The USDA Forest Service received $5.447 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, providing substantial funding to support implementation of the agency’s 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy between fiscal years 2022 and 2026. This article examines how the agency might enhance local job creation and equity while conducting wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem restoration under the strategy using these funds. It does this by drawing on five key findings from a socioeconomic assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that are applicable today. The ARRA provided the Forest Service with $1.15 billion for wildfire, restoration, and infrastructure projects to foster job creation in counties most affected by the economic recession of 2007–2009. In addition to insights from the ARRA, we highlight the importance of considering job quality, the meaning of equity in local job creation, and characteristics of today’s forest management businesses and workforces. Study Implications: The Forest Service can learn from past experiences in implementing new programs of work. The frameworks through which agency funding are channeled influence the scope, type, and location of opportunities for local businesses and job creation, and the selection of communities for investment. Decisions about which tools and authorities to use when implementing Forest Service projects are key in determining access to forest management work for a diversity of business types. It is important to consider job quality as well as job quantity associated with agency initiatives to create local jobs through special funding opportunities like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
{"title":"The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Forest Service: Insights for Local Job Creation and Equity from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act","authors":"Susan Charnley, Emily Jane Davis, J. Schelhas","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvad009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad009","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The USDA Forest Service received $5.447 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law of 2021, providing substantial funding to support implementation of the agency’s 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy between fiscal years 2022 and 2026. This article examines how the agency might enhance local job creation and equity while conducting wildfire risk reduction and ecosystem restoration under the strategy using these funds. It does this by drawing on five key findings from a socioeconomic assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) that are applicable today. The ARRA provided the Forest Service with $1.15 billion for wildfire, restoration, and infrastructure projects to foster job creation in counties most affected by the economic recession of 2007–2009. In addition to insights from the ARRA, we highlight the importance of considering job quality, the meaning of equity in local job creation, and characteristics of today’s forest management businesses and workforces.\u0000 Study Implications: The Forest Service can learn from past experiences in implementing new programs of work. The frameworks through which agency funding are channeled influence the scope, type, and location of opportunities for local businesses and job creation, and the selection of communities for investment. Decisions about which tools and authorities to use when implementing Forest Service projects are key in determining access to forest management work for a diversity of business types. It is important to consider job quality as well as job quantity associated with agency initiatives to create local jobs through special funding opportunities like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90695014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Recent increases in Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) mortality in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion raise concerns about the long-term resilience of Douglas-fir in the ecoregion and increased potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. We used data from the USDA Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey and ninety-six field plots to explore the relationships between physiographic and climate variables and Douglas-fir mortality. Our results provide strong evidence for a decline spiral in which Douglas-fir growing on hot, dry sites (predisposing factor) are further stressed by drought (inciting factor) and are then exploited by the flatheaded fir borer (Phaenops drummondi) and other secondary biotic agents (contributing factors), resulting in decline and mortality. At the landscape scale, Douglas-fir mortality increased as average annual precipitation declined and average climatic water deficit increased. We developed a risk score integrating several environmental variables associated with drought and heat stress to predict the likelihood and intensity of mortality at the stand scale. Study Implications: Douglas-fir mortality in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion commonly occurs during and following drought on hot, dry sites that are already climatically marginal for the species. Landowners and managers can use climatic water deficit to identify high mortality risk sites at the landscape scale and our risk score integrating topographic and site factors for risk assessment at the stand scale. Steering management toward oak-pine restoration may be warranted in high risk locations. Projections of future climatic water deficit suggest that the area of marginal, high risk habitat for Douglas-fir will increase substantially by 2055.
