In the United States, people of color breathe more particulate air pollution on average, a finding that holds across income levels and regions of the US, according to a study by researchers at the EPA-funded Center for Air, Climate, and Energy Solutions. The findings expand a body of evidence showing that African Americans, Hispanics, Asians, and other people of color are disproportionately exposed to a regulated air pollutant called fine particulate matter (PM2.5). PM2.5 is emitted by prescribed fire.
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EPA Awards Georgia Tech $1M to Help Protect Students and Communities from Prescribed Fire Smoke in Southern Georgia and Alabama
A $1 million award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will help researchers in Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering develop tactics to protect children from harmful emissions from controlled wildland burns. The initiative will provide equipment and new communications approaches in middle and high schools in Albany and Columbus, Ga., and Phenix City, Ala. Georgia Tech is focusing on the three cities because of their proximity to regular controlled burns, in addition to the communities’ lower socioeconomic statuses.
Continue ReadingJob: Fire Program Director, North Carolina TNC
The Fire Program Director supports and guides Chapter programs to ensure the scientifically defensible execution of forest restoration and management throughout NC, with the goal of increasing resilience of forest ecosystems in the face of climate change. This position provides oversight and technical support to TNC fire operations in North Carolina, ensuring adherence to the highest for safety and mitigation of risk, while achieving ecological outcomes. The NC burn season is year-round with a peak burn season between January and May, and the program accomplishes an average of 130 burns per year on 38,000 acres. Most burns are conducted in coastal plain longleaf pine systems and pine-oak forests in the Southern Blue Ridge. For most of the annual acreage burned, TNC is assisting partner agencies. TNC staff from across the state may lead or assist with burns in 3-5 locations on the same day, including in neighboring states, and often share crews with state partners. Permanent TNC fire staff are based in 5 locations across the state and an additional 50 seasonal fire staff are hired in support of our programs throughout the year. The Fire Program Director has oversight of fire qualifications and fire implementation but does not have direct supervisory responsibilities.
The Fire Program Director approves Site Fire Management Plans and Prescribed Burn Unit Plans, and modifies or exempts specific fire management requirements as defined in TNC’s Fire Management Manual. They mentor, evaluate and designates burn bosses, in writing, with notification to the Fire Management Coordinator; certifies task books, including RxB2; conducts or assists with training at local and national levels; and ensures that TNC’s fire guidelines and requirements are met or exceeded. They have the authority to temporarily suspend fire management program operations because of safety concerns or non-compliance with TNC standards. They provide technical and scientific support to fire planners and burn bosses, reviews proposed contracts and staff qualifications for prescribed fire operations and provides input to TNC legal counsel on fire policy. They may teach fire training classes with NC fire partners. They keep current on internal and external developments and trends in the field of wildland fire management and keeps abreast of new burn techniques and equipment to enhance skills and maintain/grow fire credentials of TNC staff. This may include participation in wildland fire suppression activities with external partners. To maintain excellence in their program, they build strong partnerships with public and private partners to further the goals of TNC, and keeps senior leadership in their area informed of fire program activities, needs, risks and accomplishments.
The Fire Program Director ensures that the best available science guides our forest restoration work and conservation strategies, with an emphasis on building resilience in natural communities, thus allowing them to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function in a changing climate. They assist in developing and implementing relevant strategies as part of the chapter’s Conservation Steering Committee. They pursue grants and private donations to support the fire program and manages relevant grants and contracts. They are a member of the Southern Blue Ridge and Longleaf Whole Systems teams and connects chapter work to TNC’s North America Living with Fire strategy. They serve as the principle contact to government agencies, other conservation organizations, and the academic community on fire issues. The position will build on a history of local collaboration as well as the support of national networks such as the Fire Learning Network. They play a guiding role in the Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network and represents TNC on the NC Prescribed Fire Council, the NC Fire Environment Committee, and TNC’s Fire Management Advisory team.
We prefer that this position is based in Durham, North Carolina by early fall 2021. Because of COVID, initial work may need to be conducted from a home office and in the field, until TNC guidance allows office work, likely in late summer of 2021.
Continue ReadingInterior Department and Intertribal Timber Council Sign MOU
DOI and the Intertribal Timber Council announce signing of a MOU that will strengthen collaboration in wildland fire management. The press release can be viewed at https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/interior-department-and-intertribal-timber-council-strengthen-wildland-fire-management
Continue ReadingJobs: TA & Training Specialist and Fort Stewart/Altamaha Partnership Coordinator, Longleaf Alliance
The Longleaf Alliance (TLA) is hiring a brand new position- a TA & Training Specialist to advance longleaf restoration in the western portion of the natural range (Mississippi, Louisiana, and east Texas). This position is expected to be based in southern Mississippi, as agreed upon by the candidate and TLA.
The Longleaf Alliance is also extending the application deadline for the Fort Stewart / Altamaha Partnership Coordinator (Coordinator) to September 17th. The Coordinator will coordinate and support planning and implementation efforts of the FTSA Longleaf Partnership. The position is full-time and dependent upon successful program funding and grants.
Both job postings available at https://longleafalliance.org/get-involved/
Tall Timbers News: Fire Modeling, Shortleaf Pine-Oak Study, Staff on NPR
The latest Tall Timbers Research Station newsletter has a number of stories related to fire and fire science:
Fire Modeling Leaps Forward with California Partners
Shortleaf pine-oak-hickory long-term study begins
Tall Timbers’ Dr. Morgan Varner on National Public Radio
Continue ReadingSeptember Driptorch Digest Available
The September issue of the Driptorch Digest is now available. Read it here.
Continue ReadingJob: Burn Crew Manager, NC State Parks
The Prescribed Fire Crew Manager participates in park operations, restoration, maintenance, and management. This position will report to the Division’s Ecological Burn Coordinator and work on tasks that include prescribed fire, burn unit prep, mapping fire units, marking fire lines, chainsaw and felling work, traveling extensively to various state parks and overnight stays, entering data into databases, and equipment maintenance.
More information can be found here, apply by September 20.
Continue Reading2021 Georgia Prescribed Fire Council Annual Meeting
2021 Georgia PFC Annual Meeting
Thursday – September 30, 2021
The Georgia Prescribed Fire Council invites you to attend the 2021 Statewide Annual Meeting on Thursday, September 30th. This year’s event will be virtual and there is no cost to participate. All are welcome — this meeting has something to offer no matter where you are! Registration coming soon.
NPR Story: Why the South is Decades Ahead of the West in Wildfire Prevention
Our colleagues Dr. Morgan Varner (Tall Timbers Research Station) and Lenya Quinn-Davidson (University of California and WTREX) were featured in an NPR story comparing prescribed fire use in the Southern and Western US. The National Prescribed Fire Use Survey Report (pdf) shows that many Western US states are making progress towards increasing the use of prescribed fire. Looking for more information on how prescribed fire impacts wildfire in the South? Check out our fact sheets that summarize recent research here (pdf) and here (pdf).
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