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Learn about a pilot program that assigns "stars" based on the number of defensible properties within Firewise USA™ Sites. Credits (front to back): Gary Marshall, Project Wildfire; Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization
Topic: Defensible space / Firewise Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Dec 14, 2017
In 2015, several Project Wildfire steering committee members attended the National Fire Protection Association’s Backyards and Beyond Conference. A common theme of the conference was that many of the nationally recognized Firewise USA™ sites… Read More
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"In our area, most homes are surrounded by continuous tree cover, fine fuels, abundant flammable shrubs and ladder fuels. Not only are these homes at risk, but they’re our greatest opportunities for mitigation. We hence redefined our WUI to include the built environment, as we realized that there isn’t a line where fire adapted communities stop and fire resilient landscapes begin." Modification of a photo by Don Graham shared va Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Planning Wildfire risk assessment Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Dec 12, 2017
While looking through an old hard drive, I found a homework assignment from an undergraduate silviculture class. The assignment was simple: develop a prescription for a full rotation of an even-aged stand of timber, including intermediate management,… Read More
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Aja Conrad, Karuk tribal descendant, holding the line in a white oak stand. Credit Stormy Staats, Klamath-Salmon Media Collaborative
Topic: Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Dec 07, 2017
We recently asked our members and partners to tell us about their controlled burning efforts. Seven practitioners shared stories with us; each one presenting a unique twist on prescribed fire. Landowners Take the Lead in Humboldt County By Lenya… Read More
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"It is all too easy to fall into the trap of focusing on what we lack. Sometimes this acts as reasoning for why we aren’t making progress. Or, it can lead us to work feverishly to compete for 'our piece of the finite pie.' Here’s what scarcity thinking doesn’t do: allow for creativity, incentivize giving, encourage experimentation, or let us feel satisfied, fulfilled and whole." Credit: Modification of photo by Stephanie shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Learning networks Type: Essay
Dec 05, 2017
The Sunday after Thanksgiving I started having procrastination-anxiety. I recognized it immediately. My interest in vacuuming and folding the laundry was the giveaway. There’s never a better time for me to get housework done than when I’m putting… Read More
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"Preservation of our public lands without scientific management is reducing the prevalence of many of the species that I enjoyed as a kid. That means more threatened and endangered species. I don’t want my children to ever ask me, 'Dad, have you ever seen a golden-winged warbler?' " Photo credit: Caleb Putnam shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Fuels treatment economics Type: Essay
Nov 30, 2017
As a young boy, I hiked, hunted and trapped. It was common to hear quail and grouse in young forests as sparrowhawks flew overhead. Today, these birds are rare in New Jersey’s forests and have been replaced by species like pileated woodpeckers,… Read More
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"It’s common knowledge that morels do well after fire, but what about these more mesic species — our beloved chanterelles, matsutakes and boletes?" Photo credit: Leah Grunzke shared via Flickr Creative Commons
Topic: Wildfire Type: Research Synthesis
Nov 28, 2017
All of my friends know that I’m a bit of a holiday scrooge. Holidays involve all kinds of societal traditions that put me on edge, like setting off explosives, dressing up in costumes, and obligatory gift giving. But Thanksgiving is a different… Read More
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The Forest Stewards Guild's southwest director, Eytan Krasilovsky, discusses the partnerships he's advanced, the projects he's passionate about, and what keeps him going. Photo credits: Forest Stewards Guild
Topic: Collaboration Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Watershed protection / management Type: Interview
Nov 21, 2017
Where does your job take you? Just yesterday, I helped lead a field tour in the Zuni Mountains landscape, where I have been working in partnership with the Cibola National Forest and others for 12 years. In that landscape, the Forest Stewards… Read More
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"Most landowners want what we want; they just need to be presented with the right opportunity." Credit: Tim Weaver, Rapid City Fire Department
Topic: Fuels treatment / Prescribed fire Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Nov 16, 2017
Last August, I was walking a section of overgrown, city-owned property that’s landlocked by a quilt of private parcels. I was there at the request of a private landowner who was concerned about the dense fuel buildup next to his property. I had… Read More
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Six resources focused on post-wildfire community recovery. Photo: Northern California wildfires as of October 9, 2017. Credit: NASA
Topic: Wildfire recovery Type: Tools / Resources
Nov 14, 2017
As a practitioner, sometimes one of our most difficult tasks is sifting through available resources for communities. There is a lot of information available in this world! The process of sifting and sorting is particularly important when helping… Read More
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The Southwest City Fire Departments' Interstate Fire Crew
Topic: Wildfire Type: Success Story / Lessons Learned
Nov 09, 2017
Need some inspiration? Here are four examples of how planning ahead, whether that involved fuels treatment, team building or outreach, generated success during the 2017 wildfire season. Collaborative Restoration Works, but Integrating Communities Is… Read More
Editor's Note: All blog entries are reviewed and edited for length and clarity by Network staff before approval for posting.