The recording of the Southern Fire Exchange webinar from Thursday, February 11th “COVID-19 Impacts on Southeast Prescribed Fire and Strategies for Keeping Fire on the Ground” is now live on the SFE YouTube webinar archive. This webinar featured a research presentation on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Southeastern prescribed fire as well as a fire manager panel discussion that covered strategies for managing prescribed fire programs in 2020 and 2021. Webinar presenters included: Benjamin Poulter, Ph.D., NASA Earth Sciences Division and Morgan Varner, Ph.D., Tall Timbers Research Station. The webinar fire manager panelists included: Greg Titus, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Brett Williams, US Air Force Wildland Fire Branch, and Sasha Ernst, Florida Park Service
Click here to view the archived webinar
Click here to download the webinar slides
News
Jobs: The Florida Forest Service Cooperative Outdoor Burning and Resource Assistance Team
The Florida Forest Service (FFS) Cooperative Outdoor Burning and Resource Assistance (COBRA) Team has a pair of openings for Other Personnel Services (OPS) Park Rangers to work on the COBRA Team. These are 40 hour per week positions starting at $11.37/hr.
These Park Ranger openings will be the crew members of the COBRA Team and will assist with tasks including; heavy equipment operation, operating a brush truck, participating in prescribed burning and other duties to assist the public and land managers in managing upland sites with prescribed fire.
These positions will report to the Brooksville Forestry Worksite, just south of the FFS Withlacoochee Forestry Center in Brooksville, FL.
If interested please, send your resume to: John.Kern@FDACS.gov no later than March 5, 2021.
Continue ReadingJob: Land Management Technician
Steep Creek is Land Management Technicians based in Arkansas to work on prescribed fire and other activities.
Continue ReadingNew Fact Sheet: Using Drones with Infrared Capabilities to Monitor Fire Behavior
A new fact sheet from Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service covers how landowners and land managers can incorporate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV)’s, or drones into fire operations to make burns safer and easier to conduct.
Continue ReadingJob: NWCG Program Manager
The Bureau of Land Management is hiring a Program Manager for the National Wildfire Coordination Group (NWCG). Apply by February 18.
View full information and apply here.
Continue ReadingJob: Environmental Lands Management Technician. Hillsborough County, FL
Hillsborough County’s Environmental Lands Management Section is currently recruiting for two Environmental Lands Management Technician position: one at our Northwest Regional Office in Odessa; and one at our Northeast Regional Office in Plant City. This is a full-time, permanent position, that is focused primarily on resource management activities – invasive vegetation treatment, trail maintenance, and prescribed fire operations.
More information, including how to apply, can be found here.
Continue ReadingNew Book: The Fire Manager’s Guide to Blue Ridge Ecozones
In “The Fire Manager’s Guide to Blue Ridge Ecozones” a new book from the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network, TNC fire manager Adam Warwick explores a wide range of fire maintained ecosystems across the Blue Ridge. The beautiful 165 page guide includes full color photographs and illustrations. You can download the full .pdf file here. A print version of the book is expected soon.
Nature Knowledge Biodiversity through Pyrodiversity
Nature Knowledge is a speaker series developed to share current knowledge on issues affecting nature in Florida. Dr. Shelly Johnson, State Specialized Agent in Natural Resources with UF/IFAS Extension, hosts an expert each month to discuss an environmental topic relevant to Florida’s natural resources.
This month’s program featured the Florida Fire Manager with The Nature Conservancy, Zachary Prusak, to discuss the important role of fire within Florida’s ecosystem!
Continue ReadingMission Unstoppable – How Does Fire Spead?
In this January 2021 CBS Mission Unstoppable episode, University of Florida fire ecology professor and Southern Fire Exchange program Principle Investigator Dr. Rae Crandall uses match stick forests, metal trees, and a recent prescribed fire to explain basic principles of fire behavior and effects. This short five minute video would be a great introduction to fire in the Southeast.
Continue ReadingWildland Fire in the Appalachians: Discussions Among Managers and Scientists
Proceedings: Wildland Fire in the Appalachians: Discussions Among Managers and Scientists Download and read the full GTR here (pdf).
The USFS SRS-199 abstract:
Continue ReadingMany challenges face fire managers and scientists in the Appalachian Mountains because of the region’s diverse topography and limited research supporting prescribed burning. This conference was designed to promote communication among managers, researchers, and other interested parties. These proceedings contain 30 papers and abstracts that describe ongoing research, successful technology transfer, and management tools for planning prescribed fires. Five categories of papers include ecology of plants and plant communities, wildlife ecology, fire history and fire effects, tools for forest management, and manager-scientist success stories.
