Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

"Ecological Foundations for Fire Management in North American Forest and Shrubland Ecosystems" Technical Report Published

This report, written by eight eminent ecological scientists including FERA’s David L. Peterson, uses a scientific synthesis to provide an ecological foundation for management of the diverse ecosystems and fire regimes of North America. This foundation is based on the principles that inform management of fire-affected ecosystems. Although a large amount of scientific data on fire exists, most of those data have been collected at fine spatial and short temporal scales, whereas most of the potential issues and applications of those data are at broad and long-term scales. Basing decisions and actions on these data often requires extrapolation to different scales and different conditions, such that error can be introduced in the process.

Mountain Views Newsletter Focuses on Adaptation to Climate Change
The February 2009 issue of the CIRMOUNT newsletter (Consortium for Integrated Climate Research in Western Mountains) was edited by FERA's David L. Peterson, and includes sections by him as well as by Don McKenzie. This newsletter gets wide circulation around the world in the scientific and management communities.

Forest Vegetation Simulator to Create FCCS Fuelbeds

Scientists and programmers from the Forest Management Service Center in Fort Collins, Colorado and the FERA team have been working together over the past year to develop an integration between the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) and the Fuel Characteristic Classification System (FCCS). The goal is to provide FCCS fuelbeds as one output from FVS. This integration will allow managers to rapidly generate custom FCCS fuelbeds from their current stand exam data. Managers would also have the capability to implement silvicultural treatments such as thinning and planting, and project FCCS fuelbeds forward in time. For more information, contact mcjohnson@fs.fed.us  

Protected Areas around the World Plan for Climate Change

As part of the George Wright Society’s 2009 meeting in Portland, Oregon, Dave Peterson participated in the thematic session “New Management Strategies in an Era of Climate Change.” His presentation “Adapting to Climate Change through Science-Management Partnerships” showcased work with Olympic and Tahoe National Forests in developing strategies to reduce ecosystem vulnerabilities, increase their resilience, consider tradeoffs, and manage lands dynamically and realistically. This biennial conference on park, protected areas, and cultural sites, was attended by over 1000 resource managers and others. It included a poster session in which FERA was represented as a collaborator with the Western Mountain Initiative.

Western Tribal Managers Trained in Using FERA Tools
Responding to a request from the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), a 4-hour introduction to FERA’s suite of fuel management tools was given in Missoula, Montana on March 4. Susan Prichard and Clint Wright taught 26 tribal land and fire managers who had gathered for the BIA’s Rocky Mountain and Northwest Regional Fire/Fuels Meeting.