Southern Fire Exchange

Resilience Exchange: Social Resilience and Connectedness
2021-07-28 12:00 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | CA
It is clear that climate change and the impacts from natural hazards are disrupting community social structures. Join our esteemed panelists as we discuss social resilience and connectedness and how they can help a community better prepare and more effectively recover. We will address how social resilience is defined, ways we can remain invested in our community’s growth and sustainability, and how we can leverage partnerships to reduce the toll natural disasters have on the whole community.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Using fire regimes as ecosystem indicators: SEFireMap, Southeast Conservation Blueprint, and other applications
2021-07-15 10:00 - 11:00 | CA
Join the webinar on Microsoft Teams here.
More information on the webinar series here.

Workforce Resilience Ignite Talk: Fitness and Wellness for Performance in Wildland Firefighting
2021-07-14 16:00 - 17:00 | CA
Presented by Joe Sol, Exercise Physiologist U.S. Forest Service and Brent Ruby, Professor, Department of Health and Human Performance, University of Montana
Joe and Brent will share their research on sustainment and maintenance throughout
the fire season.
Register here.

Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
2021-07-13 10:00 - 11:00 | CA
The Southeast Climate monthly webinar series is held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10:00 am ET. This series is hosted by the Southeast Regional Climate Center, in partnership with the National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) and the NOAA National Weather Service. These webinars will provide the region with timely information on current and developing climate conditions such as drought, floods and tropical storms, as well as climatic events like El Niño and La Niña. Speakers may also discuss the impacts of these conditions on topics such as agriculture production, water resources, wildfires and ecosystems.
Register here.

RX-310 – Introduction to Fire Effects
2021-07-12 - 2021-07-16 | CA
July 12 – 16, 2021
Penn State University
State College, PA
Nominations have been extended – due by June 30, 2021.
Request and then submit the nomination form by email to jcase@tnc.org
Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize and communicate the relationships between basic fire regimes and fire effects, the effects of fire treatments
on fire effects, and to manipulate fire treatments to achieve desired fire effects.
In an effort to maintain the currency and relevancy of the course materials for RX-310, Introduction to Fire Effects the instructional design has been modified to allow instructors to develop materials based on current information, changing technologies, and the needs of the students.
Objectives

Demonstrate an understanding of fire as an ecological process using the concepts of fire regimes
and first order fire effects at multiple scales.
Identify realistic management solutions in an adaptive management framework.
Communicate effectively with fire and resource professionals based on a common understanding
of first order fire effects.
Demonstrate an understanding of how fire management related resource issues interact.
Demonstrate an understanding of how to manipulate treatments to achieve desired first order fire
effects.

Target Group
Fire and resource specialists involved in fire related decision-making. Interdisciplinary team resource advisors or prescribed fire crew member working toward burn boss, or other prescribed fire positions.
Course Prerequisites

Working knowledge of fire behavior.
Understanding of basic ecological principles.
Satisfactory completion of pre-course work.

Pre-Course Work
This instructor-led course has pre-course work (estimate 2 hours).
Cost
Tuition for the course is $250 for council members and $300 for non-members.
Lodging and Meals
Information on lodging will be included with the pre-course work. No meals will be provided.

Partner Webinar: Bat Responses to Silvicultural Treatments
2021-06-29 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Researchers have been studying bat responses to silvicultural treatments since the mid-1980s, but research on the effects of silviculture on bats has increased greatly over the past decade. This webinar will present a synthesis of this research which includes the effects of regeneration harvests, thinning, gap formation, plantation forestry, and prescribed fire on bats. Dr. Loeb will also present the results of a recent review which compares the effects of prescribed fire and wildfire on bats. The talk will conclude with a discussion of the major gaps in our knowledge and where our research efforts need to be concentrated in the future.
Register here.

