Northeast Region Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy banner with a graphic of the 20 states of the Northeast and Midwest and National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy logo.
The Northeast Regional Strategy Committee (NE RSC) provides executive leadership, coordination, and guidance to carry out the Northeast Regional Action Plan while providing a forum for members to guide strategic direction for fire and land management activities. The NE RSC continues to collaboratively recognize, support, and help with National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy goals and implementation efforts.

Brad Simpkins, New Hampshire State Forester
In This Issue
Northeast Region Cohesive Strategy Key Contacts

Chair

Chief Fire Warden

Mass. Dept. of Conservation and Recreation

 

Maureen Brooks

Vice-Chair

U.S. Forest Service Northeastern Area S&PF

 

Larry Mastic

Coordinator, Northeast Region

Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy

Important Links



Forest Fire Compacts





Quick Links


Science and Joint Fire Science Consortiums & Exchanges







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October 2017

Brad Simpkins Receives NASF Pete Anderson Award for Fire Protection
Logo for the National Association of State Foresters.

Head and shoulders picture of a man.
Brad Simpkins, New Hampshire State Forester
Charleston, WV (September 22, 2017) ---     The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) presented the Pete Anderson Current Achievement Award for Fire Protection for outstanding contributions in wildland fire protection to Brad Simpkins, New Hampshire State Forester, at the 2017 NASF annual meeting in Charleston, WV.

Brad was among six award winners who work to protect and manage the Nation's State and private forest resources. They were nominated by NASF members and their partners for the work they have accomplished to promote, support, and strengthen the forestry community nationwide. The entire NASF wildland fire committee membership supported Brad's nomination.

Brad was recognized for these contributions:
  • Serving as a member of the NASF wildland fire committee for more than 5 years as a Northeastern regional leader on most national wildfire issues.
  • Serving as the Chair for the Northeast Region's Cohesive Strategy Committee for more than 5 years and leading implementation of that effort in the Northeast Region until a successor was selected in November 2016.
  • Playing an instrumental role over the last 2 years in the national mobilization of Eastern Area fire resources by helping to develop procedures to ensure that Eastern State crews and individual resources were able to deploy to fires nationwide under the Federal AD system.
  • Serving on the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention campaign and contributing strategic input to wildfire prevention in the Northeast and nationwide.
Pete Anderson Current Achievement Award for Fire Protection
Pete Anderson began his career with the Nevada Division of Forestry in 1995, serving as State Forester from 2004 to 2014. He has an extensive background in natural resources, including forest management, wildfire control, and watershed work on State and private lands. Pete has been an active member of the NASF Wildland Fire Committee and served as Chair of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Committee, providing leadership for the national wildfire prevention Smokey Bear campaign.


What happens when a Firewise USA site asks, "What's next and how do we grow beyond our community?"  
NFPA and Firewise USA logos. 
Megan Fitzgerald-McGowan, Associate Project Manager, NFPA Wildfire Division

October 6, 2017

When I reached out to Kent Nelson of the Maine Forest Service looking for a success story to share for this month's newsletter, he suggested the Pequawket Lake Preservation Association (PLPA) in Limington. They were one of three Maine communities that received State Farm awards supporting Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (WCPD), a first for his State. I spoke with Dr. Mark Eastman, Pequawket Lake's resident leader, to get the full story on their award and event.

Group of people pose for a picture, two of whom are holding an oversized check.
On June 17, 2017, members of the Pequawket Lake Preservation Association organized a Wildfire Community Preparedness Day work day in Limington, ME. (Courtesy photo by Maine Forest Service)


Read the full Pequawket Lake Preservation Association story.

15 Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Cooperative Burning
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network logo.

Fire Effects Information System banner with USDA and Forest Service shield logos.

