Great Basin Fire Science Exchange

Overview and Verification of LANDFIRE Fuels: 2022 Cooks Peak Fire
2023-11-08 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Webinar recording.
A practitioner-oriented overview of LANDFIRE with a focus on fuels and how they react to modeling techniques. The subject area of discussion will be the 2022 Cooks Peak fire located in northern New Mexico. This webinar will be technical in its application and may offer insights for both beginner and advanced LANDFIRE users.
Presenters: Tobin Smail, LANDFIRE Next Gen Fuels Lead, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Modeling Institute; and Charley Martin, LANDFIRE Fuels, TSSC Contract USGS/KBR

Fuel break effectiveness: Understanding fire response to spatial variations in vegetation and wind
2023-11-09 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
Missoula Fire Sciences Lab Seminar Series
Nov 9 2023
Presenter: Dan Jimenez, RMRS Research Engineer

Prioritizing landscape treatments
2023-11-09 12:00 - 13:30
Webinar b.
Presenters will share an overall framework, analysis considerations plus a case study from the Southwest Idaho Wildfire Crisis Landscape. Manager questions and experiences to guide this session are encouraged.

Stories of fire: Resources for media covering wildfire events and topics in Oregon
2023-11-13 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
Join the authors to learn more about how media in all forms can report diverse stories of fire, including strategies for physical and mental preparedness, engaging with incident personnel, and using scientific knowledge. Participants will also have the opportunity to provide feedback and suggest future ways to further enhance the capacity of media, public information officers, and scientists to work together.

Outcomes of spatial targeting in sagebrush country via the Sage Grouse Initiative
2023-11-16 09:00 - 10:00
Webinar recording.
The sagebrush biome is one of the largest habitat types in North America, spanning 175 million acres and home to sage grouse and 350 other species. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched the Sage Grouse Initiative in 2010 to deliver win-win voluntary conservation solutions that support ranchers and other landowners in improving the productivity of their working lands while benefiting sage grouse. The Initiative has successfully addressed key threats impacting sage grouse by focusing on population core areas. Science has helped strategically guide, refine, and inform these voluntary, private lands conservation efforts across 11 western states.

Integrating public health into forest and fire management
2023-11-17 10:00 - 11:00
Webinar recording.
Integrating Public Health into Forest and Fire Management, presented by Savannah M D’Evelyn, PhD, Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Washington, on November 17, 2023.
This webinar is part of a monthly series hosted by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), the Pau Costa Foundation (PCF), and the Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) to bring together diverse voices from the global wildland fire community.

Science-based guidelines for safe application of vegetation maps derived from satellite imagery
2023-11-22
Webinar recording.
Cara Applestein, Samuel “Jake” Price, and Matt Germino, USGS, present their latest work on accuracy assessments of the newest mapped products for burned areas. They will give guidelines for reliable application, including stating what is “unsafe” application, what the scientific basis for the guidelines are, and examples of how they use the data. They will address RAP, RCMAP, and LandCart.

10th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress
2023-12-04 - 2023-12-08
Visit conference website.
The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) is excited to announce that the 10th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress will be held December 4-8, 2023 in Monterey, California at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel. The Call for Proposals will open in January 2023.

Developing a next-generation wildland fire intelligence platform
2024-01-11 10:00 - 11:00
Webinar recording.
There is a compelling business case for additional investment in enhanced data acquisition and analysis to better assess the safety and effectiveness of wildfire management. As a result of long-standing data gaps, fire management organizations cannot recreate what happened during fire operations, leading to persistent challenges in: (1) demonstrating the nature and magnitude of suppression investments, (2) assessing what did and didn’t work, (3) improving future effectiveness based on what was learned, and (4) understanding and preventing firefighter injuries and deaths. Credible analysis of the safety and effectiveness of wildfire management requires a clearer understanding of strategic, tactical, and operational objectives. Further required is information on firefighting resource location and use at high-resolution spatial and temporal scales. To facilitate timely analysis, the relevant data need to be archived, digital, accessible, and searchable. In December 2021, RMRS entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with a private company, Ignis Technologies, interested in capturing and availing better real-time data and analytics around wildland firefighting response and resource use. We agreed on common goals of (1) enhancing situational awareness with cutting-edge technology and (2) amassing historically elusive data needed to advance research into suppression effectiveness and performance measurement in wildland fire management. This agreement provides a vehicle for greater collaboration with the interagency fire data community. We are currently working with interagency representatives of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group and Wildland Fire Information Technology to ensure that the data captured through our collaborative efforts are incorporated into the Interagency Data Management Environment (IDME), which is a modern architecture that enables governed, self-service analytics across wildland fire.

