A Newsletter for the Southern Prescribed Fire Community |
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Prescribed Fire Councils Host Virtual Meetings
While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented in-person Prescribed Fire Council meetings in 2020, many Southern PFCs were able to host virtual meetings. The Florida Statewide PFC Virtual Meeting held October 2 was not only the first statewide meeting in 10 years, but was the most attended Prescribed Fire Council Meeting in US history, with 641 attendees tuning in for the live broadcast. Several meetings were recorded, with presentations available to watch at any time.
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COVID-19 and Western Wildfire Season |
Wildfires continue to burn across the West as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to claim lives. The resources and articles below may be useful to those managing or communicating about wildland fire through these dual hazards. |
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Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Downlisting Comment Period Now |
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to downlist the red-cockaded woodpecker from endangered to threatened is now open for comment in the Federal Register. Interested parties can submit comments through December 7. |
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New Tools: Prescribed Burn Entry Form and Neighborhoods at Risk |
Two new tools have been released that may be of interest to the Southern prescribed fire community:
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The Prescribed Burn Entry Form App is a user friendly version of the Oklahoma Prescribed Burn Association burn entry form from their website. The app is available both for Android and iOS. Users can now log burns from their phones, making logging your burns simpler and easier. As with the website, the user is anonymous and no personal information is needed or taken.
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The Neighborhoods at Risk tool developed by Headwaters Economics allows users to see where climate change is likely to impact the most vulnerable people.
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13th Longleaf Biennial Conference |
Written by Ryan Bollinger and Randy Tate, Longleaf Alliance
The Virtual 13th Biennial Longleaf Conference was held October 20-23. The event was a huge success with over 300 attendees and 3 Full days of conference offerings including on-demand presentations, live panel discussions, Q&A Sessions, Lunch and Learns, a virtual awards ceremony, poster session, and social events. As part of the conference, LLA hosted a Prescribed fire Working Group Session, with 40 attendees from the longleaf and fire community. Breakout Topics addressed in the session were (1) Identifying progress and needs for advancing prescribed fire qualifications and training, especially during the pandemic, and (2) How to be better prepared to communicate with the public, media, and policy makers when fire makes headlines across the U.S. Group discussions covered a lot of ground in a short time frame. Meeting notes and action items are being shared with the SERPPAS Rx Fire Working Group.
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Celebrating Fire's Diversity |
October included the celebration of both National Hispanic Heritage Month and Indigenous Peoples' Day. We are grateful for the Hispanic and Indigenous people who are a part of the Southern prescribed fire community. The resources below highlight the past, present, and future contributions of these groups to wildland fire.
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James de la Riva, a wildland firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service, Angeli Wright/Asheville Citizen Times |
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Joint Vision and Key Messages on Relative Benefits of Prescribed Fire to Wildfire |
The Wildland Fire Leadership Council member agencies and organizations, along with the Environmental
Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have released a joint vision statement containing key messages about the relative benefits of prescribed fire and wildfire. The document specifically notes that "WFLC members, along with EPA and CDC, are committed to working in a collaborative manner to support the use of prescribed fire in ways that improve ecosystem health and services, reduce wildfire risk, and prioritize public health and safety."
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This video visualizes the air quality in the lower 48 states during August and September. |
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The National Wildfire Coordinating Group has released several new publications relevant to the prescribed fire community:
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Smoke and Roadway Safety Guide (PMS 477) - The Smoke and Roadway Safety Guide provides wildland fire personnel the tools and methods to effectively plan and forecast for roadway smoke impacts and to monitor, respond to, and mitigate smoke on roadways to reduce the risk to the public and fire personnel.
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Wildfire Magazine New Issue Released |
Longleaf Mapping Opportunity |
The Longleaf Alliance and Florida Natural Areas Inventory are working to map the distribution and condition class of longleaf across the range. The Nature Conservancy is partnering with them to implement those surveys in North Carolina. They are searching for partners and volunteers, and those interested should contact project lead Dan Hannon.
Participants will be asked to commit to a half-day of online virtual training, a half day of field training, and at least 2 days of survey effort. Training and surveys can be done on a flexible schedule, and a few hours at a time. The time frame is between early Nov - early Jan in the Cape Fear Arch and early Jan - early March for the Onslow Bight.
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Shan Cammack with Georgia DNR created this video for those who need to learn to address smoldering duff fires. Shan was also featured on the first episode of the Southern Fire Exchange podcast, Friends of Fire. |
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North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Prescribed Fire Survey |
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Southern Fire Exchange & Joint Fire Science Program |
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In this new video from the Georgia Forest Service, LuAnn Craighton, Outreach Director and Local Implementation Team Coordinator of the Nature Conservancy, and RT Lumpkin, Prescribed Fire Center Coordinator and Lead for the Chattahoochee Fall Line Prescribed Fire Cooperative, give an overview of the planning and implementation of the Chattahoochee Fall line Co-Op and the opportunities for Private landowners in Georgia. |
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Prescribed Fire News Roundup |
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NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program
The Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) promotes coordination of NRCS conservation activities with partners that offer value-added contributions to expand collective ability to address on-farm, watershed, and regional natural resource concerns. Proposals are due by November 4.
Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program Challenge
Lake States Fire Science Consortium Intern Program RFP
The Lake States Fire Science Consortium (LSFSC) is accepting proposals for several $4,000 undergraduate research internship awards. The proposed internships should last no longer than 3-6 months, and should address relevant fire science and management issues associated with northern fire-dependent ecosystems of the Lake States region. Proposals are due by 5:00 PM ET on Monday, December 7, 2020 by email to Jack McGowan-Stinski.
Interventions and Communication Strategies to Reduce Health Risks of Wildland Fire Smoke Exposures RFA
The EPA is seeking applications proposing research that will address behavioral, technical and practical aspects of interventions and communication strategies to reduce exposures and/or health risks of wildland fire smoke. Applications are due on December 15, 2020 by 11:50 Eastern Time.
FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants: Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) makes federal funds available through the new Building Resilient Infrastructures and Communities grant program to states, local communities, tribes and territories for pre-disaster mitigation activities. Applications will be accepted through January 29, 2021 at 3:00 PM ET.
Association for Fire Ecology Funding Opportunities
The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE) has two ongoing funding opportunities:
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Wayne Harrison Memorial Scholarship - Students may apply for up to $2,500, with funding available annually. Applications are due each year by March 31, with awards announced by May 31.
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Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) TREE Grants - 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 conference or workshop
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All jobs are open as of the Driptorch Digest send date, however application reviews may have begun.
Job Boards
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Upcoming Events & Webinars |
Prescribed Fire Council Meetings
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August 18-19, 2021 - 2021 North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council Meeting, Morganton, NC
Prescribed Burner Certification Courses
Webinars (All Times Eastern)
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November 4, 12:00 PM - 2020 Fall Fire Environment Post Season Lessons Learned Webinar
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November 4, 12:00 PM - Dismantling Environmental Racism
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November 4, 2:00 PM - Longleaf Topics for NRCS Professionals in South Carolina: Fish and Wildlife
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November 5, 1:00 PM - The Importance of Management for Stabilizing Long-term Carbon in a Southeastern Forest Matrix Under Extreme Fire Weather
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November 5, 3:30 PM - Disaster Recovery During a Global Pandemic
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November 5, 3:00 PM - Incorporating Cultural Intelligence to Develop Effective Climate Adaptation Planning
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November 10, 10:00 AM - Southeast Climate Monthly Webinar
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November 13, 1:00 PM - Introduction to Tribal Lands & Their Management
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November 18, 12:00 PM - Know Your Smoke
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November 19, 12:00 PM - Using Fire History to Inform Present Day Management
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December 1, 1:00 PM - Revealing Historical Fire Regimes of the Cumberland Plateau Through Remnant Fire-Scarred Shortleaf Pines
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December 2, 1:00 PM - Overview of Fire Weather Products for Controlled Burners
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December 8, 1:00 PM - Litter to Glitter: Releasing the Herbaceous Groundlayer Potential Stored in Oak Forest Floors
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December 15, 1:00 PM - The Effect of Prescribed Fire on Above and Below Ground Soil Properties in the Ozark Highlands
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December 17, 12:00 PM - Opening the Burn Window
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January 5, 1:00 PM - Direct and Indirect Effects of Fire on Eastern Box Turtles
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January 12, 1:00 PM - Smoke, Goats, and Oaks
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January 21, 12:00 PM - Fire and a Changing Climate
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February 18, 12:00 PM - Timber Management and Prescribed Fire
Conferences, Workshops, Festivals, and Other Events
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November 4-5 - WUI Conference, Virtual
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November 9-10 - SFE COMPASS Fire Science and Management Communication Workshop, Virtual
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December 10 - North Carolina RT-130, Virtual
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January 4-16, 2021 - Tennessee and Kentucky Fire Academy
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February 2-4, 2021 - Burning Issues Workshop, Virtual
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March 16-18, 2021 - 21st Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference, Virtual
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April 8-9, 2021 - Climate Change: Impacts and Responses, Vancouver, Canada
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May 23-26, 2021 - Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals Conference, Virtual
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May 24-27, 2021 - Wildland Fire Safety Summit & Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference, Virtual
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May 2021 - Southern Blue Ridge FLN Meeting, Dillard, GA
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June 7-10, 2021 - Southern Group of State Foresters Annual Meeting, Oklahoma City, OK
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June 22-25, 2021 - NFPA Conference and Expo, Las Vegas, NV
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July 19-22, 2021 - Southern Area RT-300, Chattanooga, TN
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September 21-23, 2021 - Great Plains Fire Summit, North Platte, NE
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September 26-30, 2021- Extension & Knowledge Exchange Conference, Asheville, NC
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October 4-8, 2021 - National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop, Asheville, NC
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October 12-15, 2021 - Fire Ecology Across Boundaries, Florence, Italy
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October 25-November 5, 2021 - Southern Blue Ridge TREX
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October 25-28, 2022 - Biennial Longleaf Conference, Wilmington, NC
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Prescribed Fire Resources |
Do you want to learn more about prescribed fire? We've compiled an extensive list of resources that can help you explore the world of prescribed fire. On our resources page you can explore fire-related publications, videos, podcasts and webinars. You can access these resources on our web page, and if there's something we should add please reach out and let us know!
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Contact us to share your prescribed fire information, stories, or events!
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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