Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

FCCS PAPERS ACCEPTED BY THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH -- Seven manuscripts describing the scientific basis of the Fuel Characteristic Classification System have been accepted for publication by the Canadian Journal of Forest Research. Drafts of these papers are available on the website listed here.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/fccs/pubs.shtml

DON MCKENZIE AND ERNESTO ALVARADO HEADED TO MEXICO -- Drs. Don McKenzie and Ernesto Alvarado will spend a week in Mexico at the end of August participating in the Symposium of Forest Ecology and Management at the Campus de la Costa Sur of the Universidad de Guadalajara in Autlan, Mexico. This symposium marks the start of a new Graduate Program in Natural Resources at the university, as well as the first formal academic cooperation with the University of Washington, College of Forest Resources. FERA has an active cooperation with the Universidad de Guadalajara to characterize fuelbeds using photo series and the Fuel Characteristic Classification System for Mexico's natural protected areas. Ernesto will present an overview of over 20 years of cooperation on fire research of FERA in Mexico. Don will present papers on fire and climate change at the Forest Ecology conference in Autlan as well as at the National University of Mexico in Morelia.

FIELD WORK AHEAD OF SCHEDULE

FERA’s field crew has made excellent progress this summer in collecting data for two Joint Fire Science Program projects. They are well ahead of schedule collecting data on treated stands and adjacent untreated stands for the Tripod Fire fuel treatment effectiveness study. Handpiles composed of coniferous slash have already been measured, one of three types to be studied for estimating their biomass for the purpose of smoke management planning.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/research/smoke/handpiles.shtml
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/research/treatment/tripod/index.shtml

RSS FEED NOW AVAILABLE -- This newsletter is now also available through RSS (“really simple syndication”), a method where subscribers can automatically receive news “as it happens” via their RSS software. The RSS address for this newsletter is:

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/news/feed.xml

VALUE AND CHALLENGES OF CONDUCTING RESEARCH ON ACTIVE WILDLAND FIRES EXAMINED -- This short report reviews lessons learned by fire researchers collecting data during or immediately after a wildfire. Roger Ottmar was one of a team of 15 researchers and managers who collaborated on this publication.

http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/27666

BRIEFING ON CLIMATE CHANGE HELD FOR CONGRESSIONAL STAFF -- The Pacific Northwest Research Station held a briefing on its current research on climate change and its implications to forest and water managers. As part of a team of presenters Dr. David L. Peterson gave an overview on Forest Service climate change research in the western United States. The briefing was presented in Olympia, Washington on August 7th.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/research/global-climate-change.shtml

A MONTH OF VACATIONS -- Destinations included Newfoundland, the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia, granite peaks of the Sierra Nevada, France, Florida, and backyards of the beautiful Pacific Northwest.