USFS Landscape Restoration: Finding a Way to Celebrate our Success
Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://www.restoringthewest.org/
Abstract
The USDA Forest Service Fuels and Fire Ecology Program supports the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy: restore and maintain resilient landscapes; develop fire adapted communities; and respond to wildfire safely, effectively and efficiently. As the dynamic nature of fire continues to challenge fire and fuels managers to strategically place treatments and modify landscapes effectively, the ability to capture and celebrate our success is an even more daunting task. We seek to create resilient landscapes in which fire can more appropriately play its ecological role, by working collaboratively across agency and ownership boundaries to build on common goals of protecting human life, sustaining communities, and creating healthy ecosystems. The monitoring and reporting measures for our fuels and fire ecology program are being modified to assist users in the effort to better capture agency success stories and provide a learning network for our resource managers. We focus restoration efforts on fire-adapted ecosystems to reduce the uncharacteristic intensity, severity, and adverse impacts of wildfire, particularly in dry forests proximate to communities, or important water supplies or other highly valued resources that are adversely impacted by fire, or located strategically to provide opportunities to manage wildfire to achieve resource benefits. Fuels managers of the future will need to embrace the reality that fire can be restored within its appropriate ecological role while assisting fire managers in providing a blended response. The ability to truly restore the landscape will be determined by the ability to incorporate ecological principles that create healthy ecosystems while enhancing the ability to provide for public and fire fighter safety.
USFS Landscape Restoration: Finding a Way to Celebrate our Success
USU Eccles Conference Center
The USDA Forest Service Fuels and Fire Ecology Program supports the goals of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy: restore and maintain resilient landscapes; develop fire adapted communities; and respond to wildfire safely, effectively and efficiently. As the dynamic nature of fire continues to challenge fire and fuels managers to strategically place treatments and modify landscapes effectively, the ability to capture and celebrate our success is an even more daunting task. We seek to create resilient landscapes in which fire can more appropriately play its ecological role, by working collaboratively across agency and ownership boundaries to build on common goals of protecting human life, sustaining communities, and creating healthy ecosystems. The monitoring and reporting measures for our fuels and fire ecology program are being modified to assist users in the effort to better capture agency success stories and provide a learning network for our resource managers. We focus restoration efforts on fire-adapted ecosystems to reduce the uncharacteristic intensity, severity, and adverse impacts of wildfire, particularly in dry forests proximate to communities, or important water supplies or other highly valued resources that are adversely impacted by fire, or located strategically to provide opportunities to manage wildfire to achieve resource benefits. Fuels managers of the future will need to embrace the reality that fire can be restored within its appropriate ecological role while assisting fire managers in providing a blended response. The ability to truly restore the landscape will be determined by the ability to incorporate ecological principles that create healthy ecosystems while enhancing the ability to provide for public and fire fighter safety.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/rtw/2015/Posters/18
Comments
Jen Croft is an Applied Forest Ecologist, Fuels and Fire Ecology, USFS-Washington Office