Wildland Fire Research Future Search Conference Notes Park City, UT - October 6-8, 1997

II. The Past

Over the decades, global events, advances in technology, government regulations, and society's expectations have changed dramatically. To find common ground for the future of wildland fire research, it is important to look at the past not as a static chain of events, but as an evolutionary activity.

In the first conference exercise, members of the wildland fire community were asked to share their histories. Single, brief events may shape one's future; a Rocky Mountain ski trip may lead to a long, accomplished career in natural resources; a fleeting encounter with a charismatic leader may inspire a successful public career. For many participants, looking at the past helped identify trends, define roles, detect patterns, and recall personal delights and sorrows.

The conference began with mixed groups that included at least one member from each stakeholder group. The assignment was to describe the past to discover what has influenced the evolution of wildland fire research. What brought the community to its present state?

The conference room walls were lined with large sheets of paper used to create timelines. Each participant listed personal, global, and wildland fire research events on a timeline. The sheets of paper were soon filled with personal recollections, key global events, and the history of wildland fire research.

When the timelines were completed, many themes and patterns emerged. Despite the wide range of stakeholders, the results of this exercise emphasized the commonality of experience and perspective. The following is a summary of the timelines (Appendix C).

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Personal
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Most participants were born before 1960 and many grew up in the Western U.S. on farms or in rural towns. Participants commonly had significant outdoor experiences leading to job and career choices. Many first jobs were firefighting or fire-related. Participants had lived in many places and had a wide range of professional experience in geographically diverse areas.

Most group members were earning advanced degrees during the 1960s and 1970s. Several had contact with charismatic natural resource leaders such as Henry Wright, Harold Weaver, and Harold Biswell.

In the 1980s many members' careers included bio-political experience with a focus on and responsibility for fire policy and research. Career tracks appear more evolutionary than revolutionary; few individuals had changed careers rapidly.
By the 1990s, this well-educated group had a significant amount of fire experience and a high level of influence in fire management and research. Responsibility for managing large land areas and numerous published books and articles are indicators of this group's wealth of fire knowledge.

Although the group is highly influential, most individuals recognize limits and constraints. Some who consider their positions bureaucratic, expressed discontentment stemming from the desire for more hands-on research. Many, feeling a sense of renewed energy, were willing to devote more of themselves toward opportunities for integrated problem solving.

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Global
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In the past, increased focus and concentrated resources helped scientists deliver results promptly. The bombing of Pearl Harbor galvanized and focused the country. Research activities surrounding the Manhattan Project, which produced the first atomic bomb, exemplifies the urgent demand for scientific answers and technology.

The post-World War II period saw major technological and social changes. Much of modern fire technology arose from the war; surplus aircraft, improved fire suppression and aerial detection became available. Use of and competition for natural resources increased as soldiers enrolled in colleges, built homes, and worked outdoors. The spirit of controlling nature was prevalent.

The Soviet Union challenged the U.S. in space exploration in the 1950s. The space race led to an infusion of research money to universities and government-controlled technological development. Electronic equipment, such as remote sensing, aircraft, satellites, global positioning systems, and infrared were being developed. Seeing the earth from space initiated a global perspective.

The Civil Rights and Women's Movement gathered momentum in the 1960s. As the Vietnam War continued, people began to question the government's authority. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring sounded the environmental alarm. Richard Nixon was elected president.

The 1970s gave rise to greater environmental awareness and increased environmental actions. Love Canal, Three Mile Island, and other human-induced disasters revealed our vulnerability to technological "accidents." Population growth and gasoline shortages focused attention on the earth's resource limitations. The National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act were enacted.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the world economy continued to grow, while the earth's natural resources continued to decline. There were more competing interests and a lack of common social focus. Communication technology assisted the fall of the Eastern bloc. The Internet and other technologies are increasing personal freedoms but also creating a dichotomy; those on the information highway and those looking for it.

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Wildland Fire Research
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Fire research is an evolutionary process. Suppression has received the longest and most consistent research attention. Later came activity-fuels research. Recently, research activities have included the ecological role of fire and natural fuels, the results of which are being applied by land managers to benefit ecosystems.

Fire research has historically been tightly coupled with fire management and the critical events that drive it. Research projects, funding, and new management policies typically follow fire-related disasters. These disasters are usually followed by a policy review, along with increased safety awareness, increased funding, and emphasis on the need for fire research. An early critical event was the the 1910 fires. This event led to the beginning of fire management. Following the Selway fires in the 1930s, the 10 AM policy (fires will be extinguished by 10 AM or a plan will be initiated to extinguish the fire by 10 AM the following day) went into effect. In 1988, Western fires, especially those in Yellowstone, caused another examination of fire policy; and the extensive and numerous catastrophic fires in 1994 and 1996 were followed by further scrutiny of fire policy and direction.

Other external drivers of fire research include commodities, disaster, technology, demographics, environmental politics, and budgets. These are relatively short-term events that commonly receive short periods of intense attention. Internal fire research drivers include habit, tradition, professionalism, individual bodies of knowledge, myth, specialization, institutionalization, and chaos (response to short-term events; no organized approach). Safety awareness is fairly constant and has increased slowly over time.

Fire labs were opened in the 1950s and research shifted from data generalizations to model simulations. Fire research programs and funding continues to be reactive to disaster.

The pre-1960s approach to fire research and management was a focused attempt to scientifically control nature. Prediction of fire potential, behavior, and danger rating systems were emphasized.

During the 1960s, seeds of the ecological use of fire were planted with the first Tall Timbers Fire Ecology Conference and the Leopold Report on Fire and Wildlife in National Parks.

There was a transition from firefighting science to fire ecology during the 1970s. Formalized ecological research looking at the role of fire restoration, regimes, and ecology became widespread. The fuels problem gained recognition as did the natural role of fire. The environmental movement brought several new laws, regulations, and policies (e.g., National Environmental Policy Act and the Wilderness Act) that directly or indirectly affected fire management.

During the 1980s, the Yellowstone fires ignited debate about "let it burn" policies; the public began to question fire-management policies.

Federal agency reorganization and downsizing in the 1990s resulted in a decreased capacity to conduct research. Simultaneously, increased public involvement in policy making and the incorporation of social factors in research occurred.

Fire research has become more integrated with related disciplines and interests; yet, further integration is needed. Fire research remains dominated by public-land fire management needs rather than private needs. Current fire research is increasingly complex and is incorporating various degrees of the social dimension.

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Implications
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Physical, technological, and social trends have implications for fire policies: How are we a part and how will we evolve with the trends? We have seen fire research and management move toward ecosystem research and management.

Political conservatism has resulted in conservative fire research. Innovative and creative research is often stifled by prioritization. Forced into "safe" research, scientists are unlikely to venture out of traditional arenas. Because fire research historically responds to events, there is a need to generate a sustained demand and proactive com-munication with the public and media.

Communications technology has had a time-compressing effect; rapid solutions are expected. Although much needed research is long-term and highly complex, the management expectation is to produce significant results quickly.

A nationally coordinated fire research program that establishes priorities, tracks success, and builds program support is needed. The program would foster integrating and monitoring of long-term ecological changes.

Title: RMRS-P-1: Wildland Fire Research - Future Search Conference Notes: II. The Past
Electronic Publish Date: December 16, 1998
Expires: Indefinite
Last Update: August 19, 2008

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