Tools and Trainings
The Western Forbs: Biology, Ecology, and Use in Restoration project is now a website.
Westernforbs.org is designed to aid seed collectors, seed growers, nurserymen, landowners, restoration practitioners, and land managers as they increase the supply and use of native forbs.
- Species menu tab – Offers complete reviews that synthesize existing research and practical experience available for western forb species. Anything reported on the biology, ecology, seed technology, and use in wildland restoration is included.
- Lookup Table menu tab – Summarizes forb species data in a searchable and filterable table. Included are the data on taxonomy, distribution, biology, ecology, seed supply development, and nursery and wildland restoration knowledge for each species.
Access the tool.
PopEquus is open-source and uses peer-reviewed information to model expected outcomes for a given population of wild horses and the cost associated with that outcome. The model can project, for example, what the population size of a given wild horse herd will be after 10 years using a fertility-control vaccine to prevent pregnancy in a proportion of mares, as well as the expected cost. BLM managers can use this information to compare different possible management strategies.
The Bureau of Land Management and the Great Basin Fire Science Exchange have partnered to offer the following Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Class, see course flyer.
*Registration is now full, check back in 2024 for next year’s course details.
What: Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems Class
Why: Learn about landscape and site planning, treatment options, monitoring, and more
Who can/should attend: DOI and Non-DOI Land Management Professionals
When: 10-13 April 2023
Where: Courtyard Marriott, Boise/West Meridian, ID
How: DOI link Course: Restoration of Sagebrush Ecosystems (doi.gov), non-DOI registration instructions
Access the tool.
This tool is called the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. The tool has an interactive map and uses datasets that are indicators of burdens in eight categories: climate change, energy, health, housing, legacy pollution, transportation, water and wastewater, and workforce development. The tool uses this information to identify communities that are experiencing these burdens. These are the communities that are disadvantaged because they are overburdened and underserved.
Access Firetopia.
Land use planning tool from Headwaters Economics. Includes information on:
- Community planning
- Land development
- Building and fire codes
- Fuels treatment
- Funding and engagement
Access tool.
The Wildland Fire Trends Tool (WFTT) is a data visualization and analysis tool that calculates and displays wildfire trends and patterns for the western U.S. based on user-defined regions of interest, time periods, and ecosystem types. Users can use the tool to easily generate a variety of maps, graphs, and tabular data products that are informative for all levels of expertise. The WFTT provides information that can be used for a wide range of purposes, from helping to set agency fire management objectives to providing useful information to scientists, interested public, and the media.
Access tool.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (MTBS) includes all fires 1000 acres or greater in the west and 500 acres or greater in the east. The extent of coverage includes the continental U.S., Alaska, Hawai’i and Puerto Rico. MTBS data are freely available to the public.
Online course registration.
IFTDSS for Prescribed Fire Plans course is available anytime on the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. You can enroll yourself in this on-demand online course once you enter the Wildland Fire Learning Portal. Select “How to Use IFTDSS for Rx Burn Plans” on the righthand side.
Access tool.
With a project location, the tool provides historic information and forecasts for temperature, precipitation, and soil moisture. To do this, the tool integrates soils data from National Soil Conservation Service (NRCS), seasonal weather forecasts from the National Weather Service, an ecosystem water balance model, and statistical models of plant establishment developed through ecological research. The outputs are forecasts and historical conditions for a specific site selected by the user.
View bibliography.
This Science for Resource Managers tool provides online, searchable access to multiple published annotated bibliographies on priority management topics for resource managers, currently focused primarily on issues relevant to lands in the western U.S.