SFE Webinar: Restoring the Pine Barrens - Attitudes towards restoration of a threatened ecosystem in the U.S. South
2021-06-29 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
SFE Webinar: Restoring the Pine Barrens – Attitudes towards restoration of a threatened ecosystem in the U.S. South
Description: Fire is a critical element for the restoration of native longleaf pine forests in the southern United States. This research explored public interest in restoration of this threatened ecosystem and the application of prescribed fire, a key component of restoration. We report on a project conducted across eight southern states with the following objectives: (1) to identify if prescribed fire has kept pace with demand for planting longleaf following disaster events and (2) to identify landowners’ and public interest in ecological restoration using science-based prescriptions and how managers may use this information to increase prescribed burning. To address these objectives, we collected data from key informant interviews and a public telephone survey. Results demonstrated several important predictors of social barriers to prescribed burning and types of landowners most likely to burn in longleaf ecosystems. We conclude with a discussion about ways to increase dialogue among stakeholders to help them understand the risks and benefits of appropriate ecosystem management using fire. Following the presentations there will be time for audience Q/A with the speakers.
Scheduled Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET June 29, 2021
Speakers: Dr. Jason Gordon, University of Georgia
Dr. John Willis, US Forest Southern Research Station
Webinar Partners: US Forest Service Southern Region, the University of Georgia, the Southern Fire Exchange, NC State University, and the University of Florida.
Webinar Target Audience: Natural Resource Managers, Park Rangers, Public Information Officers, Outreach Specialists, Cooperative Extension Agents
Webinar Registration Link: https://ufl.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_sBibA3bvSmuWBUgCdHymag

Partner Webinar: Connecting Main Street to Mountaintops: Urban land protection as part of a comprehensive landscape conservation strategy
2021-06-24 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
A comprehensive approach to landscape conservation must include urban spaces and communities, as much as it includes large wild places and rural communities. For nearly fifty years, The Trust for Public Land has been a leader in land protection and park creation, working with communities across the American landscape to advance equity, health, and climate resilience. Leaders from TPL’s parks and schoolyards teams will share insights on effective strategies for using park creation, spatial analysis, and community engagement as part of a conservation approach that strengthens and improves the livability of our cities while connecting them to a larger surrounding landscape that spans regional and, ultimately, national borders.
Presenters:
Danielle Denk, Program Director and Schoolyard Initiative Lead
Linda Hwang, Director of Strategy and Innovation
Robert Kent, Texas State Director
Michael Giammusso, National Lands Initiative Lead
Register here.

RX-410: Smoke Management Techniques
2021-06-21 - 2021-06-25, 2021-05-24 - 2021-05-28 | CA
This course leads students through the ecological and historical role of fire, characteristics of smoke and the health, safety and visibility impacts of smoke. Other topics include public relations, legal requirements, meteorology, fuel consumption, smoke production dispersion, and operational smoke management strategies. This course is designed to be interactive in nature. It contains a panel discussion, several exercises designed to facilitate group and class participation and case studies from a variety of fuel types and political challenges. The Pre course work assignment is designed to familiarize students with the NWCG Smoke Management Guide for Prescribed Fire, PMS 420-2, and air quality regulations that impact prescribed fire programs.
This online version of RX-410 has been produced by an interagency group of smoke professionals.
Full information and registration here.

Partner Webinar: Ethics and Professional Forestry
2021-06-17 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Foresters have an ethical responsibility to those they serve. However, sometimes it is hard to determine where the line is between what is ethical and what may be construed as unethical. This course serves as a reminder of our ethical duties and gives examples of situations where ethics come into play.

Foresters have a responsibility to manage land for both current and future generations in an ethical fashion. This course is a refresher in ethics as they apply to forestry situations. Real life examples will be used to illustrate how tough ethical dilemmas may be handled by and to help us identify those areas that skirt the edges of ethical conduct. The North Carolina State Board of Registration for Foresters is pleased to have Butch Bailey, Extension Associate with Mississippi State University, put a new face on the traditional ethics presentation. Examples of ethics related situations from North Carolina will also be presented by the board. This course is being offered by the North Carolina State Board of Registration for Foresters as a service to the professional forestry community.
No registration required, join here.

Partner Webinar: Workforce Resilience Ignite Talk - Wildland Fire Mental Health and Well-being
2021-06-16 17:00 - 18:30 | CA
Register here.

2021 National Conference of Private Forest Landowners
2021-06-16 - 2021-06-18 | CA
Registration and information can be found on the event website.

Partner Webinar: "Fire Breaks: Fire Suppression, the 'Light-Burning' Controversy, and the Return of Indigenous Flames"
2021-06-10 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Historian Char Miller will be speaking about this history of fire use by Indigenous populations in what is now California and the impact of fire suppression on the land and peoples. Registration for the free Zoom event is required.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Collaborative Landscape Conservation Planning: Fostering local stakeholder engagement
2021-06-09 13:00 - 14:00 | CA
Natural resource practitioners are increasingly taking a collaborative, landscape-level approach to natural resource conservation. Despite its potential advantages, this approach faces challenges. Primary among these is ensuring ecosystem-wide goals for conservation can effectively inform local management plans and actions. This necessitates working with local stakeholders. Opportunities for local stakeholders to participate in landscape conservation planning are often limited, in part because conservation leaders are uncertain about whether, when, and how these stakeholders might most effectively participate in decision processes.
In this presentation, Catherine Doyle-Capitman will provide an overview of best practices for engaging local stakeholders and incorporating social data during collaborative landscape conservation planning. An overview of these best practices can be found in the following practitioners’ guide: Facilitating Local Stakeholder Participation in Collaborative Landscape Conservation Planning (https://prod-is-cms-assets.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/hd/prod/353a0be0-a3a5-11eb-9909-a71e27a203e5-Doyle-Capitman.pdf)
Register here.

