National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop
The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy Workshop — All Hands, All Lands: Implementation Rooted in Science — was hosted by the IAWF in partnership with the Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) and the Western, Southeastern and Northeastern Regional Strategic Committees in Reno, Nevada April 25-27.
At the beginning and throughout all stages of planning and development of the national strategy, science was at the center of both the vision statement and goals. The purpose of this workshop was to continue advancement and accomplishment of Cohesive Strategy goals hinge on reinforcing the importance of science in implementation activities and improving mechanisms to facilitate science integration with implementation.
One hundred and sixty-five people participated in the workshop, from various organizations and agencies and from the USA, Australia and Canada. Our plan is to make this an annual event and to grow it each year. The next workshop is scheduled for March 26-29, 2018, to be held in Reno again. The presentations from this year’s workshop can be found on the IAWF webpage – www.iawfonline.org.
IAWF Distinguished Service Award
The IAWF’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations for their outstanding contributions to furthering the goals of the Association. The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Charles L. (Chuck) Bushey at the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Workshop in Reno, Nevada in April.
Since 1985, Bushey was the founder and President of Montana Prescribed Fire Services, Inc. (MPFS) performing the duties of Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Fuel Mitigation Specialist, Fire Ecologist, Prescribed Fire Specialist, and Fire Behavior Analyst. He was wildland fire red-carded as a Fire Behavior Analyst, Strike Team Engine Leader, Wildland Fire Arson Investigator, and Fireline Explosive Specialist. He also served as a Fire Behavior Service Center Team Leader and Long Term Assessment Team Leader.
Bushey has over eighty articles, research publications and reports to his record, principally dealing with fire effects, fire behavior and fire policy issues. In his role as an international consultant and lecturer, and as a primary developer of the Fire Behavior Service Center concept, he was honored in 1995 by being selected as a member of US Registry’s “Who’s Who of Outstanding Americans” and in 2000 he was honored in “Who’s Who in America” 2001 Edition for his contributions as a wildland fire researcher.
From 2007-2011 Bushey served as President of the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF) and led a 15-member international Board of Directors and office staff. Before his role as IAWF President, he served for twelve years as an IAWF Director. As president, he oversaw IAWF’s involvement with their membership magazine Wildfire providing a “Presidents Desk” article for each issue, and the International Journal of Wildland Fire, the only peer-reviewed publication of wildland fire research.
In his role as IAWF President he interacted with a wide range of organizations interested in wildland fire topics such as the US Forest Service, the US Department of the Interior, the United Nations FAO, the Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities, the Bushfire Cooperative Research Center to name a few. He initiated an international learning webinar series with the USFS Lessons Learned Center and operated a listserv called “FireNet.” IAWF organizes at least two international wildland fire conferences per year, and during his service as IAWF president, Bushey made several oral presentations, served as session moderator, and met with attendees and the membership. He is currently IAWF’s representative to the western US region’s National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.
Bushey has been involved in wildland fire since 1970. Previous to MPFS, Bushey worked with the US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Sciences Laboratory (Missoula, MT) as a wildland fire researcher (fire effects, fire behavior, fuels, fire weather, smoke). Recently he has agreed to bring his wildland fire and private sector business expertise to helping the International Fire Relief Mission, a nonprofit NGO, better perform its goals of providing refurbished fire equipment, gear and firefighting tools to regions of the globe in need.
Side and hobby interests for Bushey include fishing, photography, meteorology, and honey bees. He is also a member of the City of Billings Animal Control Board and a member of the Yellowstone County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC).
Alexander Recipient of 2016 Wright Award
Former IAWF board member (2009-2013) and IAWF Life Member Dr. Marty Alexander was the recipient of the Wright Award presented during the Wildland Fire Canada 2016 Conference held in Kelowna, British Columbia, October 24-28. This career-achievement award recognizes excellence in wildland fire research, and its significant contribution to the advancement of wildfire management in Canada (https://sites.ualberta.ca/~wildfire/awards.html).
The Wright Award, established in 2012, is presented on a biennial basis and is named in honor of James G. Wright who established a fire research program within Canada’s Dominion Forest Service beginning in 1925. His early fire-hazard research at the Petawawa Forest Experiment Station in eastern Ontario laid the foundation for the development of the current Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The two previous recipients of the Wright Award are Charlie Van Wagner and Brian “BJ” Stocks.
Dr. Alexander retired in November 2010 as a senior fire behavior research officer with the Canadian Forest Service (CFS) stationed at the Northern Forestry Centre in Edmonton, Alberta, following nearly 35 years of public service. In his acceptance speech, he acknowledged that his wife Heather’s support over the years had made it all possible.
Save the Date for our Joint Conference in May 2018
The Fire Continuum Conference: Preparing for the Future of Wildland Fire
- May 21-25, 2018
- The University of Montana, Missoula, MT
- Co-hosted by International Association of Wildland Fire and Association for Fire Ecology
Wildland fire science and management are defined by continuums. There is the continuum of fire experience from the rookie firefighter to the seasoned fire manager. There is a continuum of fire succession from the post-burn environment to the development of vegetation to eventually be burned again. There is the continuum of education from the basic fire courses to the advanced degrees offered by Universities and certifications offered by professional societies. And most important, there is the continuum of fire management from pre-wildfire fuel treatments and prescribed burns, to seasonal wildfire planning and fire danger prediction, to the actual event of a wildfire, and after wildfire to rehabilitation of burned areas and development of post-burn communities.
We invite you to join us in Montana next May at this conference designed around that fire management continuum where each day of conference week will be dedicated to a part of this continuum.
Timeline and Key Dates
- Call for Special Sessions: Open from September 1 to November 7, 2017
- Call for Workshops: Open from September 1 to November 7, 2017
- Call for Attached Meetings: Open from September 1 until we are out of space
- Call for Presentations: Open from November 7 to February 6, 2018
- Presenters Notified: February 28, 2018
- Program Finalized: March 13, 2018
- Room Blocks Expire: April 21, 2018
- Conference: May 21-25, 2018