最近，克拉马斯山脉生态区道格拉斯冷杉(Psuedotsuga menziesii var. menziesii)死亡率的上升引起了人们对该生态区道格拉斯冷杉长期恢复力的担忧，并增加了发生罕见野火的可能性。我们使用美国农业部林业局航空探测调查和96个野外样地的数据来探索地理和气候变量与道格拉斯冷杉死亡率之间的关系。我们的研究结果提供了强有力的证据，证明生长在炎热干燥地区(诱发因素)的道格拉斯冷杉受到干旱(刺激因素)的进一步胁迫，然后被平头冷杉螟虫(Phaenops drummondi)和其他次生生物因子(促成因素)利用，导致数量下降和死亡。在景观尺度上，随着年平均降水量的减少和气候平均水分亏缺的增加，杉木死亡率呈上升趋势。我们开发了一个风险评分，整合了与干旱和热胁迫相关的几个环境变量，以预测林分尺度上死亡的可能性和强度。研究意义:克拉马斯山脉生态区道格拉斯冷杉的死亡通常发生在干旱期间和之后的炎热干燥地点，这些地点已经是该物种的气候边缘。土地所有者和管理者可以利用气候水分亏缺来识别景观尺度上的高死亡率风险地点，并利用我们的综合地形和地点因素的风险评分来进行林分尺度上的风险评估。在高风险地区，将管理转向橡树松木恢复是有必要的。对未来气候缺水的预测表明，到2055年，道格拉斯冷杉边缘、高风险栖息地的面积将大幅增加。
{"title":"Recent Douglas-fir Mortality in the Klamath Mountains Ecoregion of Oregon: Evidence for a Decline Spiral","authors":"M. Bennett, D. Shaw, L. Lowrey","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvad007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad007","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Recent increases in Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) mortality in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion raise concerns about the long-term resilience of Douglas-fir in the ecoregion and increased potential for uncharacteristic wildfire. We used data from the USDA Forest Service Aerial Detection Survey and ninety-six field plots to explore the relationships between physiographic and climate variables and Douglas-fir mortality. Our results provide strong evidence for a decline spiral in which Douglas-fir growing on hot, dry sites (predisposing factor) are further stressed by drought (inciting factor) and are then exploited by the flatheaded fir borer (Phaenops drummondi) and other secondary biotic agents (contributing factors), resulting in decline and mortality. At the landscape scale, Douglas-fir mortality increased as average annual precipitation declined and average climatic water deficit increased. We developed a risk score integrating several environmental variables associated with drought and heat stress to predict the likelihood and intensity of mortality at the stand scale.\u0000 Study Implications: Douglas-fir mortality in the Klamath Mountains ecoregion commonly occurs during and following drought on hot, dry sites that are already climatically marginal for the species. Landowners and managers can use climatic water deficit to identify high mortality risk sites at the landscape scale and our risk score integrating topographic and site factors for risk assessment at the stand scale. Steering management toward oak-pine restoration may be warranted in high risk locations. Projections of future climatic water deficit suggest that the area of marginal, high risk habitat for Douglas-fir will increase substantially by 2055.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83712208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christa D. Court, João-Pedro Ferreira, Caleb Stair, A. Hodges
The forest industry is a significant contributor to many local and state economies in the United States (US). Informed public policy at state and national levels requires that decision makers have accurate and defensible information on the value and structure of these economic contributions. However, different methods and modeling assumptions used and different industry sectors included by various analysts complicate meaningful comparisons across regions and time. This work presents a standardized approach to economic contribution assessments of the forest industry. The US Southern Forest region serves as an example of this approach with standardized results for economic contributions per capita, per acre of timberland, and per unit volume of timber harvested when comparing across regions and time. Among other findings, the results suggest that states with developed wood and paper product manufacturing industries have significantly greater economic contributions than states that are concentrated on timber harvesting. Study Implications: Academic institutions, private organizations, and government agencies routinely conduct economic contribution assessments of the forest industry, often with different assumptions and differences in sectors included, making it difficult to compare results across regions and/or time. This article suggests a limited set of 15 sectors to represent the forest industry and recommends standardizing the economic contributions of the forest industry for appropriate comparisons. A comparison of the forest industry across states in the US Southern Forest region shows structural differences, with some states specializing in the extraction of forest resources while others are focused on manufacturing primary and secondary wood and paper products.
