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Project ID: 11-S-3-1

Year: 2012

Date Started: 04/20/2012

Ending Date:  09/30/2014

Title: Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Consortium

Project Proposal Abstract: We seek support for a fire science information consortium centered on the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna (ETPOS) systems of the upper Midwest. We assessed the interest and need for such an effort with a web survey conducted in collaboration with two other prospective consortia, attended regional conferences, and followed with person-to-person telephone interviews. Responses indicate strong interest in our proposed consortium. The fire situation in the ETPOS region differs significantly from that of many existing consortia. In our region, fire is used primarily as a restoration and active management tool. Wildfires are smaller and of shorter duration, and therefore pose less risk to humans or their property than is the case in some other parts of the country. Accordingly, the fire community has had less impetus to develop interagency coordination strategies, employ common communication technologies, develop means of collating information on fire effects, or adhere to consistent training standards, resulting in multiple, independent organizations. Establishing ETPOS with its regional focus will help us to direct attention to our unique issues, and create greater cohesiveness and better communication within the fire research and management community in the Midwest. We will provide a forum in which the practices (including not burning) that best meet the diverse management objectives of the many private landowners, government agencies, conservation NGOs, sovereign tribal governments, and others can be identified. We also will be exploring the cumulative improvement of our understanding of fire through the application of Structured Decision Making processes in which management actions also provide data that feeds back to improve practice. To accomplish these goals we propose an administrative structure consisting of a Management Committee, an Advisory Board, and a full-time staff of two persons -- a coordinator, and a post-doctoral fellow to concentrate on the production of written and oral products to address the full range of concerns of our constituents. Our website will be a repository of our written and oral products (i.e., webinars, recorded presentations). We propose a regularly issued newsletter, and the use of social media to inform subscribers of upcoming events and noteworthy website postings on our and other sites. We plan to begin a process of assessing fire needs by building off of and coordinating programs already underway in the region. We recognize the importance of face-to-face communication and are requesting a budget to support planning and execution of a regional fire science and fire management conference, a concept that has been enthusiastically supported by individuals and fire-interested groups. Although the fire management and research situations in the Midwest are different from those of other regions, and especially of those of the semi-arid West, we believe that there are strong conceptual linkages and many commonalities. We will focus on our region and its challenges, but we will strive to integrate our knowledge and contribute to a national and international comprehensive understanding of fire ecology and management.

Principal Investigator: Paul H. Zedler

Agency/Organization: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Branch or Dept: Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Budget Contact	Hope K. Simon	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Co-Principal Investigator	Paul C. Charland	FWS-Fish and Wildlife Service	Leopold WMD
Co-Principal Investigator	Pauline M. Drobney	FWS-Fish and Wildlife Service	Neal Smith NWR
Co-Principal Investigator	Nathan J. Fayram	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Co-Principal Investigator	John A. Harrington	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Co-Principal Investigator	Sarah M. McCaffrey	Forest Service	NRS-Northern Research Station
Co-Principal Investigator	Christine A. Ribic	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology
Co-Principal Investigator	Hannah M. Spaul	The Nature Conservancy	WI-Wisconsin Field Office
Collaborator/Contributor	Amy O. Alstad	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Collaborator/Contributor	John D. McGowan-Stinski	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
Grants and Agreements Contact	Cheryl E. Gest	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Research & Sponsored Programs

Project Locations

Consortium

Tallgrass

Level	State	Agency	Unit
REGIONAL	Northeast	MULTIPLE

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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