| Morgan
to present at Fire Restoration Conference
Penny Morgan, University of Idaho Department of Forest, Rangeland and Fire Sciences, will be one of the speakers at the May 21 “Life After the Fires: Living for Today and Planning for Tomorrow” conference to be held at the Life Center in Kamiah. University of Idaho Extension in collaboration with the North-Central Idaho Wildfire Restoration Group and the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests is offering the conference which will highlight the assessment of the 2015 wildfires that affected private landowners in north-central Idaho. Morgan’s presentation will focus on the historical/ecological/climatic reasons for the dramatic increase in the number of acres burned by wildfire in Idaho and the other western states over the last 20 years compared to most of the 20th century. She will also present what climate and fire modelers predict for the future. She will also talk about why all wildfire cannot be prevented, but actions can be taken to reduce its destructiveness, and manage for “good fires” rather than “bad fires.” Sign-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. An optional field tour will follow at 3 p.m. with Dave Summers, Idaho Department of Lands. Meet in the parking lot to carpool to field location for demonstration on survivable space creation to reduce wildfire risk around homes and other structures (locations to be announced at conference). The conference is free and open to the public. Lunch and light refreshments will be provided. To help us plan for conference set up and food, please RSVP by Wednesday, May 18. Call the Extension office at 208-476-4434 or email clearwater@uidaho.edu to RSVP. Morgan teaches Fire Ecology and Management, Fire Ecology, Prescribed Burning, and Science Synthesis and Communication. Her research focuses on fires, especially how, why, when and where do fires burn severely and their implications. One of her recent research efforts has focused on tree seedling occurrence, density and species following 21 large fires from recent decades throughout Idaho and western Montana. |
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