DRIPTORCH DIGEST
A Newsletter for the Southern Prescribed Fire Community
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Happy OktoberForest!
Beer and water may not have an obvious connection. However
The Nature Conservancy provides a reminder that if you celebrate October with beer, remember to give a nod to the forests that make that beer possible!
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Southeast Partnership for Planning and Sustainability
2019 Steering Committee Meeting
The SERPPAS Steering Committee met for their fall meeting in Atlanta on September 9-10, 2019. The purpose of the meeting was to continue to move forward with the implementation of the
2018 – 2020 Strategic Plan through prioritized work group actions and use of the SERPPAS Good Map. The Steering Committee and work groups are encouraged to use and further refine the new SERPPAS layers within the
REPI Map to communicate priorities and enhance their work across the region. The Steering Committee also endorsed the planning of the next SERPPAS Principals meeting in Beaufort, NC in May 2020, celebrating 15 years of the partnership, engaging the SERPPAS Principals and continuing to move the strategic objectives forward.
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North Carolina State Parks Prescribed Fire Survey
Researchers at NC State University and North Carolina State Park officials are
conducting a survey on perceptions of wildfire, prescribed fire, and smoke in North Carolina. Survey data will be used to improve education about those topics, and survey takers may enter to win a North Carolina State Parks Family and Friends Pass. Please consider giving your input, especially if you live in NC!
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Fall OK-FIRE Training Workshops
OK-FIRE
is an online interactive tool for wildland fire managers in Oklahoma. This fall, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension
will host several free workshops
to help wildland fire managers learn how to use OK-FIRE. These workshops will include presentations and computer lab exercises that allow participants to gain hands-on experience using OK-FIRE. The workshops are free but
require registration
.
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Video Highlights Prescribed Fire in Alabama, Southeast
In a new 20-minute video titled
Into the Black, Southern Exposure films highlights prescribed fire in Alabama, including its benefits and the many partners who make it possible.
Image: Still from Into the Black
Credit: Southern Exposure
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Fire Frequency Tool 2.0
The Fire Frequency Tool 2.0 is now available on the Consortium of Appalachians Fire Managers and Scientists website. The tool is used with ArcGIS, and was developed to evaluate a fire's cumulative impact in order to facilitate decision-making in targeting successive prescribed fire application.
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EPA Issues Guidance on Exceptional Events & Regional Haze
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New Podcast Highlights Indigenous Use of Fire
A new podcast,
Good Fire, covers the ways that "good fire," or prescribed fire is used by indigenous groups. While focused primarily on Indigenous People in Canada, the podcast also covers other areas and highlights many issues relevant to the Southeast.
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NFWF Announces Longleaf Stewardship Fund Grant Awards
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
has awarded more than $6.3 million in twenty-four grant awards through the Longleaf Stewardship Fund. The grants will support conservation work across the longleaf range and together are expected to establish nearly 11,000 acres of longleaf pine forest and improve 305,000 additional acres. Much of this new work will include the application of prescribed fire.
Image: Red-cockaded woodpecker
Credit: NFWF
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IAWF Releases Climate Change Statement
In recognition of Climate Change Week at the United Nations, the International Association of Wildland Fire
has released a statement. The statement notes, in part, that climate change is impacting many issues of importance to the IAWF, including human health and safety, fire regimes and ecosystem succession, and fire management expenses.
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New Blog Posts: Scientist-Manager Collaboration, Landowner PPE
The Southeast Prescribed Fire Update blog, which is managed by NC State Extension Forestry, has posted two new entries:
ANREP 2020 Conference and Post-Conference Fire Workshop
The Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals 2020
Call for Abstracts is now open. Those wishing to submit an abstract for a presentation, poster, or special session should do so by October 11, 2019. The conference will take place in Bend, Oregon May 3-6, 2020.
A post-conference workshop on May 7 will include a tour of the Chiloquin Community Forest and Fire Project, a partnership between private landowners, federal and state agencies, and other partners.
Preparing for Wildfires with Firescaping: A Master Gardener Training Webinar
This webinar is designed for Master Gardeners to Help Protect Southeastern US Communities from Wildfire. See details in the SFE Webinar section below.
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New Issue of Fire Lines Newsletter Now Available
SFE has released
Volume 9 Issue 4 of the bimonthly Fire Lines newsletter. The new issue includes a research brief on how longer dry seasons as a result of climate change could lengthen fire seasons in the Southeast, as well as the latest fire science news and upcoming events.
Upcoming Workshops
Holly Ridge Community Center, Holly Shelter Game Land
October 21, 2019
Duff Fire Science and Management Workshop
Aiken, South Carolina
May 28, 2020
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Webinar Schedule & Recent Recordings
All SFE webinars, including the recent Recent Advances in Understanding Eastern US Litter Flammability webinar held on September 12, are recorded and posted on the
SFE Youtube page. SFE currently has one upcoming webinar, which requires free registration:
Holly Campbell, University of Georgia
October 17, 2019 1:00 – 2:00 PM ET
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Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network
New Blog Posts: Fuel Treatment Effectiveness and Socio-Ecological Resilience
The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network publishes a variety of content related to fire adaptation. The following recent posts may be of interest to the prescribed fire community:
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Joint Fire Science Program
Final Report: Fire Ember Production from Wildland and Structural Fuels
In a
new final report for a JFSP-funded project, researchers from North Carolina State A&T University, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, and the Forest Service PSW-Forest Fire Lab-Riverside report findings from a study examining ember production from wildland and construction materials under a range of conditions. Key findings include:
- Compared to structural firebrands, vegetative firebrands were generally smaller and lighter
- Among different structural assembly types, roof assembles tended to generate larger and heavier firebrands compared to fences and corner assemblies
- Fuels subject to experimental firebrands were more likely to ignite when exposed to multiple, flaming firebrands
The data generated from this study may be used to develop and train predictive models, and to inform mitigation strategies in the wildland-urban interface.
