In 2007 the Joint Fire Science program conducted a wildland fire smoke needs assessment, hosting
two parallel roundtables (in the eastern and western US) in which managers and scientists developed
lists of priorities. It was clear from the roundtables that a comprehensive and extensive science
plan was needed to focus future investments from 2011 to 2015.
The science plan was completed in 2010 based on a series of web-based questionnaires. Over
900 people responded to the questionnaires, which, we believe, is the largest and most diversified
set of responses to smoke research needs ever collected in the US.
The resulting plan has four research themes as its foundation:
- Smoke Emissions Inventory Research
- Fire and Smoke Model Validation
- Smoke and Populations
- Climate Change and Smoke
Each theme has a clearly defined objective to be achieved within a five-year program of
research. Each theme outlines yearly activities to incrementally move the program of research
forward to achieve the thematic goals. These yearly activities are designed to complement
research across themes so that synergisms are fostered and perhaps even open the door to
unexpected possibilities. In this way, the Joint Fire Science Program Smoke Science Plan breaks
with past smoke research assessments as it creates a program of incremental work to progress
towards specific objectives rather than defining science needs in general terms.
Prior to the Smoke Science Plan, work was solicited based on a preliminary science assessment.
| Fiscal Year |
Proposal Solicitation |
| 2008 |
Smoke and Emissions Models Evaluation |
| 2009 |
1) Regional haze - ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation
2) Smoke dispersion from low-intensity fires
|
| 2010 |
Public perceptions of smoke management |
| 2011 |
1) Fire smoke and ozone standards analysis
2) Mega-fire smoke and population impacts trajectory analysis
|
| 2012 |
1) Assessment of fire emissions inventory tools
2) Assessment of prescribed fire contributions to PM2.5 and PM10 standards
|
