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Project ID:

24-3-01-2

Year:

2024

Date Started:

10/01/2024

Date Completed:

Title:

Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium

Project Proposal Abstract:

Problem Statement. Our challenge is to provide information to a diverse constituency in a highly fragmented agricultural landscape. Our constituency comprises many private individuals and siloed groups dispersed in tribal, local, State and Federal government agencies and private NGOs. To deal with this complex constituency we must: a) Provide information on current advances in fire science in accessible ways. b) Disseminate the practical knowledge gained by experience and best communicated person to person. c) Provide for the training of the next generation of fire practitioners. d) Facilitate (not dictate) the development of a broad consensus of how fire should be used in our landscapes to meet the requirements of the conservation of biodiversity and the promotion of fire safe communities. e) As a government program, we accept that in all we do we must strive for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the fire community.
Objectives. 1) Maintain a website that provides information to a broad range of users to include: Current notices of relevant meetings and events and a library of information for diverse audiences; Research Briefs that summarize current literature relevant to fire ecology and management. 2) Create, with partners, a webinar series that addresses important topics (for example, season of burn, invasive species, climate change) relevant to fire management in our region. 3) Support a fire science methods workshop to train advanced students and early career professionals. 4) Conduct in-person field workshops at selected sites to demonstrate lessons learned in real situations. 5) Convene a regional conference open to all, aiming to cover essential topics of interest to our constituents, and to promote dialogue and new connections. We will collect data on participation, engagement with the material, and evidence of learning for events (webinars, conference, field events) with post-event polling.
Benefits. Despite lingering controversy, data show the reality of fire-related issues: climate change and biodiversity loss. Challenges lie ahead, and meeting them will require activity by governments, NGOs, and private citizens. The Fire Science Exchanges, are one element of government response. They have the important role of facilitating communication across the spectrum of individuals and organizations involved in delivering fire related practices that will determine the landscapes of the future. They assist efforts to coordinate activities and support the dissemination of the scientifically sound knowledge base that guides actions. In this way, our project will act in support of government programs, such as the Cohesive Strategy and the 30-by-30 policy. All of our activities involve some aspect of communication. Our website seeks to support a community that we know from our polling and personal interactions seeks to improve their expert knowledge. It connects individuals and organization in support of the larger landscape project. Our in-person events like field days provide occasions for interactive learning that connects participants and introduces them to knowledgeable experts. Our proposed conference will provide opportunities for all stakeholders to share knowledge and promote their projects. Virtual webinars, done well, communicate established knowledge and new ideas about policy, technology, and means of assessment. Archived, they add to a cumulative database. By leveraging on-going adaptive management (AM) projects, we promote more effective and efficient fire management by evaluating how objectives, actions, and outcomes are linked.

Principal Investigator:

Tricia Gorby

Agency/Organization:

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Branch or Dept:

Extension Natural Resources Institute

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Agreements Contact	Kim L. Moreland	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Research & Sponsored Programs
Budget Contact	Kim L. Moreland	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Research & Sponsored Programs
Collaborator/Contributor	Paul C. Charland	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies