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Southeast Prescribed Fire Initiative
About
Fire is a critically important agent of renewal in natural ecosystems. However, wildfires can pose a substantial risk to people and infrastructure, and the Southeast has more wildfires than any other region. This region also includes several fire-dependent ecosystems where prescribed burning is necessary to safely manage the land and resources. By promoting prescribed fire as a land management tool, SERPPAS partners minimize the risk of destructive wildfires while restoring critical habitat and species in the Southeast.
Working with fire experts from around the region, the SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group developed a Comprehensive Prescribed Fire Strategy that guides their work. This strategy describes regional, state, and local activities needed to progress toward the strategic goals. Managing land properly with prescribed fire helps restore ecosystems, reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfire, protects air quality, and improves wildlife habitat for game, at-risk, threatened, and endangered species.
Military testing and training in the Southeast are critically linked to prescribed burning, as installations use this management practice for fuels reduction and to manage critical habitat. Increasing prescribed fire as a management tool on and off base can enhance military readiness by increasing flexibility under the Endangered Species Act by expanding and sustaining key habitats off-installation; reducing fuels to increase resiliency and create natural buffers to DoD facilities, infrastructure and assets; and decreasing liability claims and fire costs from surrounding communities.
Strategic Objectives
- Identify, encourage, and support efforts to quantify and prioritize the use of prescribed fire to achieve desired conditions considering the missions and objectives of SERPPAS.
- Identify needs and opportunities to provide funding, capacity and other support to achieve desired conditions in SERPPAS priority areas, as needed.
- Encourage and share successful models of burn teams and/or Prescribed Burn Associations that plan, prioritize, and conduct prescribed burns and associated fuels reduction work within Sentinel Landscapes and other SERPPAS priority areas.
- Share successful models of shared stewardship and interagency cooperation to increase burning across boundaries, and to share personnel, equipment, and resources on fires within SERPPAS priority areas.
- Increase engagement with landowners, communities, and contractors by supporting workshops, field days, and other programs that provide prescribed burning experience, training, and education within SERPPAS priority areas.
- Encourage and support the development, dissemination, and utilization of new relevant fire science and tools that foster collaboration among scientists and natural resource managers, and that address the information needs of SERPPAS, regional fire managers, and partners.
- Promote cooperative conservation, protection of public health, and keeping areas in attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) by encouraging use of basic and enhanced smoke management practices.
- Support efforts that identify and seek to overcome gaps in knowledge, training, and information needs relevant to SERPPAS prescribed fire managers, policy makers, and partners. Topics include but are not limited to:
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- Climate Change and Carbon
- Resilience and Sustainability
- Smoke and Air Quality
- Water quality and quantity
- Fire Effects and Ecosystem Management
- Societal Impacts (including social justice, diversity, and inclusion)
- Liability
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Work Group Lead
Jennifer Fawcett
Extension Associate, Forestry & Environmental ResourcesNorth Carolina State University
jennifer_fawcett@ncsu.edu
Jennifer Fawcett is an Extension Associate in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, Extension Forestry at North Carolina State University (NCSU). She coordinates the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) Prescribed Fire Work Group and assists in implementing actions within the SERPPAS “Comprehensive Strategy for Prescribed Fire.” Prior to her current role, Jenn provided data collection and management for a Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program longleaf pine restoration research project with the U.S. Forest Service. She received her B.S. degree in Animal Science from the University of Delaware, M.S. degree in Forest Resources from Clemson University, and is working towards her Ed.D. in Agricultural and Extension Education at NCSU. Jenn currently serves as an Advisory Board member for the Southern Fire Exchange and is a past President for the North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council.
Elliot Nauert is an Extension Associate in prescribed fire and fire science in Extension Forestry at North Carolina State University. He oversees outreach, coordination, and education efforts aimed at promoting prescribed fire throughout the southeastern United States, and co-leads the SERPPAS Prescribed Fire Work Group with Jennifer Fawcett. Elliot previously worked as a wildland firefighter at Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks where he specialized in prescribed fire and managed fires for resource benefit. He is currently a PhD candidate in Human Factors and Applied Cognition at NC State University.
Request to Join Work Group
Resources
2024 REPI Report to Congress Released
4/11/24
The 18th annual REPI Report to Congress summarizes the program’s investments at 124 locations across 37 states and territories, highlights partnerships across local, state, and Federal agencies, and showcases mutually beneficial projects in the Pacific Region. Through the support of partner organizations, the REPI Program aims to enhance the Nation's defense capabilities, positively impact surrounding communities and the environment, and maximize taxpayer benefits. The REPI Program’s cost-effective projects and expanded partnership opportunities would not be possible without support from partners who share a common goal of safeguarding military missions, preserving the natural environment, and reducing risks from extreme weather events.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveUSDA Makes $1.5 Billion Available to Help Farmers Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda
4/3/24
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the availability of an historic $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 to invest in partner-driven conservation and climate solutions through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting project proposals now through July 2, 2024, that will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while tackling the climate crisis. These projects in turn can save farmers money, create new revenue streams, and increase productivity.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveThe Sentinel Landscapes Partnership Releases the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report
2/27/24
The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is pleased to announce that the 2023 Sentinel Landscapes Accomplishments Report is now available. The report showcases how the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Defense (DOD), Department of the Interior (DOI), and their on-the-ground partners collaborate through the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership to solve complex land-use challenges, combining resources and aligning funding across the 13 sentinel landscapes.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveAmerica’s Ecosystem Restoration Initiative: America the Beautiful Challenge 2024 Request for Proposals
2/27/24
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), through anticipated cooperative agreements from the Department of the Interior (DOI), Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Agriculture’s U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), is releasing the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC) 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP). The ATBC vision is to streamline grant funding opportunities for new voluntary conservation and restoration projects throughout the United States. This RFP consolidates funding from multiple federal agencies and the private sector to enable applicants to conceive and develop large-scale, locally led projects that address shared funder priorities spanning public, Tribal, and private lands.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveDOD Awards REPI Challenge Funding at 22 Installations
2/15/24
The DOD Readiness and Environment Protection Integration Program has awarded REPI Challenge funds for 17 projects, benefitting 22 installations and many nearby communities, according to a recent announcement. DOD contributed $23 million to the projects, with more than $36 million in additional funding from REPI partners.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveEPA NAAQS PM 2.5 Decision Announced
2/7/24
On February 7, 2024, EPA strengthened the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Particulate Matter (PM NAAQS) to protect millions of Americans from harmful and costly health impacts, such as heart attacks and premature death. Particle or soot pollution is one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution, and an extensive body of science links it to a range of serious and sometimes deadly illnesses. EPA is setting the level of the primary (health-based) annual PM2.5 standard at 9.0 micrograms per cubic meter to provide increased public health protection, consistent with the available health science.
Visit the SERPPAS News ArchiveEvents & Webinars
Error loading Partial View script (file: ~/Views/MacroPartials/Events/Events List.cshtml)SERPPAS Meetings
May 2024
- 2024 SERPPAS Principals Meeting
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May 8 - 9, 2024
Gulfport, MS