Tuesday, June 7th from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM

This webinar will feature some of the leading researchers and practitioners in fire science to help us understand how to manage our forests with fire under challenging circumstances.

There is growing awareness and attention given to wildfires worldwide as we see increasingly devastating fire seasons impacting our forests and communities in frightening ways. A changing climate coupled with a century of fire suppression and an ever-increasing wildland urban interface are resulting in the “perfect storm” for catastrophic fire conditions.

Despite these challenges, fire is still gaining momentum as a management tool, and a solution, in curbing these catastrophic events while simultaneously promoting forest health and wildlife diversity. Join us as we explore the long relationships between fire, forests, and wildlife and how we can usher in a future of more prescribed fire on the land for healthier ecosystems and more resilient communities.

Continuing Education Credits Society of American Foresters (2.5 Category 1 Credits), The Wildlife Society (3 Credits) and USDA Conservation Planner (2 Credits)

11:00 AM - 11:10 AM: Welcome and Introduction

Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society

11:10 AM - 11:35 AM: Fire History Paradigms: What's "Natural"?

Dr. Kevin Robertson, Fire Ecology Research Scientist

11:35 AM - 12:00 PM: A Lasting Legacy: Implications of Fire Suppression on our Forests and Fires Today

Dr. Heather Alexander, Assistant Professor of Forest Ecology, Auburn University

12:05 PM - 12:30 PM: Disturbance Dependent Wildlife: Fire as a Tool for Wildlife Management

Dr. Ben Jones, President and CEO, Ruffed Grouse Society and American Woodcock Society

12:30 - 12:55 PM: Managing Forests with Fire: Fire as a Silvicultural Tool

Dr. Tara Keyser, Research Forest and Director of the Center for Forest Restoration and Management, United States Forest Service

1:00 PM - 1:25 PM: A Community of Practice: Implementing Prescribed Fire at Scale

Adam Warwick, Southern Blue Ridge and Fire Leaning Network Project Manager, The Nature Conservancy

From Flames to Forests: Past, Present, and Future Fires for Sustaining Our Forests and Wildlife