Fores
ts, Fires, and People
A four-part webinar series presented by the Institute for
Science and Policy and the Center for Collaborative Conservation
Sponsored by Gates Family Foundation
March 22, March 29, April 5, and Apri
l 12 at 5 p.m. MT
Register h
ere for the series
The western United States has entered a new era of wildfires, no longer limited to a single distinct “season,” but rath er a year-round burn regime due to hotter, drier conditions and increased h uman settlement in wildland areas. Forest management is a complex societal question inextricably linked to science, policy, and culture. The reality o f living with bigger, more destructive blazes brings challenging tradeoffs around regulation, jurisdiction, risk tolerance, funding, mitigation, and f orest health. How can stakeholders better work together to create sustainab le and equitable solutions for all?
In our new four-part webinar series, we’ll hear wide-ranging conversa tions from around the region around the decisions, impacts, and stewardship principles that guide our collective approach to forest management and fir e. Each episode will feature diverse voices and perspectives focused on exp loring potential solutions and finding common ground.
Forests, Fires, and People is presented by the Inst itute for Science and Policy and the Center for Collaborati ve Conservation, with support from Gates Family Foundation< /a> in partnership with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute, the Southe rn Rockies Fire Science Network, the Colorado State Forest Service , and the Climate Adaptation Partnership.
The series will be recorded and liv estreamed on the Institute’s Facebook and YouTube channels. Subscribe now to receive notif ications when new episodes become available.
Part One: Kindling & Sparks
March 22, 5 p.m
. MT
Watch the full episode
< span style="font-size: 10pt;">Wildfires are a natural phenomenon and have l ong played a key role in promoting the broader ecological health of forests . But for humans, living amidst fire is a delicate balancing act. As manage ment practices have shifted away from prescribed burns and population growt h has driven more settlement in wildland areas, the risk of catastrophe fro m any given blaze has only increased. On top of that, climate change has cr eated hotter, drier conditions, turning already burn-prone western forests into a tinder box of available fuel just waiting for ignition. The result: a new era of larger, more destructive megafires that threaten homes and liv es like never before.
Presen ters: Tim Brown, Research Professor of Climatology at the Desert Research Institute, and Camille Stevens-Rumann, Ass istant Professor of Forest & Rangeland Stewardship in Colorado State Un iversity’s Warner College of Nature Resources.
Part Two: The Historic Fires of 2020
March 29,
5 p.m. MT
Colorado’s three largest fires in recorded history all occurred in 2020, collectively burning more than 625,000 acres while damaging homes and costing lives. Our changing climate suggests that this devastating year may have been a glimp se into the future. Decades of population growth in the wildland-urban inte rface combined with regulatory policies and changes in forestry practices h ave left the region vulnerable to more destructive blazes, leaving policyma kers and scientists with a challenging question: What have we learned, and what decisions might we consider in the future to protect ourselves and our forests?
Our four-part wildfi re webinar series continues Monday, March 29 at 5 p.m. MT when we welcome < strong>Jen Kovecses, Executive Director of the Co alition for Poudre River Watershed, and Russ Schumacher, C olorado State Climatologist and Director of the Colorado Climate Center. Th ey’ll explore the root causes and deeply personal impacts of 2020’s fires, provide firsthand accounts of the recovery, and then consider possible path s forward.
Part Three:
The Human Element
April 5, 5 p.m. MT
Wildfire’s im
pacts are deeply personal and affect us in numerous ways. Fires destroy pro
perty and, tragically, often cost lives. They can contaminate the nearby ai
r and water. They require significant resources in the form of mitigation f
unding and first responders. Fires have also been shown to have a dispropor
tionate impact on low income households and people of color, who may be amo
ng the last to receive aid. The question of how and if humans can sustainab
ly live in increasingly fire-prone areas is complicated and tied to cultura
l identity values that are often at odds. Still, shared stewardship of our
forests has never been more crucial.
Tune in for part three in our ongoing wildfire conversation series o n Monday, April 5 as we’re joined by Heather Hansen, journ alist and author of Wildfire: On the Front Lines with Station 8, < strong>Wendy Koenig, Mayor of Estes Park, Colorado; and Ch ristopher Roos, Professor of Ant hropology at Southern Methodist University. They’ll examine the changing sc ope of the wildland-urban interface, consider humans’ relationship to fire through the lens of Native & Indigenous perspectives, and take stock of the very real costs of fires for people and communities. We invite you to send questions for the panelists in advance or during the live presentation .
Part Four: The Futur
e of Western Wildfires
April 12, 5 p.m. MT