August 1, 2017

FAC Learning Network Editor's note: Jeremy Bailey joined the Fire Learning Network (The Nature Conservancy's North American team that works on integrated fire management strategies) in 2007. He currently leads the implementation of the Prescribed Fire Training Exchange (TREX) strategy. An experienced wildland firefighter and prescribed fire practitioner, Jeremy works with dozens of partners to develop capacity for implementing prescribed fire. His most recent efforts are focused on developing a network of coaches and leaders who will provide leadership and coordination to the two dozen TREX events currently planned.

When someone asks me "how can we have a TREX?" my mind instantly conjures up an image of a baseball field and the words "build it and they will come" float to the tip of my tongue. Sometimes I even say it. I know it's not what project directors want to hear, but after coordinating 30 TREX events, and helping others coordinate and lead another 30, it feels like sound advice. I am continually surprised and inspired by how successful each two-week TREX is and how each event is able to draw such a diverse group of participants.

Many people love and respect fire, appreciate what it provides to their families and communities, and will show up and help if you give them the opportunity.

The principle of "neighbors helping neighbors" has been central to the success of TREX. The collaborative partnerships facilitated by Fire Learning Network and Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network members create the special conditions that enable the program to be so successful.
 

Community Wildfire Resilience Workshop Gets Rave Reviews - Key Ingredients
Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network logo.

"Loved this!!!!"

"Best use of my time!!!!"

"Field tours were great!"

"Presentations were informative; presenters were engaging."

These are the kind of comments you hope to receive on participant evaluations after an event. Especially, after putting your heart and soul, and a lot of time, into organizing that event. I'm referring to the "Living with Fire" workshop that the  Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Firewise Program sponsored in Ely, Minnesota, two months ago. Above are just some of the comments provided by the full house of participants who dedicated a summer Saturday to making their community more fire adapted. How did we pull it off? Continue reading to find out!

The key ingredients that went into creating this event began with gathering a great planning team, determining the audience we wished to reach and identifying the messages we wanted to convey. Next: incorporating those messages into a thrilling event.



New Guide on Firewise Landscaping in Northeastern Minnesota Available
Source: The Outlook, September 2017

Partners in Minnesota have collaborated to develop a new resource to assist property owners with Firewise Landscaping. The guide offers information for protecting your home or business from wildfire threats using wildfire-resistant landscaping and plants that are specific to northeastern Minnesota.

The information is available in a full-length, 9-page brochure or a 2-page condensed version.

Support for this publication was provided 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 through a sub-award to the Watershed Research and Training Center. The USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity employer. Dovetail conducts wildfire outreach and education as well as hazardous fuels mitigation work in Ely, MN. Additional support was provided by the Lake County, MN, Firewise Program, which is funded by Title III Funds of the Secure Rural Schools Act.

Call for Workshop Session or Presentation Proposals
Head and shoulders picture of a man.

The International Association of Wildland Fire, in partnership with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council and the Western, Southeast, and Northeast Regions of the Cohesive Strategy, invites you to submit a proposal for a workshop session or presentation at the 2nd Annual National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop to be held March 26-29, 2018, in Reno, NV.

Submit your Proposal by November 20, 2017.




The Fire Effects Information System: Fight Fire with Information
Fire Effects Information System banner with USDA and Forest Service shield logos.

The Fire Effects Information System (FEIS) is an online collection of scientific literature reviews about fire effects and fire regimes maintained by the USDA Forest Service. FEIS provides reviews on the impact of fire on plant and animal species, summaries of fire research studies, and up-to-date information about fire regimes in U.S. ecosystems. FEIS reviews are based on thorough literature searches, often supplemented with insights from field scientists and managers. The database is searchable by species and topic. Go to the FEIS site.

NFPA Launches Firewise Portal for Online Applications and Renewals
NFPA and Firewise USA logos.

In collaboration with the USDA Forest Service, the NFPA [National Fire Protection Association] is proud to launch our new Firewise USA™ online application and renewal system we've dubbed the Firewise Portal. This new portal brings the Firewise USA program™ fully online with a new and intuitive system that allows a collaborative place for potential Firewise sites to document and track their progress while they work towards becoming a nationally recognized Firewise program participant.

Screen shot of the Firewise portal.
Sample Firewise USA portal page.


