Fueling Adaptation: Capacities and Gaps in Governance Networks within Wildfire Crisis Strategy Landscapes to Engage in Shared Stewardship and Collaborative Wildfire Management

Project ID: 23-JV-11261940-106

Federal Agency: U.S. Forest Service

Partner Institution: Portland State University

Fiscal Year: 2023

Initial Funding: $857,240

Total Funding: $857,240

Principal Investigator: Evers, Cody

Principal Investigator: Nielsen-Pincus, Max

Agreement Technical Representative: Campbell, Lindsay

Abstract: Wildfires across the United States have resulted in rising ecological and social costs, with more homes and communities threatened by wildfire, as a result of a legacy of fire exclusion on the landscape, changing fuels and climate, and an expanding wildland-urban interface (WUI). The 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS) lays out a sweeping vision for unprecedented investment in forest health and wildfire risk reduction for communities, with goals of treating up to 20 million acres on National Forests and supporting treatment of up to 30 million acres of other federal, state, Tribal, private, and family lands. Rather than a one-time investment, these fuel treatments are intended as a “down payment” on a long-term commitment to proactive management, conducted collaboratively with partners. As such, it is critical to not only assess the community risk reduction outcomes of vegetation mitigation, but also how these activities combine with community and stakeholder efforts to enhance capacity, build social capital, and ensure long-term commitment to wildfire adaptation across scales.