After the Fire: Learning from Burned Areas in the Southwest

In the spring of 2019, several partners teamed up with the Burned Area Learning Network to visit coordinate a series of three field trips across the Southwest. Scientists, researchers, and land managers came together to visit burned areas of the Boundary Fire (2017) and Pumpkin Fire (2000) in Arizona, the Las Conchas Fire (2011) in …

May 5, 2020: Adaptation strategies for climate and fire in the Southwest

Presenters: Martha Sample and Andi Thode, Northern Arizona UniversityDate: May 5, 2020 12pm AZ/1pm MDT We will be presenting recent work on a Fire-Climate Adaptation ‘menu’ of strategies and approaches that can be used to align fire-specific management goals with climate impacts. The strategies that we have developed fit neatly into an existing climate adaptation framework …

Oct 23, 2019: Large-scale forest restoration stabilizes carbon under climate change

Presenter: Lisa McCauley, The Nature Conservancy Date: October 23, 2019 11am AZ/12pm MDT Higher tree density, more fuels, and a warmer, drier climate have caused an increase in the frequency, size, and severity of wildfires in western U.S. forests. There is an urgent need to restore forests across the western United States. To address this need, …

Burning in the Black Range- Using prescribed fire on the Gila National Forest

A brief look at how the Black Range of the Gila National Forest goes about putting down thousands of acres of prescribed fire. See how the District works in a collaborative and productive manner while working within the multiple-use framework to include grazing, wildlife, recreation, and community outreach. Supported by science, the agency looks to keep fire on the landscape. View the YouTube video here.


A game changer: Prescribed fire and Mexican spotted owls

In the fall of 2018, the Coconino National Forest, in partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, conducted prescribed fires in Mexican spotted owl protected activity centers (PACs). This video describes this project. View the YouTube video here


2019 Cultivating Pyrodiversity- 8th AFE International Fire Ecology & Management Congress

The Association for Fire Ecology is excited to be hosting this event in Tucson, Arizona in cooperation with the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. Presentations will feature the latest in research results, applications, case studies, and lessons learned, and special sessions will be designed to unify science and application and to create opportunities for interdisciplinary learning. …

April 15, 2019: BALN Regen

We hosted a one day field trip to the 2017 Boundary Fire burned area. We made seven stops and discussed the effects of earlier fires such as the Pumpkin Fire (2002) and the Horseshoe-Hockdeffer Fire (1996) on reforestation. The topics discussed were natural reforestation, artificial reforestation, fire management in burned areas (a reburn), and assisted …

May 2, 2019: New reforestation practices for post-wildfire landscapes- building early resilience

Presenter: Jens Stevens, PhD, US Geological Survey Date: May 2, 2019 11am AZ/12pm MDT The increasing frequency and severity of fire and drought events have negatively impacted the capacity and success of reforestation efforts in many dry, western forests. Challenges to reforestation include the size, cost, and safety concerns of replanting large areas with standing …

April 9, 2019: Use of the Target Plant Concept to Promote Successful Post-Fire Forest Restoration

Presenters: Owen Burney, PhD, Associate Professor and Superintendent John T. Harrington Forestry Research Center, New Mexico State University Date: April 9, 2019 11am AZ/12pm MDT Restoration of severely burned forest lands is limited in the southwestern US primarily due to a lack of research and resources. For those areas that have been reforested, there has been …