{"title":"Importance of Consistency and Standardization in Estimating Economic Contributions of the Forest Industry in the Southern United States","authors":"Christa D. Court, João-Pedro Ferreira, Caleb Stair, A. Hodges","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvad001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad001","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The forest industry is a significant contributor to many local and state economies in the United States (US). Informed public policy at state and national levels requires that decision makers have accurate and defensible information on the value and structure of these economic contributions. However, different methods and modeling assumptions used and different industry sectors included by various analysts complicate meaningful comparisons across regions and time. This work presents a standardized approach to economic contribution assessments of the forest industry. The US Southern Forest region serves as an example of this approach with standardized results for economic contributions per capita, per acre of timberland, and per unit volume of timber harvested when comparing across regions and time. Among other findings, the results suggest that states with developed wood and paper product manufacturing industries have significantly greater economic contributions than states that are concentrated on timber harvesting.\u0000 Study Implications: Academic institutions, private organizations, and government agencies routinely conduct economic contribution assessments of the forest industry, often with different assumptions and differences in sectors included, making it difficult to compare results across regions and/or time. This article suggests a limited set of 15 sectors to represent the forest industry and recommends standardizing the economic contributions of the forest industry for appropriate comparisons. A comparison of the forest industry across states in the US Southern Forest region shows structural differences, with some states specializing in the extraction of forest resources while others are focused on manufacturing primary and secondary wood and paper products.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90538985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gaurav Dhungel, D. Rossi, Jesse D. Henderson, R. Abt, R. Sheffield, Justin Baker
This study expands the spatial scope of the Subregional Timber Supply (SRTS) model to include states in the central hardwood region and examine critical market tipping points of high-grade (large diameter) white oak under a set of illustrative scheduled demand scenarios. In light of the growing concern for future white oak timber supply, we illustrate the sensitivity of future inventory tipping points to market structure and price responsiveness. Particularly, we examined the importance of market demand parameters, including growth rates for product demand and supply/demand elasticities, in influencing future inventory trajectories in different subregions over the projection horizon. Results of this study indicate that more elastic demand and more inelastic supply response concomitantly defers the time before inventory culminates. This modeling framework shows promise in examining key ecological, climatic, and economic interrelationships that will drive future resource changes. Study Implications: This study examines critical market tipping points of high-grade white oak growing stock in the central hardwood region under alternative demand growth scenarios. The main finding of this article is that high-quality white oak inventory tipping points depend critically on the annual rate of increase in quantity demanded and on the sensitivity of supply and demand to changes in white oak log prices. This study helps better inform white oak–dependent stakeholders on sustainability assessment and highlights how policy design that incorporates both management and market interventions could help maintain the white oak resource base.
{"title":"Critical Market Tipping Points for High-Grade White Oak Inventory Decline in the Central Hardwood Region of the United States","authors":"Gaurav Dhungel, D. Rossi, Jesse D. Henderson, R. Abt, R. Sheffield, Justin Baker","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvad005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad005","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 This study expands the spatial scope of the Subregional Timber Supply (SRTS) model to include states in the central hardwood region and examine critical market tipping points of high-grade (large diameter) white oak under a set of illustrative scheduled demand scenarios. In light of the growing concern for future white oak timber supply, we illustrate the sensitivity of future inventory tipping points to market structure and price responsiveness. Particularly, we examined the importance of market demand parameters, including growth rates for product demand and supply/demand elasticities, in influencing future inventory trajectories in different subregions over the projection horizon. Results of this study indicate that more elastic demand and more inelastic supply response concomitantly defers the time before inventory culminates. This modeling framework shows promise in examining key ecological, climatic, and economic interrelationships that will drive future resource changes.\u0000 Study Implications: This study examines critical market tipping points of high-grade white oak growing stock in the central hardwood region under alternative demand growth scenarios. The main finding of this article is that high-quality white oak inventory tipping points depend critically on the annual rate of increase in quantity demanded and on the sensitivity of supply and demand to changes in white oak log prices. This study helps better inform white oak–dependent stakeholders on sustainability assessment and highlights how policy design that incorporates both management and market interventions could help maintain the white oak resource base.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84231015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides [L.] B.S.P.; AWC), a wetland tree species native to the eastern United States, is declining rangewide. This decline has stimulated interest in restoring AWC in parts of its range. However, restoration could benefit from more research on this species, especially that focus on where to source seedlings for artificial reforestation. This study presents results out to years 18–20 from a southern New Jersey common garden established in the early 2000s as part of the first rangewide provenance planting of AWC. The goal of this research was to expand our understanding of intraspecific variation in AWC linked to the geographic origin of genetic sources. Results indicated that genotype performance was linked to their geographic origin and that local sources were among the top performers when taking all metrics into consideration (e.g., survival, height, basal area). Top-performing provenances were sourced within plus or minus two decimal degrees latitude of the planting site. Although local sources remain suitable for artificial regeneration of this species in southern New Jersey, nearby southern sources could be deployed to achieve out-planting success and conservation of this imperiled species in a warming climate. We hope this work will inform AWC restoration efforts and bring visibility to this declining wetland species. Study Implications: Common garden studies can help inform management decisions regarding tree species or genotypes to deploy for reforestation under current and future climate. Local sources of plant material remain a viable option for artificial regeneration of Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides [L.] B.S.P.) in southern New Jersey. However, Mid-Atlantic sources to the south of New Jersey, especially those within two decimal degrees latitude south of the planting site, could be deployed for restoration planting. Not only could planting seedlings sourced from south of a planting site achieve reforestation objectives, but the deliberate northward movement of southern genotypes within the species’ range, that is, assisted migration, could enhance climate resilience of this declining wetland species.
{"title":"Geographic Variation in Survival and Growth of Atlantic White-Cedar (Chamaecyparis Thyoides [L.] B.S.P.): Implications for Artificial Regeneration of a Declining Species","authors":"M. Olson, Andrew Lubas, Kristin A. Mylecraine","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvad004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvad004","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides [L.] B.S.P.; AWC), a wetland tree species native to the eastern United States, is declining rangewide. This decline has stimulated interest in restoring AWC in parts of its range. However, restoration could benefit from more research on this species, especially that focus on where to source seedlings for artificial reforestation. This study presents results out to years 18–20 from a southern New Jersey common garden established in the early 2000s as part of the first rangewide provenance planting of AWC. The goal of this research was to expand our understanding of intraspecific variation in AWC linked to the geographic origin of genetic sources. Results indicated that genotype performance was linked to their geographic origin and that local sources were among the top performers when taking all metrics into consideration (e.g., survival, height, basal area). Top-performing provenances were sourced within plus or minus two decimal degrees latitude of the planting site. Although local sources remain suitable for artificial regeneration of this species in southern New Jersey, nearby southern sources could be deployed to achieve out-planting success and conservation of this imperiled species in a warming climate. We hope this work will inform AWC restoration efforts and bring visibility to this declining wetland species.\u0000 Study Implications: Common garden studies can help inform management decisions regarding tree species or genotypes to deploy for reforestation under current and future climate. Local sources of plant material remain a viable option for artificial regeneration of Atlantic white-cedar (Chamaecyparis thyoides [L.] B.S.P.) in southern New Jersey. However, Mid-Atlantic sources to the south of New Jersey, especially those within two decimal degrees latitude south of the planting site, could be deployed for restoration planting. Not only could planting seedlings sourced from south of a planting site achieve reforestation objectives, but the deliberate northward movement of southern genotypes within the species’ range, that is, assisted migration, could enhance climate resilience of this declining wetland species.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"74 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83574539","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Cerveny, Nabin Baral, Brooke E. Penaluna, B. Roper, Dan Shively, Shelly Witt
Mentoring is suggested as an important strategy to promote workplace inclusivity and is shown to be positively associated with high employee morale, yet mentee needs and experiences may not be universal. To evaluate mentoring impacts from the perspective of USDA Forest Service employees, we conducted an online survey of 251 aquatic professionals, including managers and scientists. 70% of respondents had mentors, and mentorship status did not vary across demographic characteristics. Previous mentoring relationships were most frequently identified as “informal” rather than “formal”; female employees were more likely to desire formal mentoring. Mentored respondents found their work more challenging, fulfilling, and valuable than unmentored respondents. Mentees looked for mentors who could provide constructive feedback, speak candidly, use active listening skills, and who cared about their careers. Overall, respondents were satisfied with their mentors’ skills. Despite strong demand for mentoring, access to mentors among aquatic professionals appears low across all categories. Study Implications: Mentored employees convey greater job satisfaction and sense of being valued, challenged, and fulfilled. Strong demand for mentorship exists among aquatic professionals in the USDA Forest Service, yet awareness of and access to mentoring opportunities appear to be uneven. Skills employees found most useful and satisfactory in informal mentoring can serve as a basis for future design of agency mentoring programs. Effectively communicating mentorship opportunities to employees is important for increasing participation rates in mentoring. By encouraging employees to participate in mentoring, organizations can reap tangible and intangible benefits through employee development, such as increased organizational productivity and employee retention.
