Forest and Fire Learning Series

The Who’s Who of Forests and Fire

This is the second in the collaborative Forest and Fire Learning Series. As we begin the year with below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures, community concerns around forest health are growing, and land managers may be faced with significant challenges including wildfire, prescribed fire, insect infestation, diminished water quality and smoke. To address community concerns, foster understanding, and promote innovative collaboration between local land managers, MSI and partners will offer a three-part learning series. Over three evenings, we will cover local forest health, current conditions and the local managers who address them, and the changes that will shape our future forests.

This second night will focus on the current conditions of our forests, from drought to insect infestation, and how they impact the risk of fire. This assessment of current conditions will lead to a broader dialogue about fire on the landscape, both prescribed and wild, from people making the decisions about how both should be handled.

Panel

FireWise
San Juan Citizens Alliance
La Plata County Emergency Management
Colorado State Forest Service
San Juan National Forest

Mark you calendars for the third and final event of this series be Future Forest Changes and Challenges and will take place on April 18th, 6-8 pm at the Powerhouse Science Center. The conversation will be directed to the future of our forests and the innovative ways we hope to adapt to known and unknown changes. We hope this panel will touch on new collaborative management strategies, shifting forest ecologies, and economic opportunities that may improve the future of our forests. Panel will include representatives from the San Juan National Forest, Forest Health Company, San Juan Citizens Alliance, The Nature Conservancy*, and Colorado National Forest Service*.

*Tentative