The Southern Fire Exchange was created in 2010 with funding from the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) and is a member of the network of regional JFSP knowledge exchange consortia. The JFSP funds scientific research on wildland fires and distributes results to help policymakers, fire managers, and practitioners make sound decisions. The JFSP vision is for this collaborative science delivery network to accelerate the awareness, understanding, and adoption of wildland fire science information by federal, tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders within ecologically similar regions. Six guiding principles lay the foundation for the consortia: to be inclusive, to serve as neutral science partners, to be end-user driven, to operate collaboratively, to pursue innovative communication methods, and to facilitate the flow of fire science information.

The consortia regions are primarily based on ecosystem type. For example, the SFE focuses science delivery for yellow pine ecosystems, while the Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers and Scientists (CAFMS) focuses on mountain pine and hardwood ecosystems.

Six new consortia were added to the national fire information exchange network in 2011, providing for complete national coverage:
Tall Grass Savannah
Hawaii and Pacific Islands
Midwest Oak Woodlands
Northern Rockies
Pacific Northwest
Great Plains

More than one of the consortia are active in a number of southern states. Some of you may have the opportunity to work with both SFE and one of the other consortia. We are working closely to determine commonalities in membership and ways to optimize our collective resources.

Visit the JFSP website for more information, to access a list of key contacts, and to sign up for the JFSP blog and email updates. Also, click on the map below to visit other consortia websites to learn about their programs, activities, and partners. The six new consortia will bring their websites on line in 2012.