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Image: OSB roof with gypsum board, medium wind
Credit: Joint Fire Science Program
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Tall Timbers
2019 Covey Film Festival Night of Shorts
The
Covey Film Festival will be held October 17-27, 2019 in Thomasville, Georgia. As part of the festival, on October 23 from 6-9 PM Tall Timbers
will host a screening of three short films:
The Last Green Thread,
Queen of Red Hill, and
Burn Boss. All three films focus on conservation messages, with
Queen of Red Hill and
Burn Boss specifically addressing the importance of prescribed fire.
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Prescribed Fire News Roundup
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How Forested Communities are Trying to Adapt to Growing Wildfire Threat
Insurance Journal covers how communities in the WUI are adapting to the threat of wildfires, including the increasing use of prescribed fire based on the successes of the Southeast.
Can We Use Nature to Mitigate Wildfire Risk?
Brink addresses how nature, including prescribed fire, can be leveraged to reduce wildfire risk.
Using Drones to Fight Climate Change
AgriLife Extension Offers Ranchers, Landowners Wildfire Preparation Tips
High Plains Journal reports on wildfire risk mitigation resources provided by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for landowners and homeowners.
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NFWF Emergency Coastal Resilience RFP
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has announced the launch of the Emergency Coastal Resilience Request for Proposals. Full proposals are due by November 12, 2019. Full information is available on the
program website and
an applicant webinar will be held Wednesday,
September 4 at 1:00 PM ET.
Innovative Finance for National Forests Program
A new partnership funded by and administered by the USDA Forest Service National Partnership Office, the National Forest Foundation, and U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities will provide grants to engage private investment to support the health of the National Forest System. Pre-proposals are due by
October 12, 2019 and full information can be found
on the program website.
Travel, Research, and Educational Experience (TREE) Grants
The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) will distribute Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) TREE grants. These are designed to help graduate students travel to present at conferences and workshops related to fire science and management.
Applications are due 60 days before the start of the event
the applicant would like to attend. Additional information and application link are available on the
AFE website
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Webinars, Video, and Other Media
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Recent Archived Webinars
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Videos
Past videos and other resources can be found
here.
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Podcasts & Radio
Podcast Series
- Good Fire Podcast - Covers the indigenous use of "good fire" is used around the globe.
- Learn, Baby, Burn - Created by the Michigan Prescribed Fire Council, this podcast will cover a variety of prescribed fire topics.
- The Fire Learning Trail - Introduces listeners to the role of fire in the Southern Appalachians, wildland firefighting, and local history
- On The Line - Covers topics of interest to wildland firefighters, including mental health, the pack test, and health considerations.
- Forest Voices - Covers forest stewardship and management topics, including prescribed fire.
Past single podcasts and other resources can be found
here.
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Upcoming Events, Training, and Networking
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Prescribed Fire Council Meetings
- Central Florida - October 4, 2019, Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, FL. Registration is now open.
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Prescribed Burner Certification Courses
- Georgia - Courses are offered by the Georgia Forestry Commission, with the following courses remaining for 2019:
- October 1-2, Statesboro, GA
- December 3-4, Jasper, GA
- Virginia - The Virginia Department of Forestry offers the materials for their prescribed fire and smoke management course online. No courses are currently scheduled.
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Conferences, Workshops, Festivals and Other Events
- October 30 - Longleaf Partnership Council Meeting, Hilton Head, SC
- March 10-11, 2020 - Forest Economic Contributions Summit, New Orleans, LA
- Ongoing - Fire in the Field, This intermediate firefighter training program (equivalent to NWCG S-131, S-133, and S-231 courses, as well as the G-131 course) is designed to prepare the Firefighter 2 (FFT2) to move to the Firefighter 1 (FFT1) position.
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All jobs are open as of the Driptorch Digest send date, however application reviews may have begun.
Texas Longleaf Implementation Team Coordinator - The Texas LIT
is seeking a coordinator to lead the partnership. Applications will be accepted until a suitable candidate is found.
Veterans Fire Corps - The Student Conservation Association is accepting applications from post-9/11-era US military veterans for its Fire Corps internships. Additional information and the application portal can be found on the
program website.
Fire Ecology Internships - The Fire Ecology Program at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, FL seeks to provide field and laboratory experience for college students and recent graduates in the areas of plant ecology, ecosystem ecology, and fire ecology and science. Most internships last 12-16 weeks and are largely fieldwork based. Summer interns work from May-August and Fall interns work from October-December.
Get full details and application instructions here.
Online Job Boards
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Find more fire-related information from our friends & partners!
Consortium of Appalachian Fire Managers & Scientists Newsletter (
current edition
)
Southeast Region Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy
(
current edition
)
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Contact us to share your prescribed fire information, stories, or events!
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Jennifer Fawcett
NC State Extension Forestry
Extension Associate
SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Working Group Coordinator
919-515-8288
Laurel Kays
NC State Extension Forestry
Extension Assistant
919-513-2573
Additional content and resources can also be found by visiting our
website
and by following us on:
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