The green generation Apr 22, 2008
Students also developed booths and presentations on bird populations, backyard wildlife, plants on the Missouri River, fire ecology, giardia, global warming and how grazing can affect river banks. On the trip to the Capitol, the group visited memorials and historic monuments, and they sat down with Sen. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Battle lines shift for war on fire Mar 23, 2008
Stopping the war on fire, Stahl said, will only succeed if federal courts enforce environmental laws, local governments restrict development in the so-called wildland-urban interface, and public schools teach fire ecology. This issue doesn't have an easy answer, he said. (Missoulian, MT)
Camp allows students to experience science, management Mar 6, 2008
Students are taught plant identification, principles of livestock and wildlife management, forestry, fire ecology, hydrology and water quality, geology and soils, and management of stream and river habitats. Field activities include learning techniques used in wildlife management, navigation with GPS, forest management and a tour of a working ranch. (Yreka Siskiyou Daily News, CA)
Bulletin board: Dec. 11, 2007 Dec 11, 2007
The topic will be Fire Ecology of the Appalachian Foothills, by Chad Kirschbaum, Wayne National Forest. There is no charge. (Charleston Gazette, WV -- News)
19 comment(s) Judge: U.S. Forest Service did not cause 2003 Cedar fire Nov 6, 2007
The forest service policies were intended to benefit the general public by protecting timber, wildlife and recreational uses, but disrupted the "fire ecology" in the forest and increased the "fuel loads" for fires that would threaten adjacent properties, the homeowners alleged. The homeowners alleged that the Cedar fire resulted from those policies, and that the government should compensate homeowners for the damage to their property. (North County Times)
Running: Climate change will cause more severe wildfires Nov 2, 2007
Michael Medler, president-elect of The Association for Fire Ecology and a professor at Western Washington University, cut his teeth as a firefighter at the 1988 Yellowstone fires. He said veteran firefighters told him then that he would never again see that kind of fire behavior, but that most summers now have record-breaking fires and more extreme fire behavior. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Santa Anas to return today Nov 2, 2007
"The flip side of this is that you've burned off the fuels and solved the problem for the moment," said Rich Minnich, a UC Riverside geography professor and expert on fire ecology. As a result, there is less of a chance that a third wave of wildfires will sweep the region, Minnich said. (North County Times)
Smoke gets in your skies Nov 2, 2007
In the past, forests have been an important buffer against climate change because of the way they absorb carbon, said Johann Georg Goldammer, head of the fire ecology research group at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany. But warming, bringing more frequent drought and fires, may affect the balance of the global carbon pool and release extra CO2 into the atmosphere. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Out of the fireEcologists assess the impact of California's fires on wildlife Nov 1, 2007
There is not much we can do to change the fire ecology because our natural systems here have evolved with fire ... because they tend to occur with little warning". The landscape after a large fire lacks the vegetative cover to absorb heavy rainfalls, leaving it vulnerable to surface erosion caused by rain run-off. But the likelihood of heavy rain in the coming months appears to be remote, according to an outlook published by the US Drought Monitor. Urban sprawl is moving homes into wildfire... (BBC News -- Science)
Experts: Wildfires only going to worsen Oct 31, 2007
Preparing for a future of big wildfires will require an assortment of approaches, the Association for Fire Ecology said ... Last year, scientists and land managers from the Association for Fire Ecology gathered in San Diego to discuss such trends. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Californian fires scorch zoo's edge Oct 30, 2007
Some instrumentation in this area such as temperature sensors within rattlesnake dens is also expected to provide insights into fire ecology. Since 21 October, the fires have caused the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people and destroyed some 2,000 homes. (Nature News Service)
Rethinking Fire Policy in the Tinderbox Zone Oct 28, 2007
5 million acres in the last four years, said Richard A. Minnich, a professor of earth sciences who teaches fire ecology at the University of California, Riverside. When do we declare the policy a failure. (New York Times)
Reader's Alley Oct 25, 2007
The students were working on different research projects while on the river including; eradication of noxious weeds, fire ecology, ornithology, and others. Thanks again to MOS for your support of the PEAK program. (Helena Independent Record, MT)
Nature Inn New Mexico Sep 30, 2007
They brush up on the region's flora and fauna in the sun-lit Nature Conservancy Room, and sign up (or not) for free daily talks and walks on topics such as birds, fire ecology and mountains and mines. My sister and I signed up for everything; that's why we were here instead of at the Marriott, right. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Travel)
Fire Safety Panel Taking Over for Volunteer Sep 7, 2007
"I wish we could keep what's inside of his head ... just hook us up to some kind of a machine and say, 'OK, now we know what Ken knows,' '' said Emmons. Till was retired with 35 years of experience in fire management, including work with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. With the Park Service, Till helped to oversee 47 national parks, including sites in Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa. He has an undergraduate degree in forestry from Oregon State University and did graduate work... (Cedar Crest East Mountain Telegraph, NM)
Boat restriction lifted at Gates Aug 6, 2007
Tim Crawford, owner of Gates of the Mountains Inc., says it affords visitors a unique opportunity to learn about fire ecology. He remains optimistic that the fire will benefit the land bringing in new growth and more animals. (Helena Independent Record)
GUEST COLUMN: As wildfire changes, so should we - Wednesday, July 25, 2007 Jul 25, 2007
It's an axiom of fire ecology that you get big fires with extreme drought. There is little one can do to control drought. (Missoulian, MT)
Fire Protection Fair Being Held in Elko Jun 13, 2007
On Friday, July 13, a technical session on "Great Basin Fire Ecology and Vegetation Management" will be convened at the Elko Convention Center from 8 am to 5 pm. The session will focus on three major categories: the role of fire historically in Great Basin wildland vegetation, management implications for vegetation management, and tools for vegetation management. (KRNV.com, NV)
Column: Arson is a major cause of forest fires May 19, 2007
Numbers from the Western Fire Ecology Center support the Forest Service estimates, stating over 25,000 fires each year are known arson and at least another 25,000 of suspicious origin. In some areas arson is much more prevalent than that. (Cassopolis Vigilant, MI)
Scientists caution against reseeding Griffith Park after fire May 14, 2007
"It's generally a waste of money," said Jon E. Keely, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who has written extensively about fire ecology. "There are countless examples in Southern California where people have spent millions of dollars on these projects, and it's just been a complete waste."But city councilman Tom LaBonge, whose district includes the park, said he worries that if hillsides are left barren, rains next winter could trigger major mudslides. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Scientists to L.A.: think before seeding May 14, 2007
"It's generally a waste of money," said Jon E. Keeley, a research ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who has written extensively about fire ecology. "There are countless examples in Southern California where people have spent millions of dollars on these projects, and it's just been a complete waste.". (Los Angeles Times)
Plague of beetles raises fears for American beauty Mar 19, 2007
"The current outbreak is so far along that there's nothing much that can be done," says Bill Romme, professor of fire ecology at Colorado state university and lead author of a report into the infestation published in November. "If we get a period of bitter cold temperatures, that could cause the outbreak to collapse. But we're not getting the temperatures. Usually an insect outbreak will go on for one to three decades. We're about a decade into this one but at the rate they're moving they could... (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Meeting planned to explain prescribed burning Jan 11, 2007
Scientists will be discussing fire ecology, fire occurrence history and effects of fire, according to a release from the Forest Service. Seefeldt said fire is expected to improve several aspects of the oak/hickory ecosystem. (Harrisburg Daily Register, IL)