{"title":"Mentoring in the USDA Forest Service: A Survey of Aquatic Professionals","authors":"L. Cerveny, Nabin Baral, Brooke E. Penaluna, B. Roper, Dan Shively, Shelly Witt","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvac043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvac043","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Mentoring is suggested as an important strategy to promote workplace inclusivity and is shown to be positively associated with high employee morale, yet mentee needs and experiences may not be universal. To evaluate mentoring impacts from the perspective of USDA Forest Service employees, we conducted an online survey of 251 aquatic professionals, including managers and scientists. 70% of respondents had mentors, and mentorship status did not vary across demographic characteristics. Previous mentoring relationships were most frequently identified as “informal” rather than “formal”; female employees were more likely to desire formal mentoring. Mentored respondents found their work more challenging, fulfilling, and valuable than unmentored respondents. Mentees looked for mentors who could provide constructive feedback, speak candidly, use active listening skills, and who cared about their careers. Overall, respondents were satisfied with their mentors’ skills. Despite strong demand for mentoring, access to mentors among aquatic professionals appears low across all categories.\u0000 Study Implications: Mentored employees convey greater job satisfaction and sense of being valued, challenged, and fulfilled. Strong demand for mentorship exists among aquatic professionals in the USDA Forest Service, yet awareness of and access to mentoring opportunities appear to be uneven. Skills employees found most useful and satisfactory in informal mentoring can serve as a basis for future design of agency mentoring programs. Effectively communicating mentorship opportunities to employees is important for increasing participation rates in mentoring. By encouraging employees to participate in mentoring, organizations can reap tangible and intangible benefits through employee development, such as increased organizational productivity and employee retention.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"2014 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82736772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Matthew P. Thompson, Erin J. Belval, J. Bayham, D. Calkin, Crystal Stonesifer, David Flores
Increasing wildfire activity, decreasing workforce capacity, and growing systemic strain may result in an interagency wildfire-response system less capable of protecting landscapes and communities. Further, increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. In the face of elevated risks and degraded capacity, it is imperative that the wildfire-response system operate efficiently. Viable solutions are urgently needed that enable the system to do more with less and that manage not only for landscapes and communities but also the health and wellbeing of the fire personnel on whom the system relies. Achieving this will likely require rethinking how the interagency wildfire-response system can more adaptively and intelligently deploy fire personnel by leveraging enhanced logistics, operations, and proven fire analytics. Study Implications: As society grapples with increasing wildfire damage to landscapes and communities, the capacity of the interagency system in the USA designed to protect landscapes and communities from wildfires is degrading. A stressed system will be less capable of protecting life, property, and resources, and increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. We argue that solutions are attainable through increased attention to performance and through more anticipatory, adaptive, and intelligent deployment of fire personnel across fire incidents and around the country.
{"title":"Wildfire Response: A System on the Brink?","authors":"Matthew P. Thompson, Erin J. Belval, J. Bayham, D. Calkin, Crystal Stonesifer, David Flores","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvac042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvac042","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Increasing wildfire activity, decreasing workforce capacity, and growing systemic strain may result in an interagency wildfire-response system less capable of protecting landscapes and communities. Further, increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. In the face of elevated risks and degraded capacity, it is imperative that the wildfire-response system operate efficiently. Viable solutions are urgently needed that enable the system to do more with less and that manage not only for landscapes and communities but also the health and wellbeing of the fire personnel on whom the system relies. Achieving this will likely require rethinking how the interagency wildfire-response system can more adaptively and intelligently deploy fire personnel by leveraging enhanced logistics, operations, and proven fire analytics.\u0000 Study Implications: As society grapples with increasing wildfire damage to landscapes and communities, the capacity of the interagency system in the USA designed to protect landscapes and communities from wildfires is degrading. A stressed system will be less capable of protecting life, property, and resources, and increased workloads will likely increase hazards to fire personnel and amplify existing problems with recruitment and retention. We argue that solutions are attainable through increased attention to performance and through more anticipatory, adaptive, and intelligent deployment of fire personnel across fire incidents and around the country.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"192 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86349553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Erin J. Belval, Sarah McCaffrey, Trevor Finney, D. Calkin, Shane Greer
In the 2020 fire season, the fire management community developed and tested a wide range of new practices to meet challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. To better understand the effectiveness of different innovations and which should be considered for more permanent use, we surveyed Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) superintendents in January 2021. We focused on identifying innovations that, regardless of COVID-19, the IHCs would want to keep and why, as well as those that proved problematic. The survey focused on paperwork, briefings, and fire camp and incident command post setup. Results found clear benefits from many of the changes to operational efficiency and crew health and wellbeing; challenges were generally tied to logistical and communication issues. The results of this survey speak to the logistics of running large incident command operations and could be applied both outside the US and outside the field of wildland fire management. Study Implications: There may be meaningful benefits beyond mitigation of COVID-19 spread for continuing to use virtual paperwork, virtual briefings, and dispersed camp setups while supporting large fire suppression operations. Operational efficiency was seen as a clear benefit of many of these changes, with the often-mentioned advantage to a particular practice enabling crews to spend more time on the fireline. The new practices also appear to contribute to overall crew physical health. However, the benefits to crew health, efficiency, and effectiveness will need to be assessed against the increased logistical support required from incident management teams.
{"title":"The Impact of COVID-19 Prevention Measures on Interagency Hotshot Crews in 2020","authors":"Erin J. Belval, Sarah McCaffrey, Trevor Finney, D. Calkin, Shane Greer","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvac032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvac032","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In the 2020 fire season, the fire management community developed and tested a wide range of new practices to meet challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic. To better understand the effectiveness of different innovations and which should be considered for more permanent use, we surveyed Interagency Hotshot Crew (IHC) superintendents in January 2021. We focused on identifying innovations that, regardless of COVID-19, the IHCs would want to keep and why, as well as those that proved problematic. The survey focused on paperwork, briefings, and fire camp and incident command post setup. Results found clear benefits from many of the changes to operational efficiency and crew health and wellbeing; challenges were generally tied to logistical and communication issues. The results of this survey speak to the logistics of running large incident command operations and could be applied both outside the US and outside the field of wildland fire management.\u0000 Study Implications: There may be meaningful benefits beyond mitigation of COVID-19 spread for continuing to use virtual paperwork, virtual briefings, and dispersed camp setups while supporting large fire suppression operations. Operational efficiency was seen as a clear benefit of many of these changes, with the often-mentioned advantage to a particular practice enabling crews to spend more time on the fireline. The new practices also appear to contribute to overall crew physical health. However, the benefits to crew health, efficiency, and effectiveness will need to be assessed against the increased logistical support required from incident management teams.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"79 6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79646409","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heesol Chang, Han-Sup Han, Nathaniel Anderson, Y. Kim, Sang-kyun Han
