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Project ID: 09-S-04-9

Year: 2010

Date Started: 07/01/2010

Ending Date:  12/30/2013

Title: The Southern Exchange: Putting Fire Science on the Ground

Project Proposal Abstract: Fire is managed and utilized for different purposes in the South by a wide variety of natural resource professionals, including: five federal agencies; forestry, park and wildlife agencies in every state; county fire/rescue services; non-profit research and conservation organizations; natural resource consultants; and private landowners and managers. These fire professionals have numerous sources for new and existing fire science information through many excellent outreach delivery systems, such as the Encyclopedia of Southern Fire Science (ESFS) and Tall Timbers Research Station Fire Ecology Database. Despite these existing sources, there remains a distinct need to coordinate, improve or augment, and increase access to existing fire science information for both professional and general public audiences. During the development phase for our proposed regional Southern Fire Exchange (SFE) consortium, we conducted six focus groups to define SFE priorities and guide the development of an extensive survey questionnaire, which was distributed across 13 states to nearly 4,000 recipients. Twenty-nine percent of those contacted responded, of which the majority (55%) were from public agencies, followed by 30% from private ownerships, and 5% each from non-profits, academic institutions, and other sources. The survey assessed the following: 1) current use and utility of fire science information, 2) needs for new information or improvement, 3) sources of information and source preference, 4) usefulness of various information dissemination formats, and 5) barriers to obtaining current fire science information. Following the survey, we used a conference call and day-long workshop to discuss focus group and survey results with partners and end-users. These results provide a clear guide for the prioritization, as well as the evaluation, of the SFE consortium activities. The SFE will focus its efforts on enhancing and addressing the identified needs and shortcomings of current science delivery mechanisms. Our primary objectives are to coordinate, improve, and increase access to existing fire science dissemination mechanisms, while developing syntheses and enhancements to existing web-based platforms to fill gaps in available resources. We will create audience-targeted research syntheses, fact sheets, and digital presentations with fire science information specific to southern fire practitioner objectives and priorities, expand the utility of the Southern Fire Portal (SFP) as a one-stop access for fire science information, and coordinate and improve existing demonstration and workshop activities. Our long-term objective is to pave a two-way path by which the fire research community and fire use practitioners aid each others efforts toward meeting management objectives and expanding relevant knowledge.

Principal Investigator: Leda N. Kobziar

Agency/Organization: University of Florida

Branch or Dept: School of Forest Resources & Conservation

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Co-Principal Investigator	Alan J. Long	University of Florida	School of Forest Resources & Conservation
Co-Principal Investigator	Kevin M. Robertson	Tall Timbers Research Station
Co-Principal Investigator	Joseph P. Roise	North Carolina State University-Raleigh	Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources
Co-Principal Investigator	Toddi A. Steelman	North Carolina State University-Raleigh	Department of Forestry & Environmental Resources
Federal Cooperator	Leslie A. Hermansen-Baez	Forest Service	SRS-Ctr for Southern WUI Research & Information
Federal Fiscal Representative	Shelly M. Gates	Forest Service	SRS-Southern Research Station

Project Locations

Consortium

South

Level	State	Agency	Unit
REGIONAL	Southeast	FED
REGIONAL	Southeast	FS
REGIONAL	Southeast	FWS
REGIONAL	Southeast	NPS
REGIONAL	Southeast	PRIVATE

Project Deliverables

There is no final report available for this project.
There are no deliverables available for this project.

Supporting Documents

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