The program and schedule for the upcoming 5th National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop has just been released. Registration is now open for the workshop which will be held from November 14th – 18th at the DoubleTree Asheville Biltmore in Asheville, North Carolina. The Southern Fire Exchange will have a booth at the conference and hopefully we’ll see you there!
Continue ReadingSouthern Missouri Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX)
See below for an announcement regarding a FREE Prescribed Fire Training (TREX) event coming up next February and March in southern Missouri. Registration is open now. TREX events are great opportunities to increase your qualifications and experience in prescribed fire and for out-of-state applicants, TREX events can help you gain experience burning in new ecosystems and regions. Info and links below.
Southern Missouri Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) February 27th – March 10th, 2023
Location: Springfield, Missouri Area
Description: Looking for an opportunity to sharpen your prescribed fire skills? We invite you to participate in the Southern Missouri TREX, where putting good fire on the ground will be just as important as providing quality training opportunities for participants.
Who can participate? Prescribed/Wildfire staff including federal, state, tribal, and non-governmental organizations, private practitioners, and higher education faculty/students. We are committed to diversity and respect for people, communities, and culture. All will be welcome!
Unfamiliar with TREX? Click here Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges (conservationgateway.org) for more information.
Registration Fee: None—this event is being sponsored through a USFS: Cohesive Strategy grant and no registration fee will be collected.
Work Hours: Will need to be covered by your home unit.
Meals and Lodging: Provided for the duration of the event and will be in bunk style housing.
Participant Requirements:
• Participants must be current and qualified NWCG-FFT2, or have completed NWCG courses S-130, S-190, L-180, ICS 100, I-700 (all of which are available for free online). Contact Ryan Gauger ([email protected]) for more information on these trainings; verification of training is required to attend.
• Participants must complete an arduous pack test within the past year. Completion of a moderate pack test is acceptable if coming as a TNC volunteer and serving in a RXCM (Rx crewmember) position. A pack test will be offered to those who need one and cannot obtain one prior to the TREX start date.
• Participants must have health insurance which will cover personal injury (e.g., workers’ comp, health or travel insurance)
• Participants must bring fire-approved boots (all leather, 8-inches tall, Vibram soles, with no steel toe). Participants should come with all appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including: a Next Generation Fire Shelter, a hard hat, Nomex clothing, all leather gloves, eye protection and canteens for up to 1 gallon of drinking water. If you do not have proper PPE, please let us know, we will work with you to find any items you do not have. Please indicate your needs on the application.
We need your help! If your agency/organization is able to provide either a Type 6 Engine or crew cab truck for transport of crew for this event your application will receive priority in the nomination process.
Registration: To apply, complete this application form TREX Nomination Form (jotform.com) by November 11th, 2022 (notifications will be sent out by the end of November)
COVID-19: All participants will be required to provide proof of vaccination of COVID-19 prior to arriving at this TREX.
Questions: Please contact Ryan Gauger ([email protected] or 812-599-2562)
This training is supported by Promoting Ecosystem Resilience and Fire Adapted Communities Together, a cooperative agreement between The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the Interior.
An equal opportunity provider
Continue ReadingResearch Funding to Support Wildfire Quick Response Research and Data Publication
The CU Boulder Natural Hazards Center through funding provided by the National Science Foundation is offering rapid-response mini-grants to support wildfire-related research and publishing for the collection of time-sensitive pre-fire, post-fire, and manuscript publishing. The grant program is designed to support projects that seek to take advantage of limited pre-fire and post-fire periods for data collection and analysis. Grants range from $1,000 – $7,500 each. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through December 22, 2022. An information webinar will be offered on August 23, 2022. More information here.
Continue ReadingNon-native Grasses are Driving Fire Regime Changes Around the World
An article (Flammable invasive grasses are increasing risk of devastating wildfires) in the special grass issue of Science Magazine described how non-native invasive grasses are driving dramatic changes in fire regimes around the world. From Australia to Argentina, to the United States, non-native grasses are producing highly flammable fine fuels that are altering fire behavior and fire frequency in native ecosystems. The story features research on cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica) from Dr. Luke Flory at the University of Florida.
Continue ReadingUpcoming Conferences & Meetings
With summer winding down and schools starting up, we’re moving into prescribed fire council and conference season here in the southeastern US. Several PFCs have already opened registration for their annual meetings. PFC meetings are great opportunities to learn about new science, research, and tools that can improve your prescribed fire program. They’re also fun networking opportunities and a great way to find printed copies of Southern Fire Exchange fact sheets. We probably won’t make it to all of the PFC meetings this fall, but we’ll try to get to several and hopefully we’ll see you there.
