Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

PILOT STUDY ON MULTIPLE DAY PRESCRIBED BURNS -- Roger Ottmar coordinated FERA's participation in a pilot project on the Wenatchee National Forest, Naches Ranger District during which time data was collected on the fuels before and after the fire, and this data was compared with predictions of consumption using FCCS and Consume 3.0.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/research/targeted/naches.shtml

FERA ASSISTS AS WASHINGTON STATE CONSIDERS CLIMATE EFFECTS ON FORESTS -- Dave Peterson serves on the Forest Resources Preparation/Adaptation Workgroup which provides technical advice to the Governor's Climate Advisory Team.

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/

BUILDING FCCS FUELBEDS FOR THE SAVANNAH RIVER SITE -- In collaboration with Savannah River staff, FERA is developing and analyzing a matrix of FCCS fuelbeds and fire behavior predictions that represent the range of current and anticipated surface fire behavior in each of 7 land cover types. Fuelbeds will be described that predict fire intensity near each of the thresholds important to fire managers, and then mapped across the site.. The goal is to publish the protocol for this approach, alone or in combination with alternate approaches for FCCS application. Roger Ottmar, Dr. David Sandberg, and Anne Andreu are leading the project.

http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/fera/research/targeted/savannahriver.shtml

OVERVIEW OF FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH IN INTEGRATED FIRE AND FUELS MANAGEMENT PRESENTED -- Approximately a dozen reviewers from universities and other agencies met in Bend, Oregon on June 19-20, 2007 to review the effectiveness and efficiency of Forest Service Research’s strategic program area that focuses on fire research. Dr. David L. Peterson presented an overview of Forest Service research in the area of integrated fire and fuels management. He was joined by presenters who focused on the other four key areas of the strategic program. A report from this review is expected by the end of the year.

FIELD WORK BEGINS ON TRIPOD FIRE COMPLEX FUEL TREATMENT EFFECTS STUDY -- A 6-member field crew is hard at work this summer in the area around Winthrop, Washington collecting data on tree mortality from various treatment units affected by the 2006 Tripod fire. The aim is to quantify the effectiveness of past treatments in modifying fire severity. All FERA scientists gathered on the site July 12 to review the study site and discuss methodology with Dr. Susan Prichard and the field crew. This work is expected to continue through next summer, and is funded by the Joint Fire Science Program.

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