Wildlife and fire in the Southwest
2024-01-23 - 2024-01-24
The Southwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, USDA Forest Service, and many other organizations are hosting a yearlong series of workshops and webinars to advance wildlife management relating to fire in the Southwest. This series will kick off with a two-part virtual workshop that will highlight case studies, emerging research, and more.
Day and time: January 23 @ 1-4 p.m. MST and January 24 @ 9-12 p.m. MST
To learn more and register, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3V7DW6Q.

Linking heterogeneity at the WUI to wildfire dynamics
2024-01-25 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
The complex interactions between atmospheric and fire-induced winds are a persistent obstacle to accurately predicting wildfire front behavior. There are a multitude of wildfire spread models, with one primary distinction being the level of fire-atmosphere coupling in each. Coupling of fire-induced winds and ambient winds in numerical models is carried out through linking the heat and mass fluxes from the wildfire with the surface energy fluxes in the atmospheric model. The challenge in this coupling is increased with the introduction of heterogenous surface conditions, e.g., terrain, canopies, buildings. To better understand the dynamic coupling of fire-induced winds and atmospheric winds at microscales, the fast-response wildfire model QES-Fire was used to study the effects of fire-induced winds near structures, and the relative importance of the momentum deficits caused by canopies and structures on fire-induced winds.

Society for Range Management - 2024 Annual Meeting
2024-01-28 - 2024-02-02
Visit conference website.
This year’s meeting will be January 28-February 1, 2024 in Sparks, NV.

SCIENCEx webinar series
2024-01-29 11:00 - 2024-02-02 12:00
Webinar recording.
SCIENCEx will resume in 2024 with SCIENCEx Genetics!
January 29th – February 2nd, 2024

Natural Range of Variation (NRV) in the montane conifer forests of southern California
2024-01-30 15:00 - 16:00
Webinar recording.
We conducted a natural range of variation (NRV) assessment of montane conifer forests in the Transverse and Peninsular Mountain Ranges of southern California. Using current and historical literature and data, we present a quantitative analysis of forest function, structure, composition, and ecological processes prior to Euro-American settlement and compare those elements to the forests of today. We highlight how grazing, logging and fire suppression have altered natural fire regimes and examine how departure from NRV conditions may inform forest management in the era of climate change.

Assessing ecological integrity and estimating ecological outcomes: Overview of the terrestrial condition assessment
2024-01-31 10:00 - 11:00
Webinar recording.
In this LANDFIRE Office Hour, USFS Ecologist Sarah Anderson discusses the behind the scenes operations of the Terrestrial Condition Assessment (TCA). She explains the model design and indicators that drive the TCA assessment results. She also discusses the role of management activities in the calculation of TCA key performance indicators.
Find Sarah’s Office Hour from 2023 here: https://youtu.be/Kf0P3cAq1rs

Wildfire risk and mitigation opportunities in the US sagebrush biome (and more seminars from RMRS Fire Lab)
2024-02-01 10:00 - 2024-02-29 11:00
In 2024, there were five Thursdays in February. To celebrate this rare event, the Fire Lab is hosting a series of five seminars that highlight new tools and research for managers. The “February Five” will occur during our regularly scheduled seminar series timeslot – Thursdays at 11am Mountain Time. Please join us on Teams. Select the titles below for connection information and to view recordings after the event.
FastFuels and QUIC-Fire: 3D fuel and fire modeling systems supporting prescribed fire
Feb 1, 2024: Russell Parsons, Research Ecologist
The Fire Weather Alert System
Feb 8, 2024: Jason Forthofer, Research Mechanical Engineer; Natalie Wagenbrenner, Research Meteorologist
Estimating forest characteristics such as carbon and tree growth over space and time using TreeMap, FIADB, and FVS
Feb 15, 2024: Karin Riley, Research Ecologist and John Shaw, Forest Inventory and Analysis
Behave7 Fire Modeling System: A Long Time Coming
Feb 22, 2024: Faith Ann Heinsch, Physical Scientist; LaWen Hollingsworth, Fire Behavior Specialist; Greg Dillon, Director, Fire Modeling Institute
Wildfire risk and mitigation opportunities in the US sagebrush biome
Feb 29, 2024: Karen Short, Research Ecologist