Firescaping Workshop: Preparing for Wildfires
2021-06-09 - 2021-06-30 | CA
WHERE: Live Online (Zoom)
WHEN: June 9, 16, 23, & 30, 9am – 11am each day (8 hours total; must attend all for certificate). If you cannot attend all sessions, please reconsider your enrollment to allow for others to attend.
FEE: $24
CAPACITY: 60 attendees; Registration closes May 31st or when capacity is reached.
Register here.
INSTRUCTORS:
Holly Campbell, Public Service Assistant, UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
Ludie Bond, Fire Mitigation Specialist, Florida Forest Service
Tanya Anderson, Wildland Fire Prevention Officer, Baker County Fire Rescue
Zachary Prusak, Florida Fire Manager/CFL Program Manager, The Nature Conservancy
OVERVIEW:
Every year hundreds to thousands of wildfires occur across Florida and the southeastern US, threatening both residents and their homes. Fortunately, there are actions residents can take, such as firescaping, to help reduce their wildfire risk.
Join us for an exciting new training aimed at educating and empowering Master Gardener Volunteers, Master Naturalists, other Extension volunteers, and community leaders to make an impact and help protect Florida homes from wildfire.
The 8-hour training (2 hours per week for 4 weeks) includes a blend of presentations, “hands-on” activities, and discussions. The training will introduce participants to Florida fire history and behavior, plant flammability, firescaping design, home wildfire risk assessment, and tips for combining firescaping with other landscape objectives. The training also includes recommended volunteer opportunities and materials.
All sessions must be attended to receive the certificate of completion. The knowledge participants gain from this training can be used to educate their communities on firescaping and other wildfire risk reduction measures.
MORE INFORMATION: Dr. Shelly Johnson, SSA, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension @ Shelly.Johnson@ufl.edu

Partner Webinar: Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
2021-06-08 10:00 - 11:00, 2021-05-11 10:00 - 11:00 | CA

RX-341/301 Prescribed Fire Preparation & Implementation
2021-06-07 - 2021-06-11 | CA
Objectives

Describe prescribed fire planning policies and guidelines.
Identify & describe the processes involved in preparing a prescribed fire plan.
Develop, defend, & review a prescribed fire burn plan for technical accuracy.

Nomination form here.

North Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Annual Meeting
2021-06-03 | CA
AGENDA
9:00 Opening remarks – Kevin Hiers
9:10 Welcome – Governor Brian Kemp
9:25 The State of Fire in Georgia -Tim Lowrimore
9:45 Prescribed Fire’s Role in the Oak Regeneration Process – Dr. Callie Schweitzer
10:30 Break
10:45 Using Drones with Infrared Capabilities To Monitor Fire Behavior – Cole Fagen/Amy McClave
11:15 The Role of Prescribed Fire in Shortleaf Pine – Mike Black
11:35 Lunch Break
12:05 Forest and Fire Management for Northern Bobwhites Above the Fall Line -Dr. James Martin
12:35 Before fire exclusion…fire history in North Georgia and the Cumberland Plateau -Mike Stambaugh
1:05 The Paradoxical Effects of the 2016 Wildfires on Tree Mortality-Dr. Joseph O’Brien
1:35 Break
1:50 A Case Study of Smoke in Chattanooga -Dr. Scott Goodrick
2:10 Smoke Management Guide for SE Landowners – Jennifer Fawcett/Holly
Campbell
2:30 Community Protection Program-Beyond Boundaries -Shardul Raval
2:45 Closing Remarks – Kevin Hiers
3:00 Adjourn
SAF Continuing Forestry Education credits as well as Master Timber Harvester credits will be available for those attending this meeting. Attendance will be determined by a list of individuals that sign-in to the meeting. In order to get credit for attending, you will need to register below with your license number. You will receive a confirmation email with a link unique to you. Use that link on June 3rd to log-in and attend the meeting. If you do not use your unique link, we will be unable to verify your attendance and you will not receive continuing education credits.
Register here.

Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective Film Screening & Panel Discussion
2021-06-01 15:00 - 17:30 | CA
Join the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals and Desert Research Institute for a film screening of, Inhabitants: An Indigenous Perspective. Inhabitants follows five Native American Tribes across deserts, coastlines, forests, and prairies as they restore their traditional land management practices. For millennia Native Americans successfully stewarded and shaped their landscapes, but centuries of colonization have disrupted their ability to maintain traditional land management practices. From deserts, coastlines, forests, mountains, and prairies, Native communities are restoring their ancient relationships with the land. As the climate crisis escalates these time-tested practices of North America’s original inhabitants are becoming increasingly essential in a rapidly changing world.
Register here.
Participants will be given exclusive access to the film at no cost to watch prior to the panel discussion. The live panel discussion on June 1st will feature film participants and other experts working on Tribal climate adaptation and mitigation efforts. The link to view the film will be sent to you upon registering for the event and will remain open until June 8th.
11am AK/ 12pm PT/ 1pm MT/ 2pm CT/ 3pm ET
Film Crew Acknowledgement
Costa Boutsikaris: Co-director & cinematographer
Anna Palmer: Co-director & producer
Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee: Executive producer
Ben-Alex Dupris: Producer & advisor

Fire and Fuels Monitoring Virtual Training Workshop
2021-06-01 - 2021-06-04 | CA
Co-hosted by Lakes States Fire Science Consortium and Oak Woodlands & Forests Fire Consortium
Lead Instructor: Brian Stearns, Huron-Manistee National Forests
This 4-day, virtual- and field-based training is open to all professional affiliations, and will introduce participants to:

Tools for selecting metrics that match management/restoration objectives
Developing site-specific protocols for sampling
Developing a monitoring handbook and monitoring protocols/program for your local ecosystems
How to establish long-term monitoring and quantitative/qualitative data for wildfire risk assessment
Evaluating the need for prescribed burns and other fuels treatments

Field measurements will be conducted independently on home units, then data will be analyzed in the virtual classroom setting.
Attendance is limited. To register, contact Joe Marschall ASAP at oakfirescience@gmail.com. No registration fee.

Partner Webinar: Collaborative Fire Management Case Studies from the Colville National Forest
2021-05-27 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
This webinar will provide examples of successful cross-cultural partnerships for managing fire and building community resilience in a changing climate. In this webinar, USFS fire ecologist and tribal liaison Monique Wynecoop will share two case studies from the Colville National Forest, in which the Spokane and Colville Tribes and non-tribal partners conducted collaborative, interdisciplinary fire management projects that incorporated diverse values, cultures and knowledges to meet multiple fire management goals. Monique will share lessons learned for building trust with tribal communities and conducting collaborative fire management through a restorative justice lens with tribes as beneficiaries.
Register for the webinar here.

Partner Webinar: Learn about the New 'Compare Weather' Function in IFTDSS
2021-05-26 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
Compare and View up to Five Weather Scenarios to evaluate affects on Fire Behavior. Only in the Interagency Fuel Treatment Decision Support System (IFTDSS) can you run fire behavior models and compare the outputs side-by-side. Easily view on the map, change the inputs and re-run to explore the impacts of weather on fire behavior outputs. Great for enhancing your burn plans, NEPA documents or understanding and calibrating model outputs.
Register here.

Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals Conference
2021-05-23 - 2021-05-26 | CH2M HILL Alumni Center, Corvallis, OR, United States
The Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals Conference has been rescheduled for May 23-26, 2021 in Corvallis, OR. Updates and information will continue to be posted on the original event website: https://www.anrep2020.org/

Partner Webinar: Stewart Udall and the Politics of Environment and Race
2021-05-20 14:00 - 15:00 | CA
Stewart Udall left a profound impact on land conservation and racial issues. As the U.S. Interior Secretary during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations he successfully advocated for the creation of many national parks and monuments, and encouraged Lady Bird Johnson to undertake a national beautification program. He led the way for most of the environmental legislation we now take for granted, including the Clean Air and Water and Wilderness Acts, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Trails Acts, and the National Historical Preservation Act, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. He also fought for pesticide reduction and mining reclamation, endangered species protection, gas mileage requirements, and rapid transit systems.
By no means was his work limited to the land. As Secretary and in his private life Udall also worked for racial justice. He fought successfully to end Jim Crow era segregation at the University of Arizona and broke with the Mormon Church over its refusal to allow Blacks in the priesthood. As Secretary, he hired the first African American rangers in our national parks, forced the Washington Redskins (now the Washington Football Team) to integrate their team, championed self-determination for Native Americans, and fought for redress and compensation for Navajo uranium miners and other victims of the atomic age.
Discussing this transformative yet underappreciated figure will be John de Graaf, director of the upcoming PBS film “Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty.”
Register here.

Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network Workshop
2021-05-18 - 2021-05-20 | CA
Join to learn all about starting a burn program in a landscape, and a road map to get more fire on the ground. We’ll also hear from established burn programs on what has worked well (or not) and discuss firing techniques, smoke and fire effects.
More information coming soon.

S-231 Engine Boss (Single Resource)
2021-05-18 - 2021-05-19 | CA
S-231 Engine Boss (Single Resource) 2021
Tuesday, May 18
Wednesday, May 19
8:00am-5pm
This is a skill course designed to produce student proficiency in the performance of the duties associated with Engine Boss, Single Resource (ENGB). Topics include engine and crew capabilities, and limitations, information sources, fire size up considerations, tactics and wildland/urban interface.
Objectives: Perform the tasks of an Engine Boss in making the tactical decisions required to safely manage an engine on an incident.
TUITION COST: $75.00 (All course materials included)
Instructor: William Cirone
Location: Manatee Technical College
Michael G. Johnson Fire Academy
5530 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.
Bradenton, FL 34212
Register: https://manateeschools.revtrak.net/MTC/fire/#/list
Questions about the course? Please call Willie Cirone 973-332-6797
Kelly Gairing 941-752-8100 Ext 2008 or email: gairingk@manateeschools.net

21st Annual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality (Virtual)
2021-05-17 - 2021-05-21 | CA
On behalf of the NTFAQ Planning Committee and all of us at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP), the National Tribal Air Association (NTAA), and the Tribal Air Monitoring Support Center (TAMS Center), it is our pleasure to open registration to the 21st Annual National Tribal Forum on Air Quality. This year we are pleased to bring our conference to you virtually, with recorded and live presentations from tribal environmental professionals, U.S. EPA leadership and staff, and many others who are helping to advance air quality protection throughout Indian Country.
Our conference theme is “50 years of the Clean Air Act and How Traditional Wisdom Can Lead Us Into the Future”. Throughout the NTFAQ conference we will be weaving in the voices of Native youth and elders – a reminder to us all of the importance of the work we do. The tapestry of tribal air quality programs is rich and diverse, much like the traditions and languages of Native American Tribes and Alaskan Native Villages. It is in this spirit that we invite you to join us for the 2021 NTFAQ and say thank you, Mvto (Muscogee), Pilamaya (Lakota), Miigwech (Ojibwe), Wa do (Cherokee), Quyana (Yup’ik), Yokoke (Choctaw), Ahéhee’ (Dine’)!
For questions please email us at NTFAQ@nau.edu.
Register here.

Partner Webinar: Working Lands for Wildlife - The Long View: Sustaining Our Oak Forests
2021-05-12 11:00 - 13:00 | CA
This FREE working lands webinar hosted by Ruffed Grouse Society &American Woodcock Society and the NRCS Working Lands for Wildlife program will educate landowners and natural resource professionals on working lands conservation programs intended to benefit wildlife species and promote forest diversity.
This webinar has been approved for the following. Please register here to receive credit.

2 CFE credits (category 1) with the Society of American Foresters
2 CEUs (category 1) of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program for participation in the webinar
USDA-NRCS Conservation Planner Certification

Register here.
Throughout history, oak forests have been appreciated for their enormous ecological, economic, and social value. These benefits are widely acknowledged by foresters, wildlife biologists, hunters, conservationists, and landowners.
However, successfully managing oak forests is no easy task. It requires knowledge, forethought, and patience. Due to land-use history, fire suppression, and poor or lacking forest management we are gradually losing our oak forests throughout the Central Hardwood Region and Eastern United States.
In this webinar, we will take the “Long View” by looking back in time to see how human history has influenced the oak forests we have today. This historical grounding will allow us to look forward and consider how our actions today can ensure we restore and sustain oak forests into the future.
To do this, we must first gain a comprehensive understanding of the history of our oak forests in the Central Hardwood Region and learn about their widespread value to people, deer, grouse, songbirds, and pollinators. We will then look more closely at current research and how these dynamic forests grow and change in the face of natural and human disturbances. Speakers will then share practical examples of far-reaching, thoughtful forest management on family land and how those examples can be replicated to perpetuate our oak forests throughout their range.
