Joint Fire Science Program : 2015 - 2016 progress report : research supporting sound decisions

2016·7.1 MB·English

RESEARCH SUPPORTING SOUND DECISIONS
2015
2016
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Joint Fire Science Program Governing Board
The Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) is jointly and 1 member each from the Bureau of Land
funded by the Departments of Agriculture and Management (BLM), Bureau of Indian Affairs
the Interior, and governance is through (BIA), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),
a 12-member Governing Board with National Park Service (NPS), U.S. Geological
6 members from the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Survey (USGS), and Office of Wildland Fire.
Bil Grauel Karen Prentice, Vice Chair Paul Steblein
Bureau of Indian Affairs Bureau of Land Management Office of Wildland Fire
Rob Griffith Elizabeth Reinhardt Borys Tkacz
U.S. Forest Service U.S. Forest Service U.S. Forest Service
Jim Menakis Matt Rollins, Chair Robin Wills
U.S. Forest Service U.S. Forest Service National Park Service
Sue Phillips Marie-Louise Smith
U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Forest Service
Bert Plante
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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Joint Fire Science Program Governing Board (from left to right): John Cissel, Karen Prentice, Rob Griffith, Paul Steblein, Borys Tkacz, Matt Rollins, Jim Menakis,
Bil Grauel, Bert Plante, and Robin Wills. Not pictured: Elizabeth Reinhardt, Marie-Louise Smith, and Sue Phillips.
Science in Support of Secretarial Order 3336
Rangeland Fire Prevention, Management,
and Restoration
Our mission at the
In May 2015, the Rangeland Fire Task Force Landscape Conservation Cooperative,
Great Basin Fire
published “An Integrated Rangeland Fire Great Basin Research and Management
Management Strategy” in response to Partnership) to facilitate transfer of Science Exchange
Department of the Interior Secretarial Order relevant scientific information; and
is to provide
3336. In this report, action item #4 under develops science syntheses, tools, and
Science and Research states the need to services (e.g., training) to increase access to scientific
“Develop or identify a primary online science understanding and use of science in
information that
delivery system to allow easier access to management decisions.
published science products and other science meets the needs
information.” Primary responsibility of this task • Developed the “Science Support Center”
of sagebrush
was assigned to the JFSP-funded Great Basin website in regard to Secretarial Order
Fire Science Exchange. 3336 to support collaboration between the ecosystem
science and fire management communities.
management.
The Great Basin Fire Science Exchange The purpose of the website is to improve
has expanded its role, building on current the effectiveness of fire prevention, Because of our
and previous research, to be the primary suppression, and restoration efforts in the
mission focus, this
delivery system of science information for the Great Basin. Visit the website at http://
management and science communities in the greatbasinfirescience.org/secretarial- website serves
Great Basin. In this role, the exchange: order-3336/.
as the Science
• Compiles relevant scientific information; In addition to many other ongoing research Support Center for
identifies gaps in archived information; efforts, Table 1 highlights research funded
Secretarial Order
updates and maintains existing websites; by the JFSP in 2015 related to rangeland fire
provides active links (e.g., Great Basin prevention, management, and restoration. 3336.
GREAT BASIN FIRE SCIENCE EXCHANGE
AND SECRETARIAL ORDER 3336
SCIENCE SUPPORT CENTER
JFSP FIRE SCIENCE EXCHANGE NETWORK
Table 1. New research funded by the JFSP in 2015 related to rangeland fire prevention, management, and restoration.
Project ID Title
15-1-03-6 Relations among cheatgrass-driven fire, climate, and sensitive-status birds across the Great Basin
15-1-03-23 Modeling long-term effects of fuel treatments on fuel loads and fire regimes in the Great Basin
15-1-07-2 Long-term SUCCESS: SUCCession and Ecosystem dynamics in the Sagebrush Steppe following wildfires
15-1-07-30 Lick Creek Demonstration-Research Forest: 25-Year Fire and Cutting Effects on Vegetation and Fuels
15-1-07-39 Vegetation succession in post-fire seeding treatments
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JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT 1
Joint Fire Science Lines of Work
What is a line of work? • The topic has the need and potential to
build towards a significant deliverable to
Lines of work address complex management improve management effectiveness.
problems and require a coordinated multiyear
approach to develop integrated solutions How do we implement a line
useful to fire and fuel managers. Lines of work of work?
are intended to guide JFSP investments over a
period of 3-5 or more years. The JFSP currently • Problem framing, potentially through
has two lines of work: (1) smoke and air quality roundtables.
and (2) fuel treatment effectiveness.
• Science planning.
What are the criteria for lines
of work? • Proposal solicitation and funding.
• The topic is of high priority to the fire • Communication plan development and
and fuels management community and is implementation.
within the JFSP mission.
• Monitoring and adjustment; check back
• The issue is enduring so that results with roundtables.
obtained over the course of 3-10 years will
be relevant.
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Smoke from wildfires in Canada drift over the Midwestern U.S. in June 2015.
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2 JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT
FASMEE – Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment
The objective of the Fire and Smoke Model By directly influencing the ability to model fires
Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is to provide and smoke, FASMEE will impact:
FASMEE Principal
measurement techniques and observational
Investigators:
data necessary to evaluate and advance (1) The land management community—
operationally used fire and smoke modeling through improved models and guidance
Roger Ottmar,
systems and their underlying scientific models. on their performance, reliability, scope of
Principal Investigator,
applicability, and validation.
U.S. Forest Service,
• This is an unprecedented multidisciplinary,
[email protected]
multiagency project to improve wildland (2) The scientific community—through a
fire and smoke models. Participants include unique dataset and new understanding of Tim Brown,
the Department of the Interior, U.S. Forest fire; fire effects and emissions; and smoke Co-Principal Investigator,
Service, Department of Defense, National plumes, chemistry, and transport. Desert Research Institute,
Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, [email protected]
National Aeronautics and Space (3) The public—through improved fire
Sim Larkin,
Administration, Environmental Protection information and smoke impact warnings.
Co-Principal Investigator,
Agency, and leaders in the academic
U.S. Forest Service,
community. Science leads are currently developing the
[email protected]
study plan for observational data collection,
• This effort builds on the work of RxCADRE reduction and analysis, data management, and Nancy French,
and lays the groundwork for future science initial model evaluation. Co-Principal Investigator,
research. The proposed validation dataset Michigan Tech
to be collected by FASMEE has been Research Institute,
identified as a critical need for progressing [email protected]
and transitioning newer models and
systems into operational use.
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Smoke over Crater Lake National Park in September 2015.
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JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT 3
Annual Research Solicitation Summary
Other Universities
Managing through
Organizations 66%
Innovation 11%
U.S.
Geological
In 2015, 32 research proposals were selected
Survey
out of 128 submissions (25 percent)
1%
(Table 2). Figure 1 depicts the percentages of
U.S.
JFSP funding allocated in FY 2015 according Forest
to organization. Service
22%
Figure 1. JFSP funding percentages by
organization in 2015. Funding percentages
change annually.
Table 2. Research topic solicitations by task number and amount funded in 2015.
Task Proposals Proposals
Research Topic Total Funded
Number Received Selected
15-1-01 Fuels mapping for emissions inventories 2 1 $435,000
15-1-02 Smoke hazard warning system 4 2 $657,113
Implications of changing fuels and fire regimes
15-1-03 28 5 $1,707,996
– selected regions
15-1-04 Fire ember production 6 3 $1,175,000
15-1-05 Fire effects on soil heating 12 3 $925,999
Fire weather and decision-making: a social and
15-1-06 13 2 $680,000
modelling analysis
Re-measurement – long-term fire effects on
15-1-07 27 9 $1,957,933
vegetation and fuels
15-2-01 Graduate Research Innovation (GRIN) Award 36 7 $173,980
Grand total 128 32 $7,713,021
The JFSP Governing Board participates
in a field trip at the site of the 2013
Rim Fire to study the fire’s behavior
and postfire effects in June 2015. The
Rim Fire is the third largest wildfire
on record in California’s history, and
it burned 257,314 acres (402 miles2;
1,041 kilometers2). It is also the largest
wildfire on record in the Sierra Nevada
mountain range. Access ongoing research at: https://www.firescience.gov/JFSP_research.cfm
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4 JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT
Fire Science Exchange Network
Vision and Goals of the “By the Numbers” –
JFSP “Exchanges” 2015 Fire Science Exchange
Network Milestones
The goal of the JFSP is to accelerate the
awareness, understanding, and adoption of Figure 2 indicates the annual numbers of
wildland fire science information by federal, participants in Fire Science Exchange Network
tribal, state, local, and private stakeholders activities, according to the participants’
within ecologically similar regions, called organizational groups. Overall, the number
“exchanges.” The JFSP envisions a national of participants has steadily grown in most
collaborative science delivery network. groups over the past 3 years, with the largest
percent increase in the regional/state/local
organizations and the smallest percent increase
in tribal nations. Table 3 shows a year-to-year
comparison of the number of participants by
activity type.
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1,500 Members of the Tallgrass Prairie and
1,000 Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium
demonstrate the latest fuels treatment
500
research to the JFSP Governing Board
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Tribal Regional Private International Academic Nongovernmental Federal on a field trip in October 2015.
State Organizations Agencies
Local
Figure 2. Numbers of Fire Science Exchange Network participants by organizational groups
(year-to-year comparison).