Landscape restoration and plants: SCIENCEx genetics series
2024-02-01 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
Introduction – Vicky Erickson
An updated approach to generalized seed transfer strategies – Elizabeth Milano
Managing for genetic resistance to white pine blister rust – Anna Schoettle
Restoring ash: Breeding for resistance to the emerald ash borer – Jennifer Koch
Facilitator: Cherie Fisher

Wildfire smoke: Knowns and unknowns
2024-02-02 08:00 - 09:00
Webinar recording.
Topic: Wildfire Smoke and Human Health – The Knowns and the Unknowns
Presenter: Sarah Henderson
How does wildfire smoke affect our health? Learn about what’s in wildfire smoke, the impacts on health, the evidence gaps, and effective health protection strategies. Presented by Dr. Sarah Henderson, Scientific Director of Environmental Health Services at BCCDC and of the National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (NCCEH), and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia School of Population & Public Health.
Topic: Smoke Forecast Models – Making Informed Decisions
Presenter: Brian Wiens
Explore smoke forecast models with Brian Wiens, to increase your understanding of how they work and discover how to utilize these models to make informed decisions about your health.

National Native Seed Virtual Conference
2024-02-07 - 2024-02-08
View conference website.
The National Native Seed Conference (NNSC) is excited to announce a virtual conference in 2024! The NNSC connects research, industry, land management, and restoration professionals, providing the premier opportunity to develop relationships and share information about the collection, research and development, production, and use of native plant materials.
Our next event will be a virtual conference on February 7-8, 2024. The conference will be held from 8am – 2pm Pacific.

Science to support the social aspects of wildfire crisis work
2024-02-08 09:00 - 10:00
Webinar recording.
Land management-focused panel discussion hosted by the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Join us for a live virtual panel session with social scientists and communicators in a conversation about public perceptions and social acceptance associated with Wildfire Crisis planning and implementation. This facilitated panel discussion will be guided by your questions.

Mental health and resiliency of mission critical teams
2024-02-09 08:30 - 09:30
Webinar recording.
Topic: Resiliency and Residual in Mission Critical Roles
Join Preston Cline as he discusses the importance of protecting your mental health and building resilience when working in mission critical roles, especially during challenging situations like wildland fires.

What is the WUI (Wildland Urban Interface)
2024-02-14 08:00 - 09:00
Webinar recording.
Learn what agencies mean when they reference the WUI, its defining characteristics, and the unique challenges of living in these areas, particularly in Nevada. Discover the responsibilities that come with living in the WUI and explore the wealth of resources available to mitigate wildfire risks. Whether you’re a resident, stakeholder, or rightsholder, watch to gain valuable insights and actionable strategies for building safer, more resilient communities in the WUI.

Wildfire and resilient landscapes: New tools for detailed analyses
2024-02-14 09:00 - 10:00
Webinar recording.
Webinar sessions will be half presentation and half question and answer. All presenters are scientists at the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

Occupational health exposures of wildland firefighters
2024-02-16 08:30 - 09:30
Webinar recording.
Topic: Firefighter Exposures and Efficacy of Interventions
Presenter: Paul White
Delve into the unique health exposures faced by firefighters and learn about the current state of research on the effectiveness of interventions to mitigate exposure. Paul White will share valuable insights into improving occupational safety and health outcomes for firefighters.