Upcoming Southeastern Prescribed Fire Council Meetings
South Carolina Prescribed Fire Council – Sept. 7-8th. Clemson, SC (link for registration)
Alabama Prescribed Fire Council – Sept. 8th. Clanton, AL (link for registration)
Georgia Prescribed Fire Council – Sept. 29th. Tifton, GA (link for registration)
Central Florida Prescribed Fire Council – Oct. 7th. Kissimmee, FL (council website)
Upcoming Fire-Related Conferences
14th Biennial Longleaf Conference – Oct. 25-28th. Wilmington, NC (link for registration)
5th National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Workshop – Nov. 14-18th. Asheville, NC (link for registration)
Consider Taking a Prescribed Burner Survey from NC State University
Please see below for an invitation from a graduate student at North Carolina State University to participate in a research survey designed to understand the impacts of changing prescribed fire windows. We’re sharing this survey to support research that could help southeastern US fire managers and landowners with future fire management decisions. If you have questions about the survey, please see the contact information below.
Dear Prescribed Fire User,
I am a graduate research assistant in the department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University and I am recruiting prescribed fire users in the Southeastern U.S. for a brief survey. We are investigating burners’ needs, options, and concerns if faced with a reduction in opportunities to conduct burns under acceptable weather conditions.
If you use or oversee the use of prescribed fire on land in the Southeastern US and are 18 years of age or older, you may choose to participate in this study. You will be asked to take an online survey that should take about 7-10 minutes to complete. Survey responses will be anonymous, analyzed in aggregate, and serve as the primary data for this research project. All data will be secured on an NCSU-owned cloud drive and will be password protected.
This research is overseen by my faculty advisor, Dr. Fernando Garcia Menendez, and has been approved by the NCSU Institutional Review Board (IRB) under study number: 25159.
Please click this link to access the online survey: Take the survey
Or copy and paste the following URL into your internet browser: https://ncsu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YRIRIvzj2Bdeku
We ask that you please complete the survey before Friday September 16, 2022.
Thank you in advance for your time and help with this important research project. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact me by email at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Megan Johnson
PhD Candidate
Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering
North Carolina State University
USGS Assessment of the Fire Science Exchange Network
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recently published a research report explaining the methods and findings from their 2021 assessment of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) sponsored nationwide Fire Science Exchange Network. The lengthy 109 page report entitled “2021 Assessment of the Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network” was produced and written by Natasha Collins, James Meldrum, and Nina Burkardt.
We would like to extend a special thank you to the 500 Southern Fire Exchange (SFE) subscribers, partners, and affiliates who responded to an email survey distributed by the USGS research team last year! SFE partner priorities, fire science interests, and needs were well represented in the survey.
Publication Citation and link:
Collins, N., Meldrum, J., Schuster, R., and Burkardt, N., 2022, 2021 assessment of the Joint Fire Science Program’s Fire Science Exchange Network: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2022–5052, 119 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20225052.
ISSN: 2328-0328 (online)
Continue ReadingSouthern Fire Exchange / SERPPAS Job Opportunity
We are excited to announce a joint employment opportunity with the Southern Fire Exchange and Southeastern Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) through North Carolina State University Extension Forestry! Please share the link and announcement anyone who might be interested.
“Join the Pack! North Carolina State University Extension Forestry is seeking applicants for a Extension associate position in prescribed fire and fire science. This is a full-time, 12-month, professional staff position. Application reviews commence July 15, 2022, and will continue until the position is filled. To view the complete position description and to apply, visit https://jobs.ncsu.edu/postings/165812. AA/EOE. In addition, NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation or genetic information.“
Continue Reading2022 Southeast Longleaf Pine Cone Crop Report
The 2022 Southeast Longleaf Pine Cone Crop Report (pdf) prepared by Drs. John Willis and Dale Brockway of the USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station predicts that the regional cone crop for 2022 will be “fair” with an average of 41 cones per tree. The 2022 results were highly spatially variable, with some areas reporting a “bumper” crop and other areas reporting a “failed” crop in the upcoming fall. The Cone Crop Report is based on cone count observations from 11 participating sites in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Cone counts provide an indication of the potential for longleaf pine natural regeneration in the fall. Forest managers and private landowners can use the report to plan for activities in the summer and early fall that may increase bare ground and facilitate longleaf seed germination.
Continue ReadingNew SFE & UF/IFAS Fact Sheet Explores Bees and Fire in the Longleaf pine ecosystem
A new fire science sheet synthesizes the science on the relationships between native bees and fire in the longleaf pine ecosystems of the southeastern US. Developed by Nicole Mitchell, Sarah Anderson Weaver, and Dr. Raelene M. Crandall at the University of Florida / IFAS, the full-color fact sheet includes species-specific profiles for some of the most common bees in the region.
Bees and Fire: How does fire in longleaf pine savannas affect bee communities?
https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR454