Caring for the land after the fire
Not long ago, these hillsides were completely blackened. Trees stood scorched. Now early spring grasses cover the ground, bringing new growth to the charred remains of a 2024 wildfire that swept through more than 240,000 acres on the Boise National Forest in Idaho.Why we do this“It was a significant wildfire season for us. During the summer of 2024, we had a total of about 65 total fires. The…
#Fire, #Wildfire, #Hazards, #ForestFire, #WildlandFirefighters, #FirefighterSafety, #ForestEconomics
Lighting the way on the Allegheny National Forest
Rugged terrain, proximity to water, and the bustle of a busy national recreation area made the Tracy Ridge Prescribed Fire one of the Allegheny National Forest’s most complex operations. These factors underscore the skill and coordination required to complete this project.Up to the challengePrescribed fire in such layered, difficult conditions can test even the most experienced fire managers.…
#PrescribedFire, #HazardousFuels, #FuelsTreatment, #Aviation, #Fire, #ControlledBurn, #Helicopter, #FuelReduction
Building wildfire resilience in southern Colorado
In southern Colorado’s Conejos and Huerfano counties, the threat of wildfire is more than a seasonal hazard—it’s part of daily life for the people who live, work and explore these landscapes. After years of destructive fires across Colorado, including the unforgettable 2018 Spring Creek Fire, community members have seen firsthand how quickly wildfire can upend lives, damage property, disrupt…
#Fire, #WildfireRecovery, #Wildfire
Step by step: Forests of the future
Forests in the West used to be a lot more open, so wildfires were much less severe. How do we know? By looking at tree rings! We can actually see scars from old wildfires in cross-sections like this one. By cross-dating fire scars from multiple trees, scientists can reconstruct what past forests looked like including how dense forests were. (Forest Service video by Erika Reiter)Near the community…
#PrescribedFire, #Dendrochronology, #Fire, #FireScience, #Thinning, #WildfirePrevention, #FirePrevention, #Planning, #Wildfire
Sierra to Sea Watershed Outcomes Bank
Imagine you’re a program manager seeking funding for a project—you identify a funding opportunity, ensure the money can be used for the project, navigate the complex reporting requirements, and successfully implement work on the ground.Then, you learn a neighboring landowner has a similar project working with a different program manager—and so does another landowner across the ridge. Now imagine…
#Watershed, #Water, #Fire, #Partnerships
Igniting the future: Technology on prescribed fire
Fire managers filling the plastic sphere dispenser in the Alta X on Blackberry Prescribed fire on the Helena Ranger District, Montana. (Forest Service photo by Mariah Leuschen-Lonergan)
Along the foothills of the Big Belt Mountains near York, Montana, it’s unusual to see bare ground above 5,…