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Project ID:

24-3-01-6

Year:

2024

Date Started:

10/01/2024

Date Completed:

Title:

Continued Development of the Southwest Fire Science Consortium FY25-27

Project Proposal Abstract:

Problem Statement
The Southwest is at the forefront of rapidly complexifying conditions for wildfire management. Invasive species such as buffelgrass are altering fire regimes and influencing type conversion in the Southwests unique sky island environments, driven by uncharacteristic cycles of drought and abundant precipitation. Shifts in public opinion and policy create fragmented support for risk reduction initiatives, motivated in part by human-caused ignitions like the 2022 Hermits Peak-Calf Canyon Fire and the 2019 Museum Fire. Together, these and other drivers have fostered an increasingly unpredictable management landscape that necessitates partnerships and knowledge exchange to make proactive and effective decisions to protect values at risk. The Southwest Fire Science Consortium (SWFSC) is a trusted boundary-spanning organization that unifies disciplines to solve emerging and evolving regional wildfire problems. Continued funding of the SWFSC will contribute to a future that includes increased use of healthy fire, ecosystems that regain or maintain ecosystem function and services, and recovery and increased use of traditional and Indigenous knowledges.
Objectives
The SWFSC works to achieve the following objectives: 1) disseminate current science and facilitate its use; 2) facilitate communication and collaboration; 3) identify and address knowledge gaps; 4) foster co-production of knowledge and adaptive management; and 5) evaluate our ability to be relevant and valuable. These goals stand in direct alignment with the FSENs overarching objectives.

In FY25-27, the topics we plan to focus on will include but will not be limited to 1) implementation of climate-smart planning; 2) building tribal capacity and cultural use of fire; 3) address the invasive-fire cycle; 4) support for the post-fire recovery process; 5) sharing lessons learned from recent wildfire incidents, and 6) supporting wildfire training programs. These topics will be addressed by diverse types of products and activities, as determined most applicable by our network and executive board.

The SWFSC will use a variety of products including, but not limited to webinars, social media posts, newsletters, field trips, workshops, working papers or science syntheses, factsheets or storymaps, Southwest Fire Stories, documentary videos, travel grants, science delivery/national or regional event support and conference attendance, Americorps volunteers, and Accelerating Science into Action Workshops.

Benefits
Fire, fuel, natural resource, and land managers, practitioners, educators, community leaders, and scientists benefit from SWFSC activities by improving communication and relationships built on trust and understanding, increasing use of and access to relevant science, and advancement of actionable knowledge. This, in turn, increases effective fire management, promotes strategic use of resources and more cohesive risk reduction across jurisdictions.

The SWFSC contributes to numerous federal priorities, including Department of Interiors (DOI) America the Beautiful Initiative and priorities of advancing environmental justice priority, tackling the climate crisis, addressing the drought crisis, and strengthening Indian Country. Also, supporting U.S. Department of Agriculture priorities of advancing racial justice, equity, opportunity, and rural prosperity; and addressing climate change via climate-smart forestry. These priorities serve Executive Orders 13985 and 14008. Additionally, the Southwest includes several landscapes identified under the Wildfire Crisis Strategy and SWFSC products support informed decision-making in these areas. Finally, our work helps to implement the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy and support priorities of the Joint Fire Science Program.

Principal Investigator:

Andrea E. Thode

Agency/Organization:

Northern Arizona University

Branch or Dept:

School of Forestry

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Agreements Contact	Angela M Harris	Forest Service	RMRS-Rocky Mountain Research Station
Budget Contact	Angela M Harris	Forest Service	RMRS-Rocky Mountain Research Station
Co-Principal Investigator	Alexander M. Evans	Forest Guild
Co-Principal Investigator	Blanca B Cespedes	New Mexico Highlands University	Natural Resources Management
Co-Principal Investigator	Catrin M. Edgeley	Utah State University	Department of Environment & Society
Co-Principal Investigator	Douglas S. Cram	University of Hawaii-Manoa	Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Management
Co-Principal Investigator	Ellis Q. Margolis	University of Arizona-Tucson	Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research
Co-Principal Investigator	Jose M. Iniguez	Forest Service	RMRS-Southwest Forest Science Complex
Co-Principal Investigator	Peter Z. Fule	Northern Arizona University	School of Forestry
Co-Principal Investigator	Rachel M. Mitchell	University of Arizona-Tucson	School of Natural Resources & the Environment
Co-Principal Investigator	Tzeidle N. Wasserman	Northern Arizona University	Ecological Restoration Institute
Funding Cooperator	Jose M. Iniguez	Forest Service	RMRS-Southwest Forest Science Complex