The Scenarios Network for Alaska Planning (SNAP) and Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, in conjuction with the USGS Alaska Science Center, have received funding from the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) to create a pilot Fire Science Information Consortium in Alaska. The focus of the consortium is to communicate the results of existing and on-going northern latitude and boreal forest fire science to land and fire managers, and to work with land and fire managers to optimize modes and methods of fire science communication so that the information is both useful and usable. An expanded proposal to the JFSP in February 2010 will aim to implement an annual, in-person Alaska-wide workshop and tutorial for fire science delivery, institute a fire science newsletter and state-wide fire science teleconference/webinar series, conduct information transfer workshops in remote hub-communities, staff an Alaskan fire science 'help desk,' update and coordinate existing fire science delivery products, develop innovative fire prediction tools, and evaluate these methods.

For more detailed information, please refer to the consortium's pilot proposal (pdf; 1.2 MB).

WE INVITE YOUR INPUT! WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Please take a few minutes to fill out the Alaska Fire Science Consortium Technology Transfer Survey. We want to know what is most useful and interesting to you so that we can design effective technology transfer opportunities. The results will be used in our program design as we write the proposal this winter for the full Alaska Fire Science Consortium.

For more information, contact Sarah Trainor at (907) 474-7878 or sarah.trainor@alaska.edu