Read the entire Firewise portal blog post.


Wildland Fire Smoke Health Effects on Wildland Firefighters and the Public
NFPA and Firewise USA logos.
Firescience.gov Friday Flash eNews

August 11, 2017

Principal Investigators
Joseph Domitrovich,
USFS National Technology and Development Program
Roger Ottmar,
USFS Pacific Northwest Research Station
George Broyles,
USFS National Technology and Development Program
Luke Naeher,
University of Georgia
Michael Kleinman,
University of California, Irvine

A wildland fire burns in the distance. Objectives
Aim 1: Review of the Health Effects of Wildland Fire Smoke on Wildland Firefighters and the Public

Aim 2: Smoke Exposure Among Wildland Firefighters

Aim 3: Wildland Fire Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Disease Outcomes

See the Final Report.

Megan's Corner - October 2017
LANDFIRE logo and the text In the Northeast.
The past month has been very busy with 2 weeks spent in the Hiawatha National Forest sampling for fire history with my lab at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (read more and see pictures) and attending the Great Lakes Forest Fire Compact annual meeting in Grand Bend, Ontario (see presentation slides).

Map of fuel assessment boundaries on a national forest.
Hiawatha National Forest Fuels Assessment Boundaries


This month I plan to focus on investigating issues with fire behavior fuel models in the Northeast. I have worked with several folks to develop a spreadsheet to capture information we need to understand these issues at a larger scale and provide the proper information to LANDFIRE to potentially make a change. See the longer description of this project and access the spreadsheet. Please share this with anyone who may have useful information, and I am happy to host Skype calls to walk through it together. As I test this out, the spreadsheet may be modified, and updates will be posted to the google forum. Lastly, I am collecting a short summary of projects in the Northeast using LANDFIRE and would appreciate any information you have. The spreadsheet to fill out is available on the forum, but you can also just send me an e-mail with a quick overview of any projects you are aware of. I will update this forum post as I collect information.

NE LANDFIRE Contact: Megan.Sebasky@wisconsin.gov


Conferences, Meetings, and Training Opportunities

   

Conferences and Meetings

--Regional--

Oak Symposium: Sustaining Oak Forests in the 21st Century through Science-based Management
October 24-26, 2017
Knoxville, TN

78th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference
January 28-31, 2018
Milwaukee, WI

Igniting Exchange: Bridging the Gap between Science and Management
January 30 - February 1, 2018
Portland, ME

(Registration Now Open)
February 6-7, 2018 
Fort Custer National Training Center
Battle Creek, MI 


--National-- 
 
Future of Fire Workshop
November 6-7, 2017
Chautauqua National Historic Landmark
Boulder, CO

7th International Fire Ecology & Management Congress
Held concurrently with the 2nd Applied Fire Science Workshop
Hosted by the Association for Fire Ecology in cooperation with the Southern Fire Exchange
November 28 - December 2, 2017
Orlando, FL

Wildland Urban Interface Conference
February 27 - March 1, 2018
Peppermill Resort
Reno, NV

2nd Annual National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop
"Lessons for the Field"
March 26-29, 2018
Peppermill Resort Spa Casino
Reno, NV


The Northeast Regional Strategy Committee (NE RSC) delivers articles and stories each month that demonstrate the collaborative efforts of agencies, organizations and communities supporting and promoting the three goals of the Cohesive Strategy: Restoring Resilient Landscapes, Creating Fire Adapted Communities and Responding to Wildfire. 

 

This news update is our primary communication tool with our partners and the public. Looking for more Northeast Region Cohesive Strategy information or past published news update issues? Visit this Web site.

 

Does your agency, organization, or community have a project or event you'd like to see featured in the NE RSC News Update? 

 

Tell us about it! Just contact  Larry Mastic .
Northeastern Area State & Private Forestry | 603-953-3294 | rfitzhenry@fs.fed.us | https://www.na.fs.fed.us
11 Campus Blvd
Suite 200
Newtown Square, PA 19073