Southern Fire Exchange

Southern Fire Exchange
Name	Southern Fire Exchange
Formation	2010
Type	Nonprofit
Purpose	Wildland fire science communication and outreach
Headquarters	United States
Region served	Southeastern United States
Leader title	Director

Southern Fire Exchange

The Southern Fire Exchange is a regional network that connects United States Forest Service researchers, Department of Agriculture scientists, National Park Service staff, state forestry agencies such as the Alabama Forestry Commission, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the Texas A&M Forest Service with practitioners engaged in prescribed burning, wildland fire management, and fire ecology across the southeastern United States. It serves as a bridge among research programs at institutions like Mississippi State University, University of Florida, Clemson University, and Louisiana State University and land management units including Florida Forest Service, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Exchange synthesizes science from initiatives such as the Joint Fire Science Program and the National Fire Plan to inform managers involved in the Longleaf pine restoration, sandhill conservation, and fire-adapted longleaf ecosystem maintenance.

Overview

The Exchange operates as an applied science network linking investigators from US Geological Survey, extension specialists at Cooperative Extension Service offices hosted by land-grant universities like Auburn University and University of Georgia with fire practitioners from the Bureau of Land Management, municipal fire departments such as the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society. It emphasizes knowledge transfer for topics covered in journals such as Fire Ecology, Journal of Applied Ecology, and Forest Ecology and Management and supports practitioner access to guidance produced by programs like the National Interagency Fire Center and the Prescribed Fire Training Center network.

History and Formation

Established in 2010 with support from the Joint Fire Science Program and partners in federal agencies, universities, and state forestry organizations, the Exchange emerged amid efforts linked to policy actions such as the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and the post-2000 wildfire planning frameworks of the National Fire Plan. Early collaborators included researchers affiliated with Oklahoma State University fire science labs, extension units from Mississippi State University Extension Service, and agency partners at the Southern Research Station of the United States Forest Service. The formation responded to regional wildfire events impacting landscapes managed by entities such as the Department of Defense at installations like Fort Stewart and conservation projects by The Nature Conservancy on Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Mission and Programs

The Exchange’s mission centers on improving the use of the best available fire science by land managers, planners, and prescribed burning practitioners across states including Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. Programs include practitioner workshops modeled on curricula from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, online webinars featuring authors from Ecological Applications and Conservation Biology, and tools adapted from the Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools used by the Bureau of Land Management. The Exchange also produces synthesis products aligned with initiatives such as the North American Bird Conservation Initiative where fire regimes influence species like the Red-cockaded woodpecker and habitats managed for the Gopher tortoise.

Research and Technical Resources

The Exchange curates technical resources drawing upon studies conducted at research sites like the Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Center, Eatonton Experimental Forest, and the Wade Tract projects, and synthesizes findings from laboratories at institutions such as Virginia Tech, University of Tennessee, and University of Kentucky. Resources include practitioner-focused syntheses derived from datasets collected under programs such as the Long-Term Ecological Research network, modeling approaches from FARSITE and Fire Behavior Analyst (FBAN) workflows, and decision-support frameworks used by the Southern Research Station. It disseminates summary briefs addressing fire effects on taxa studied in works published about gopher tortoise, bobwhite quail, and indigo bunting populations, and integrates guidelines from agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency where air quality considerations intersect with prescribed fire.

Outreach and Partnerships

Outreach leverages partnerships with organizations such as the Southeast Exotic Pest Plant Council, extension networks at Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, volunteer groups like The Fire Learning Network, and tribal land managers associated with the Cherokee Nation. The Exchange hosts webinars featuring researchers from Duke University and Harvard Forest collaborators, convenes regional meetings attended by representatives from the National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service, and supports community-based programs that align with regional conservation efforts led by Piedmont Land Conservancy and the Sierra Club Southern Region.

Funding and Governance

Funding has combined federal grants from the Joint Fire Science Program, cooperative agreements with the United States Forest Service, and contributions from universities including Mississippi State University and University of Florida. Governance involves advisory input from partners such as state forestry commissions, research units like the Southern Research Station, and non-governmental organizations including The Nature Conservancy and National Audubon Society. Programmatic oversight reflects collaborative priorities shared with agencies such as the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and state-level agencies like the Florida Forest Service.

Category:Fire ecology