Table 3. Numbers of Fire Science Exchange Network participants by activity type
(year-to-year comparison).
Activity Type 2013 2014 2015 Total
Social Media (S) 5,621 4,189 6,374 16,184
Activity/Event (A) 1,840 3,970 3,042 8,852
All Activity Types (S+A) 7,461 8,159 9,416 25,036
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JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT 5
A National Cluster Evaluation of the Fire Science
Exchange Network’s Processes and Impacts
The goal of this ongoing evaluation is to assess These results indicate that exchanges are
the processes and outcomes of the Fire Science enhancing perceptions of fire science and its
Exchange Network’s activities at the national use, increasing interactions among fire science
level. Evaluation results are intended to: professionals, seen as valuable additions to the
fire science community, and providing valuable
(1) Assist the JFSP Governing Board and easily obtained translated fire science
in determining how to improve and through their websites, social media accounts,
further support exchange performance and events.
and success.
• Similar to previous years, consumers
(2) Provide feedback to exchanges expressed the strongest agreement
concerning progress toward their goals with the statement, “Using fire science
to help maximize the impacts of outreach information enhances my effectiveness on
and educational activities. the job.”
(3) Facilitate exchange development of • As with previous evaluations, respondents
JFSP best practices toward reaching indicated the highest level of agreement
shared goals. with the statement, “The Exchange is
needed to help coordinate sharing of fire
Results science information in my region.”
During the past 5 years, the national evaluation Figure 3 presents the percentages of the main
online survey data indicate that the exchanges categories of participants in exchange activities
have made significant progress toward their and events. Natural resource specialists make
shared goals as evidenced by improvements up the largest group of exchange participants.
between responses collected early in exchange
establishment and responses from exchanges
in their 4th year.
Natural Resource Specialist
Other 41%
21%
Firefighter
3%
Line Officer
3%
Land Management Support
4%
Fire Manager or Practitioner
29%
Figure 3. The percentages of primary roles of those who participate in exchange activities
and/or events.
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6 JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT
Experiences with Fire Science Communication Sources
The JFSP administered an online survey to the usefulness of the information they had
examine consumers’ basic experiences with accessed from each source. According to the
11 common communication sources of fire survey, the two most frequently accessed
science information. Consumers were first communication sources are coworkers and
asked to indicate how often they accessed web-based sources. Whereas, the two most
information from each source during the last useful communication sources are workshops
year. Next, consumers were asked to rate or trainings and coworkers (Figure 4).
frequency accessed usefulness
3.38
Communicating with coworkers 3.52
3.06
Web-based sources 3.48
2.93
Journal articles, papers, or professional reports 3.47
2.93
Newsletters
3.18
2.92
Research briefs, fact sheets, brochures
3.43
WEbinars/teleconferences 2.64
3.48
Workshops or trainings 2.26
3.54
Professional meetings/conferences 2.23
3.46
Communicating with researchers/scientists 2.18
3.22
Videos 2.18
3.04
1.92
Field tours/demonstration sites 3.26
1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Mean Ratings
Figure 4. Average ratings of consumer responses regarding access and perceived usefulness of
different fire science communication sources.
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Members of the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium, JFSP office staff, and JFSP Governing Board outside the Aldo Leopold Shack in
Wisconsin in October 2015.
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JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT 7
Fire Policy and Science – An Assessment
Wildland fire management involves a broad, scientific information to policymakers. We
diverse community of multiple agencies need more people who can provide this
Assessment and organizations across many levels of “bridge” between science and policy.
government, including scientists, policymakers,
Goal: Ensure the
land managers, and other stakeholders. • A key use of science in the policy arena
latest scientific Credible, well-considered scientific results are is to model the potential outcomes
essential to ensure policy is well-grounded, from a course of action and to use this
information
understandable, and likely to achieve stated information to actively manage risk.
is surfaced, policy aims.
The purposes of the fire policy and science
interpreted, and
Preliminary Assessment assessment are to:
integrated in a Results
• Assess where fire policymakers are
coherent fashion
receiving scientific information.
• Policymakers rarely have time to access
to inform policy
and use primary science. Instead, they rely
• Identify research needs that will inform
on a syntheses of relevant science and,
decisions.
policymaking toward improved wildland
most importantly, the counsel of their
fire management.
trusted science network.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the
• A significant role for staff and consultants
integration of science into policy.
is to serve as facilitator and/or translator of
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A Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team assesses potential threat of debris flows to
infrastructure and possible treatments following the largest fire in Los Angeles County’s
The 2012 High Park Fire in Colorado. recorded history.
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8 JOINT FIRE SCIENCE PROGRAM 2015 PROGRESS REPORT