{"id":911,"date":"2021-03-25T21:22:14","date_gmt":"2021-03-25T21:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/?p=911"},"modified":"2021-03-25T21:22:15","modified_gmt":"2021-03-25T21:22:15","slug":"a-systems-based-approach-to-fire-recovery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/2021\/03\/25\/a-systems-based-approach-to-fire-recovery\/","title":{"rendered":"A systems-based approach to fire recovery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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As fast-moving fires tore through Oregon\u2019s forests and communities, causing widespread and destructive impacts, Oregon State University College of Forestry researchers quickly organized to support the state\u2019s response. Faculty and staff worked with partners to produce proposals and share research to help inform future policy decisions and support a systems-based, collaborative approach to recovery.

\u201cThe impact to human lives and livelihoods has been tragic,\u201d says Tom DeLuca<\/a><\/strong>, Oregon State University\u2019s Cheryl Ramberg-Ford and Allyn C. Ford Dean of the College of Forestry. \u201cAs we plan recovery, it is clear that it is inadequate just to say \u2018we will rebuild.\u2019\u201d

Instead, DeLuca continues, the post-fire recovery will best be met by a systems-based approach that integrates water resources, fire-adapted infrastructure, communities and landscapes, and education and adaptation all within the context of a changing climate.

\u201cThis approach,\u201d DeLuca explains, \u201caims to improve the resilience of forests and communities well into the future.\u201d

Though fire has always been a part of our western landscapes, more than a century of widespread fire suppression and land use changes in Oregon have altered fuels, vegetation, and historical fire regimes. The intersection of climate change, drought, extreme weather, natural fire regimes and the ever-expanding human footprint has created a complicated fire equation. Fire seasons are longer, drier and hotter due to climate impacts and increase our risk of destructive wildfire while disproportionately increasing the burden on vulnerable populations. While it\u2019s understandable to want a simple solution to fire concerns, the fire equation is too complicated for one-size-fits-all answers. From ignition to suppression to geography, the variables are constantly shifting.

\u201cFire is truly a global change issue and there is no single fix that we can invest in for success,\u201d says Meg Krawchuk<\/a><\/strong>, associate professor of fire and landscape ecology. \u201cThese solution portfolios need to be tailored to particular landscapes and geographies and include the important social and ecosystem dimensions relevant to each place.\u201d

The College of Forestry is world-renowned for its fire-related research, including fire history and ecology, fuels treatment (thinning and prescribed fire), risk analyses, and social dimensions, like work in governance, social justice and equity, and public health. OSU\u2019s world-class Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Fire Program is the critical link that distributes information beyond campus, helping communities become more fire-adapted.

Some of the ways the College of Forestry\u2019s fire research work aides Oregonians includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Advising state and federal leaders on appropriate fire policy, including expanding strategic use of commercial thinning, prescribed fires, and managed wildfire as forest management tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Researching impacts on soil and water quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Assisting in post-fire planting and planning, including addressing and discussing questions around seed availability and appropriate seed zones, assisted migration and climate mitigation and availability of seedlings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Working collaboratively with agencies and partners to conduct research on prescribed burning versus suppression approaches and initiate activities to improve forest health and keep communities safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Integrating Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Indigenous burning practices with emerging research and fire science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Launching the Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Fire Program in early 2020. The program assists in identifying Oregon landscapes in the highest need of a strategic focus of resources to reduce wildfire and landscape health risks at a statewide scale. It also assists with implementing projects on the ground in priority landscapes and provides education and outreach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Assuming a leadership role while working across disciplines with other OSU colleges, including the College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Engineering to support wildfire response and recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research and expertise within the College of Forestry can contribute to recovery and adaptation, but will not be sufficient on its own. The effort requires integrating emerging research with contributions from the impacted communities who have on-the-ground, experience-based knowledge, professional skills, and insights to apply to the task.

\u201cThe forest, the interface and your house are all connected fuel. The future work will include all landowners: homeowners, neighborhood associations, communities, small woodland owners or families, forest industry, Tribes, states and federal partners – all doing their part within their mission to sustain their land,\u201d says John Bailey<\/a><\/strong>, professor of silviculture, forest and fire health.

The college is committed to producing science and research that helps guide the way towards a more fire-adapted future.

\u201cBeyond integrating the strategic use of fire and fuels management into a vision for a sustainable future informed by Traditional Ecological Knowledge, we must focus attention and investment on human development patterns and fire adapted housing and communities,\u201d DeLuca says. \u201cWe must also pay special attention to issues of social justice, equity and public health. Working together to address these issues will not be easy, but the costs of inaction are too high.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This story was part of the College of Forestry’s 2019-2020 Biennial Report<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As fast-moving fires tore through Oregon\u2019s forests and communities, causing widespread and destructive impacts, Oregon State University College of Forestry researchers quickly organized to support the state\u2019s response. Faculty and staff worked with partners to produce proposals and share research to help inform future policy decisions and support a systems-based, collaborative approach to recovery. \u201cThe… Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3455,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1292540,1292536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-biennial","category-research"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3455"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":913,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions\/913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/collegeofforestry\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}