Original art by Ava Schmidt, age 12
Project Firehawk: Risk, Ripeness, and the Case for Paper Bags
Read about the differences in collective efforts and outcomes in two hypothetical communities faced with wildfire risk: Apple City and Banana Town! In this scenario, imaginatively and effectively crafted by Annie Schmidt, the difference in results had nothing to do with risk and everything to do with “ripeness.”
Banana Town was “ripe” for investment and Apple City was not.
Read this first post in a new blog series from Fire Adapted Communities: The Firehawk Project
An Assessment of PNW Fire & Aviation Management Preparedness In the 2020 Global Pandemic
Prepared by the USDA Forest Service for interagency wildland fire management in the Pacific Northwest, this rapid assessment of fire preparedness programs in light of the pandemic helps identify the following:
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- Current stress level and health/well-being of employees.
- What is different this year.
- Blind spots in our current thinking and actions.
- Scenarios to enhance learning.
They reached out to more than 40 individuals, developed five questions and five scenarios to ensure consistent facilitated conversations, and provide a framework for similar check-ins over the course of the season.
“The conversations were telling and heartfelt. The safety of our wildland firefighters, aviators, and the public is first and foremost in everyone’s mind; we all care deeply about the health and well-being of our workforce, their families, and the public they serve.”
A Public Engagement Protocol: Social Science in Support of Planning Efforts
Chris Armatas and US Forest Service colleagues have developed a “social vulnerability” protocol focused on peoples’ human-nature relationships that can support both decision-making and public relations in the context of living with fire.
2020 After The Flames Virtual Science Symposium: Actionable Best Practices for Communities and Agencies Impacted by Wildfire
Communities and Agencies are continually building best practices in recovery that draw upon the experiences,
both good and bad, of all who live with and respond to the post-fire landscape. The “After The Flames” conferences strive to help make connections and provide access to tools and resources that address all dimensions of the post-fire landscape.
Conference organizers were able to pivot to a well-received virtual event this year. Check out 2020 session recordings, materials, resources, poll results, and other resources.
New Report: Biomass a Big Winner in Fight to Reduce Carbon Emissions
In the context of living with fire and how utilization of biomass both reduces carbon and creates landscape resiliency, there are great articles backed up with good science in this newsletter. The latest issue features a newly released study from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency concluding that biomass appears to play a significant role in a climate-neutral, circular economy. This is the latest in a series of findings supporting forestry as part of a global strategy to lower carbon levels in the atmosphere.