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Numerous agencies cooperated to treat over 4,000 acres with fire in 2008 and about 2,500 acres during the very wet 2009 spring burn season
© The Nature Conservancy / Sam Lindblom |
The Appalachians are characterized by rolling and mountainous terrain blanketed in hardwood and mixed-pine hardwood forest, pine-oak-heath shrublands and woodlands, small-patch grasslands, hillside prairies and cedar glades, and are home to numerous endemic species. The area contains both fire-adapted and fire-dependent species, with lightning-caused fires historically playing a role in establishing and maintaining the forest communities and species. This natural need for fire strongly suggests that ecological fire management should be a primary strategy in restoration efforts. Thus, the Appalachian Fire Learning Network engages multiple federal, state and private land management agencies in a collaborative effort to implement ecological fire management.
Vision
Within this biologically diverse region, the Network seeks to:
- collaborate with stakeholders to strengthen the scientific basis for landscape-scale fire management, and develop landscape-scale desired future conditions and fire management objectives for the Central, Southern and Western Appalachian Region;
- transfer knowledge and lessons learned throughout the Network to facilitate ecological objective setting, effective stakeholder engagement, efficient compliance with regulatory requirements and successful funding of ecological fire management projects;
- identify critical barriers to the restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems, and develop strategies to overcome these barriers; and
- achieve tangible and measurable progress in the restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems at demonstration sites throughout the Network.
Demonstration Landcapes
Participating Landscapes
Leader: Sam Lindblom
Workshop 1 (Round 2) / Douthat State Park, VA / 7-9 December 2009
At this workshop, the three new landscapes--Keystone Appalachians, Southwest Virginia and West Virginia--received peer reviews of their work on the development of ecological models and other coaching from landscapes that had already worked through the FLN process. Thirty-five partners attended the workshop, representing three national forests, six state agencies, the Conservancy and a private lands consultant. The next workshop is tentatively scheduled for June 2010 in Pennsylvania.
Workshop 4 / Natural Bridge State Resort Park, KY / 18-20 November 2008
The objectives of this workshop are to share progress on mapping current vegetation, desired future condition and feasibility; peer review and refine strategies, objectives, action steps and stakeholder assessments; develop key messages in support of strategies; peer review monitoring plans; and identify and develop elements of an implementation plan.
Downloads
Workshop 1 / Cumberland Falls State Park, KY / 22-24 May 2007
The objectives of this workshop were to learn about the landscapes and provide peer review on ecological models and desired future conditions that the teams develop in collaboration with partners.
Downloads
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