Events and News

As part of the California Climate Investments - Forest Health Program, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) is currently soliciting applications for scientific research grants that address a variety of topics relevant to forest health and wildland fire management in California.

Information on the Forest Health Program and sub-programs (Forest Health Research and Forest Legacy) can be found on the program website.

Priority research topics for Fiscal Years 2020-21 and 2021-22 include:

• Disturbance, recovery, and strategies for forest resilience in an altered future climate.
• Implementation, effectiveness, impacts, and tradeoffs of alternative management strategies to reduce wildfire risk, increase carbon storage, improve biodiversity, improve water and air quality, and provide regional economic benefits.
• Natural, historical and contemporary range of variation in fire regimes, forest conditions and distributions, and wildfire-related greenhouse gas emissions in California ecosystems, particularly those less well studied.
• Forest products and utilization of forest residues related to fuel reduction and forest health treatments.
• Human dimensions and socio-economic considerations related to forest health and management.
• Improved prediction of wildland fire spread, behavior, and potential impacts, particularly under extreme weather conditions and within the wildland-urban interface.

The Department of Interior's (DOI's) Office of Wildland Fire (OWF) and Office of Policy Analysis (PPA) are organizing the DOI Wildland Fire Workshop, to be held online May 18-19, 2021. This workshop builds on the momentum of Reclamation's Wildfire Research Needs Workshop (led by John Whitler on April 6 and 7, 2021), and is an opportunity for those interested in issues related to wildland fire at Interior to come together for networking, learning, and discussing current issues.

Call for Presenters

The draft agenda includes "lightning rounds" to allow participants to learn about current work going on at Interior. Lightning-round presentations are brief summaries of in-progress work or completed projects. Please use the survey link below to send a brief description of your research by Friday, April 30.

Call for Session Facilitators

The draft agenda also includes two working sessions, where participants will be breaking into several smaller groups to address various aspects of how wildland fire intersects with (1) climate change, and (2) racial equity and disadvantaged communities. If you would be interested in serving as a chairperson or note-taker for any of these groups, please use the survey link below to let the workshop coordinators know by Friday, April 30.

The SAF D4 Wildland Fire Working Group would like to solicit papers and presentations as part of the 2021 Society of American Foresters National Convention, Topic: Forests For All. November 3-7th, 2021 in Sacramento, CA. Details are below and feel free to contact Bradley Shoemaker with any questions.

Abstract submissions for the 2021 SAF National Convention will open February 1 and close March 31. Working groups are encouraged to organize sessions and/or panel discussions that contribute to the science content of the concurrent program. I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about this, but have outlined below the general process that you'll need to follow. If you are organizing a session or panel, it's helpful if you let me know so we can keep better track of what to expect.

Your abstract matters! It is the only thing reviewers will see. You know your topic inside and out, but the reviewer doesn’t. Take time and care when writing your abstract - and encourage any presenters in an organized session to do the same. All submissions must pass review to be included in the program. The abstract submission form and review process has changed from recent years, so it's important to answer all required questions on the form intentionally.

Use the following process to submit a PROPOSAL FOR AN ORGANIZED SESSION(S) with a group of invited speakers, where each speaker will be making a presentation. (These may also be science flashes.)

First, submit an abstract for the organized session proposal itself.
1) Select ‘organized session proposal’ as the abstract type.
2) Select the basis for the session content and answer additional questions, if any.
3) Select the track, theme, and technical focus area
4) Enter the title of the session.
5) Provide the following information in the "Full Abstract" text box:
      This is a session proposed by X Working Group or name of individual.
      Speakers will discuss XXXX. We are requesting X 90-minute sessions.
      The speakers are: A - title or topic of the talk, B - title or topic of the talk, C - title or topic of the talk, etc.
6) Select "Yes" for "Is your presentation part of an organized panel/session?"
7) Provide the name of the Working Group lead or the coordinator name in the coordinator box.
8) Re-enter the panel/session title in the Session Title box.

Each speaker must then submit his/her/their own abstract by the March 31st deadline to the same track, theme, and technical focus area, selecting ‘presentation’ or ‘science flash’ as appropriate for the abstract type, and filling in the title of the talk, description, and full abstract.
In addition, enter:
      The title of the session in the Session Title box. (Preferably the same one as you submitted.)
      The session leader’s name in the Working Group or Lead Coordinator box. (Preferably the same one you submitted.)

Use the following process to submit a PROPOSAL FOR A PANEL DISCUSSION, where speakers will not be making formal presentations – i.e., the group of speakers will have a discussion on the topic based on questions posed by the moderator or audience.

Submit an abstract for the panel.
1) Select ‘panel discussion’ as the abstract type.
2) Select the basis for the session content and answer additional questions, if any.
3) Answer the Funding Sources and Financial Disclosures questions as appropriate.
4) Select the track, theme, and technical focus area
5) Enter the title of the panel/session.
6) Provide the following information in the "Full Abstract" text box:
      Describe what the panel will discuss
      The speakers are: A - name, organization; B - name, organization; C - name, organization, etc.
      This session is sponsored by the X Working Group. (optional)
7) Select "Yes" for "Is your presentation part of an organized panel/session?"
8) Provide the name of the Working Group lead or the coordinator name in the coordinator box.

