, or NCAR, 
+      nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote 
+      products derived from this Software without specific prior written permission.
+
+THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" 
+AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE 
+IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE 
+ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE 
+LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR 
+CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF 
+SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS 
+INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN 
+CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) 
+ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE 
+POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.		
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,9 @@
-# fates-release
-This read-only public repository holds release versions of the FATES model.
+# FATES - Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator
+
+This is a READ-ONLY mirror of the NGEE-Tropics FATES public
+release. Please contact the [NGEE-T](https://github.com/NGEET) group
+for details, support and on-going development.
+
+FATES compsets are experimental and under active development.
+
+