Northwest Fire Science Consortium (NWFSC)
Pacific Northwest Research Station and Joint Fire Sciences Program
To develop a consortium to improve delivery of scientific information and tools to people engaged in wildfire and smoke management, and hazardous fuels reduction. Collaborators: Oregon State University, USDA Forest Service, Washington State University, and Sustainable Northwest. See the current NWFSC management team.
Learn more about NWFSC.
Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition Collaboration
Ecosystem Workforce Program (EWP) collaborates closely with the Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC) to help address emerging policy and practice needs in the US West. RVCC is a coalition of more than 80 nonprofit, public, and private organizations that envisions healthy landscapes and vibrant rural communities across the American West. EWP faculty have served as founding and ongoing leadership team members of RVCC and have led or contributed to numerous reports, events, and, outcomes through this important partnership.
Learn more about the RVCC collaboration.
Lakeview Collaborative Forest Landscapes Restoration Project Monitoring
USDA Forest Service
The Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration (CFLR) program was established int he Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 to promote the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes. The Lakeview Stewardship Group prioritized monitoring goals and created monitoring plan that included five socioeconomic questions, from a baseline assessment of pre-CFLR years to biannual monitoring reports, and more recently, All Lands Project monitoring.
Learn more about Lakeview CFLR monitoring.
Northwest Forest Plan
In 1994, the federal government adopted the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) following 5 years of litigation over the logging of federal forest lands that provided critical habitat for endangered species, including the Northern Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis caurina). Monitoring changes in social and economic conditions across the NWFP area is a core component of the NWFP monitoring program. EWP has been contracted by the USDA Forest Service Region 6 to conduct the 25-year (in 2018) and the 30-year monitoring (now in progress). The goal of this monitoring is to shed light on the unique and evolving challenges and opportunities facing rural communities in the NWFP area.
Learn more about NWFP.
Federal Forest Restoration Program Monitoring for the Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Department of Forestry
The Federal Forest Restoration (FFR) Program is a partnership between the state of Oregon, federal forest managers, and public lands stakeholders to increase forest resilience and economic opportunity on federal forestlands across Oregon. The program is administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry with the overall goal to increase the resilient of Oregon's federal forests, in a manner that leverages collaborative efforts and contributes to the long-term viability of regional economies and rural communities. The Oregon state legislature has funded the FFR Program since the state of Oregon's fiscal year 2014 (FY14), and has expended a total of $10.6 million through the program from FY2014-2019.
Learn more about ODF FFR program monitoring.
A Review of the Forest Service's Shared Stewardship Strategy
The Forest Service's Shared Stewardship Strategy emphasizes partnership with the states, tribes, and other collaborators to identify priority areas for management, coordinate work across jurisdictions, and leverage diverse capacities. Since 2018, the Forest Service and state have been translating these principles into action, building upon existing state and regional efforts and partnerships. EWP is working with Dr. Courtney Schultz of the Public Lands Policy Group and Dr. Jesse Abrams (University of Georgia), this project is conducting longitudinal research looking at perceptions of the strategy and the nature of its implementation across states.
Learn more about the Forest Service's Shared Stewardship Strategy.
Landscape Resiliency Program
Oregon Department of Forestry
The Landscape Resiliency Program (LRP), led by the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), is a grant program established by Senate Bill 762, Section 18 to support cross-boundary forest restoration and resiliency across Oregon. In 2022, $20 million was awarded to nine landscape-scale projects to reduce wildfire risk on public and private forestlands and rangelands. Each project is implemented by a collaboration of public, private, and non-profit stakeholders who have come together to reduce hazardous fuels and promote forest resiliency. EWP is leading program monitoring in three phases- Project Selection, Implementation, and Outcomes- and plans to release a final report in June 2023.
Learn more about Landscape Resiliency Program.
Oakridge Air Quality and Smoke
EWP, the UO Center for Science Communication Research, and the UO Institute for Policy Research and Engagement has partnered with Oakridge Air, Good Company, and Lane Regional Air Protection Agency to conduct analyses on air quality and smoke in the Oregon communities of Oakridge and Westfir. In summer 2022, EWP interviewed key informants (or community leaders) about community understanding, perceptions, and awareness of air quality and smoke issues. Oakridge has historically been ranked among the top 20 communities in the United States with the worst air quality due to high concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5) from home wood heating (wood stove) and wildfire smoke. In 2023, EWP plans to investigate indoor several facets of air quality in these communities and further analyze air quality and smoke information communication.
Learn more about Air Quality in Oakridge.