WGs are of course welcome to submit proposals for professional development seminars or workshops as well as for organized sessions or panel discussions.

This position supports USDA Forest Service, Research and Development, Sustainable Forest Management Research as the National Program Leader for Wildland Fire and Fuels Research. This employee is an authority in the field of wildland fire and fuels research and is responsible for a range of leadership activities.

Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR), an innovative North Bay conservation science and education organization, is hiring a full‐time Prescribed Fire Project Coordinator for Fire Forward. The Prescribed Fire Project Coordinator coordinates and conducts site visits with new partners to potential fuels treatment sites around the region, assessing feasibility of such partnerships and collaborations, and maintaining professional and collaborative relations with key partners. The Coordinator reports the outcomes and findings of these visits and provides updates regarding relationship building to the team. They participate in assessment and mapping of burn units, support the drafting of burn plans and smoke management plans, and work closely with on-the-ground partners and landowners in the development of local collaborative efforts and implementation. The Coordinator works with the team to plan, prepare, monitor, and implement prescribed burns. The Coordinator represents Fire Forward and ACR in media, partner, collaborator, and volunteer community relations, and works with ACR staff and with partners from other agencies to plan potential work on ACR preserves and other lands.

The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management (NREM) at Oklahoma State University invites applications for a full-time, eleven-month, tenure-track position (75% Research and 25% Teaching) in fire modeling. The department is seeking a candidate to contribute to research related to understanding wildland fire behavior and risk in Oklahoma and the United States. Application and/or development of models to understand fire behavior at multiple spatial scales is required. Possible outcomes of research include improved management of fuels and smoke with prescribed fire, reduction of wildfire risk and mitigation of its effects to infrastructure, reduced impacts of smoke on human health, and improved ecosystem function. The successful candidate is expected to work closely with multidisciplinary faculty in natural resources, climatology, social science, and engineering to meet the needs of diverse stakeholder groups.

Review of applications will begin December 15, 2020, and will continue until a suitable candidate is identified.  The position will be filled by June 1, 2021, or as soon thereafter as an outstanding candidate is available.

This position is located with Chugach National Forest, Seward Ranger District in Moose Pass, AK. The incumbent serves as the Zone Ecologist for the Kenai Peninsula Zone of the Chugach National Forest.

Responsibilities:

• Serves as the Zone Ecologist for the Kenai Peninsula Zone of the Chugach National Forest.
• Serves on interdisciplinary teams planning forest management projects to assess effects on ecosystems including providing professional ecological knowledge to development of hazardous fuels reduction and timber production projects.
• Writes scientific and technical reports, grant applications, scopes of work for contracts, National Environmental Policy Act documents, and accomplishment reports.
• Plans work to be accomplished by the unit, assigns work, and establishes quality standards. Assists supervisor with management of workload and assignments for field technicians.
• Prepares and updates a restoration and revegetation plan. Implements an invasive species management program and out-year plan through the use of a variety of techniques.
• Responsible for the database reporting of all botanical and ecological accomplishments through data collection applications, Geographical Information Systems, and accomplishment reporting software.
• Performs supervisory duties 20% or less of the time.

These positions are located in Pacific West Regional Office, Interior Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12, in the Cultural Resources Division. Current career and career conditional employees of the Department of Interior may apply.

One position is located at the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit at the University of California, Berkeley, CA, which is the host university for the Californian Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CA-CESU). The second position is located at the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit at the University of Washington, in Seattle, WA, which is the host university for the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (PNW-CESU).

• Develop and implement an integrated program of natural, social and cultural resource research that supports NPS Pacific West Region's (PWR) units;
• Develop partnerships and secures outside sources of support from Federal, State, academic, and private organizations to conduct cooperative research efforts;
• Serve as liaison with partner agencies;
• Serves as a member of the national network of CESU's, provides the National Park Service with technical leadership in providing an integrated and responsive research program at the regional and service-wide levels.

The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) are open through 5 pm MST, September 30, 2020.

The Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) announcement FA-FOA0021-001 has one task statement. Proposals must address one or more of the following topic areas:

• Fuels management and fire behavior
• Changing fire environment
• Emissions and air quality
• Fire effects and post-fire recovery
• Relative impacts of prescribed fire versus wildfire
• Human dimensions of fire

The primary announcement FA-FOA0021-002 has two task statements:  

1. Sources and distribution of human-caused ignitions and their relation to wildfire impacts
2. Reducing damages and losses to valued resources from wildfire

The Regional Fire Science Exchange announcement FA-FOA0021-003 has one task statement focused on leading and executing a regional fire science exchange in the following two regions (see map and supporting information in the FOA):  

1. Lake States
2. Tallgrass Prairie

On April 6, 2020, the Fire Management Board (FMB) established the Wildland Fire Medical and Public Health Advisory Team (MPHAT) to address medical and health-related issues specific to the interagency administration of mission critical wildland fire management functions under a COVID-19 modified operating posture.  The COVID-19 MPHAT is tasked with providing medical and public health expertise, advice, coordination, and collaboration with external subject matter experts and developing protocols and practices for all aspects of COVID-19 planning, prevention, and mitigation for wildland fire operations.  Guidance found on this page has been issued via FMB Memorandum. They may be updated as appropriate and necessary to respond to the evolving situations and work conditions surrounding COVID-19.