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Lake Tahoe Basin. Source: Sue Morrow, Sacramento Bee
Ambitious New Partnership in CA
Climate change, extreme wildfire, 100 years of fire suppression and now a fourth year of drought have brought stakeholders together to launch the Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program.
Partners from multiple agencies including the US Forest Service and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy will work together to craft solutions that will restore forests and watersheds of the Sierra Nevada and make them more resilient to changing climate stressors. Read more here.
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Key Environmentalists Support Largest Restoration Effort in History
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The 4FRI Project is a collaborative effort between four national forests in Arizona and a group of partners called the Stakeholder Group. Deliberate collaboration has resulted in agreement on one of the largest restoration projects in history.
"After five years of intense collaborative work, the Stakeholder Group would like to commend the U.S. Forest Service on the Final Environmental Impact Statement. The final analyses and decision honored or directly incorporated many of the recommendations provided by the Stakeholder Group." Read more here.
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Prescribed fire is a regular tool for NPS. Source: NPS.gov.
National Park Service Finalizes
Five-Year Wildland Fire Plan
The National Park Service recently published its 2015-2019 Wildland Fire Strategic Plan. The plan captures the changes in thinking about how the NPS manages wildland fire through people, partnerships, and understanding of the changing ecological, social and economic environment in and around NPS lands. It spells out values, goals and objectives in alignment with the Cohesive Strategy. Read more here.
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Post-fire logging in Hawaii. Source: Chris D'Angelo, The Garden Island
Post-Fire Logging to Biomass in Hawaii
On the island of Kauai, the Kokee Forest Restoration and Replanting Project is underway. Trees scorched during fires in 2012 will be harvested and utilized at a local biomass-to-energy plant. The restoration project also includes replanting of native and non-invasive plants to help reduce the threat of post-fire flooding and erosion. Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources' Division of Forestry and Wildlife is working with Green Energy, a new "closed-loop" facility that will use the biomass to produce energy for the island. Read more here.
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Post-fire logging at study site in Washington. Source: Richy Harrod, USFS
New Study Reveals Benefit
of Post-Fire Logging
A new study reveals that harvesting fire-killed trees is an effective way to reduce woody fuels for up to four decades following wildfire in dry coniferous forests. The study shows that post-fire logging also provides a tangible long-term fuel reduction benefit, giving forest managers another tool for managing woody fuels in dry forest landscapes. Read more about the study here.
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Collaborative projects chosen for funding in 2015.
Joint Chiefs Chose Projects to Fund in 2015
Now in it's second year, the Chiefs’ Joint Landscape Restoration Partnership recently announced the projects that will receive funding in 2015 to improve the health and resiliency of forest ecosystems where public and private lands meet across the nation. This unique partnership recognizes collaborative efforts that leverage resources and coordinate activities across landscapes for more effective results in watershed. Read more about projects funded in the West here.
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Upcoming Learning Opportunities
March 24-26, 2015 - IAFC's Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Conference i n Reno, NV. Hands-on training and interactive sessions.
April 14, 2015 - Webinar: A New Age of Wildland Fuel Science. Bob Keane of the Missoula Fire Sciences Lab will present this webinar hosted by the Northern Rockies Fire Science Network.
April 20-24, 2015 - 13th International Wildland Fire Safety Summit and 4th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference in Boise, ID.
May 2, 2015 - National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day.
September 24-26, 2015 - Colorado Wildland Fire Conference: Creating Fire Adapted Communities at Snowmass Village, CO.
November 16-20, 2015 - 6th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress in San Antonio, TX.
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