Mechanical forest thinning treatments are implemented across the western United States (US) to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels. However, the main challenge in thinning operations is low financial feasibility. This study synthesized the stump-to-truck cost of forest thinning operations in the western US based on operations research articles published over the last 40 years (1980–2020). We systematically selected and reviewed 20 thinning studies to analyze key variables affecting machine productivity and harvesting costs. The average cost of forest thinning was lowest for a mechanized whole-tree thinning operation at $21.34/ton or $2,075/ha. Feller-bunchers and skidders showed the highest productivity in felling and extraction machines, respectively. We found that extraction cost accounted for the largest proportion of the stump-to-truck cost of forest thinning (33%, 43%, and 34% in whole-tree, tree-length, and cut-to-length thinning, respectively). Tree diameter and machine travel distance are common variables affecting thinning productivity and thus cost, regardless of the harvesting methods used. With thinning productivity and cost data from the selected studies, we developed a spreadsheet-based model to estimate thinning costs for various harvesting systems. This literature synthesis and new thinning cost model can help foresters develop a cost-effective plan for thinning operations. Study Implications: Forestland managers often have a keen understanding of the cost of operations based on personal experience and rules of thumb and try to increase productivity and reduce costs whenever possible. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to integrate high-resolution operations research into their planning because these studies can be very site specific and tend to use statistical designs that are not always easy to interpret or apply in practice. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of research on mechanical thinning operations in the western US with two main implications for managers: (1) broader knowledge of thinning operations with an understanding of key variables and their effects on productivity and cost and (2) better information, data, and tools that can be used to calculate and compare the productivity and cost of thinning for various methods and systems to quickly evaluate alternatives in planning. This literature synthesis, along with a new thinning cost model, can help managers develop more efficient treatments and ultimately reduce treatment costs.
{"title":"The Cost of Forest Thinning Operations in the Western United States: A Systematic Literature Review and New Thinning Cost Model","authors":"Heesol Chang, Han-Sup Han, Nathaniel Anderson, Y. Kim, Sang-kyun Han","doi":"10.1093/jofore/fvac037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/jofore/fvac037","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Mechanical forest thinning treatments are implemented across the western United States (US) to improve forest health and reduce hazardous fuels. However, the main challenge in thinning operations is low financial feasibility. This study synthesized the stump-to-truck cost of forest thinning operations in the western US based on operations research articles published over the last 40 years (1980–2020). We systematically selected and reviewed 20 thinning studies to analyze key variables affecting machine productivity and harvesting costs. The average cost of forest thinning was lowest for a mechanized whole-tree thinning operation at $21.34/ton or $2,075/ha. Feller-bunchers and skidders showed the highest productivity in felling and extraction machines, respectively. We found that extraction cost accounted for the largest proportion of the stump-to-truck cost of forest thinning (33%, 43%, and 34% in whole-tree, tree-length, and cut-to-length thinning, respectively). Tree diameter and machine travel distance are common variables affecting thinning productivity and thus cost, regardless of the harvesting methods used. With thinning productivity and cost data from the selected studies, we developed a spreadsheet-based model to estimate thinning costs for various harvesting systems. This literature synthesis and new thinning cost model can help foresters develop a cost-effective plan for thinning operations.\u0000 Study Implications: Forestland managers often have a keen understanding of the cost of operations based on personal experience and rules of thumb and try to increase productivity and reduce costs whenever possible. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to integrate high-resolution operations research into their planning because these studies can be very site specific and tend to use statistical designs that are not always easy to interpret or apply in practice. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of research on mechanical thinning operations in the western US with two main implications for managers: (1) broader knowledge of thinning operations with an understanding of key variables and their effects on productivity and cost and (2) better information, data, and tools that can be used to calculate and compare the productivity and cost of thinning for various methods and systems to quickly evaluate alternatives in planning. This literature synthesis, along with a new thinning cost model, can help managers develop more efficient treatments and ultimately reduce treatment costs.","PeriodicalId":23386,"journal":{"name":"Turkish Journal of Forestry","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73591953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：