News

Read the latest news from IROCE programs, centers, and faculty and staff. 

Emigrant Fire brings haze to Eugene area, but air quality OK, for now
“The reality is that some of what we’re seeing right now is having a pretty major impact on our ability for communities to be able to prepare,” University of Oregon associate research professor Heidi…
Withstanding Wildfires
University of Oregon experts lead research and share resources to help contend with the heat, smoke, and hazards of wildfire season.
Ancient Trees are Dying Faster than Expected in Oregon
“It’s sad to see so many old trees dying,” said lead researcher James Johnston, an assistant research professor in the University of Oregon’s Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and…
Ancient trees are dying faster than expected in Eastern Oregon
A study in the Malheur National Forest led by James Johnston, assistant research professor in the Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments, shows a rapid tree die-off in…
EWP Partner, Ryan Reed, Recipient of Ecotrust 2025 Indigenous Leadership Award
Ryan Reed is a co-founder and the director of the FireGeneration Collaborative (FireGen), a partner with EWP of the current Fire Resilience Futures project. Ryan has also closely worked with EWP and…
A look at megafires as an Oregon wildfire approaches the 100,000-acre mark
“Large fires are, by definition, fires that are driven by extreme weather conditions like really high temperatures, low relative humidity and strong winds,” said James Johnston, assistant research…
Wildfires and smoke pose cascading hazards for US communities
UO faculty, including Heidi Huber-Stearns and James Johnston of IROCE, discuss the challenge of reducing wildfire risk and helping protect the public.
Study reveals deadly threat to Oregon's 300-year-old trees
New research from the University of Oregon suggests that old growth trees are drying at an alarming rate in eastern Oregon.
Eastern Oregon’s old-growth trees are dying at ‘alarming’ rates, UO finds
A new study led by James Johnston, an assistant research professor for the University of Oregon, found that about 25% of trees over 300 years old died in the Malheur National Forest from 2012 to 2023.
Eastern Oregon's ancient trees face alarming decline, study finds
The study, conducted by a team led by James Johnston, an assistant research professor at the University of Oregon, found that between 2012 and 2023, a quarter of trees over 300 years old in roadless…