USGS Ecological Site Group Fire and Fuels Workshop
2024-02-20 08:00 - 2024-02-23 17:00
You’re invited to join this USGS-led workshop developing Ecological Site Group State and Transition Models with a focus on Fire and Fuels across the upper Colorado Plateau. There is no registration or attendance fee. Please fill out this form to be included in future emails with details and pre-workshop materials.
Dates and Locations
Salt Lake City, UT – Feb 20 (12:30pm – 5:30pm) & 21 (8:30am – 12pm)
Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building, 125 State St. SLC, UT
Denver CO – Feb 22 (12:30pm – 5:30pm) & 23 (8:30am – 12pm)
Federal Center in Lakewood, CO
We will be covering an update from the previous year’s workshop on fire and fuels mapping across the Upper Colorado Plateau in Utah and Colorado using Ecological Site Groups. This will include updated field data collection, updated mapping efforts of current ecological states based on statistical clustering and identification of state transitions. Participants of this year’s workshop will be asked to help us identify potential options for desired conditions for the state and transition models based on the population of ecological states. We need your feedback on our results This will include hindcasting our state maps from 1984 to 2022 and analyzing state-change temporally and spatially with respect to land-use, fire, and climate. If you’d like a refresher on Ecological Site Groups and our developing of ESG State and Transition Models here is a short YouTube video from Anna Knight highlighting the overall process. Previous workshop attendance is NOT required.
More information, contact: Tara Bishop (tbishop@uvu.edu) or Mike Duniway (mduniway@usgs.gov)

Post-wildfire recovery through the principles of engineering with nature
2024-02-20 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
The Santa Clara Canyon in northern New Mexico suffered near total scorching during the Las Conchas Wildfire, a burn which drastically changed the environment and sediment stability of the canyon. After the fire, a 1% chance rain event exhibited a 400% increase in peak flow conditions when compared to pre-fire conditions due to extreme vegetation loss and subsequent soil instability. Since 2011, the Santa Clara Pueblo, Forestry Department has worked with partners to reduce flood hazard in the Pueblo by implementing Engineering with Nature principles: levee improvements, post-fire debris removal, integrating fish passage into the dams, contour felling on steep slopes, and constructing log and boulder structures to stabilize drainages and mitigate sediment transport and deposition.
Managing wildfire recovery efforts by applying Engineering With Nature-Natural and Nature-Based Features (EWN-NNBF) principles has the potential to provide a wide range of Flood Risk Management (FRM) benefits to rural and urban settings while increasing co-benefits for the entire watershed. Co-benefits include economic, social, archeological, aesthetic, recreational and biological functioning habitat enhancements. In this webinar, the presenter will discuss experiences gained and lessons learned that can be transferred to other areas within the Western US that experience wildfires and require FRM guidance on wildfire recovery methods.

Reflections from 20 years examining the social dynamics of fire management
2024-02-22 14:00 - 15:00
Webinar recording.
Sarah McCaffrey, retired in 2022 after 20 years as a fire social scientist with the US Forest Service where her research focused on understanding the social dynamics of fire management. This included research projects that examined the role of risk perception and risk attitudes, social acceptability of prescribed fire, homeowner mitigation decisions, evacuation decision making, risk communication, and agency-community interactions during fires. Since retirement she has been involved with a number of research and practitioner efforts to improve future fire outcomes including as an adviser to the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation’s Wildfire Resilience Initiative and Board member for Fire Adapted Colorado. She received her PhD in 2002 from the University of California at Berkeley where her dissertation examined Incline Village, Nevada homeowner views and actions in relation to defensible space and fuels management.

Pinyon-juniper treatments optimized: With considerations for sagebrush conservation, pinyon jays, and songbirds
2024-02-28 09:00 - 10:00

Using concepts of resilience and resistance (R&R) and LANDFIRE to address wildfire in sagebrush
2024-02-29 11:00 - 12:00
Webinar recording.
In this LANDFIRE Office Hour, USFS, RMRS Quantitative Ecologist, Jessi Brown discusses how dryland ecosystems are facing threats from invasive species and altered fire patterns, risking shifts to less desirable states. Prioritizing areas for management can be achieved by considering ecological resilience and resistance to invasives, alongside LANDFIRE’s Biophysical Settings (BpS) data. This aids in assessing ecosystem status and choosing suitable management approaches in the sagebrush biome. Scroll down for more resources!

Biochar production, benefits, and barriers in forested lands
2024-03-06 09:00 - 10:00
