This conference is designed for anyone with an interest in wildland fire in the Appalachian Region.  It promises to be unique in its approach to sharing information.  First, it is a conference about wildland fire in the Appalachians that is held in the Appalachians.  Second, and equally unique, is that the conference is not a research symposium and it is not a managers meeting; it is both.  The objective of this event is for fire managers and researchers to learn from each other so they can better understand problems specific to the highly diverse Appalachian Mountains and to work together to solve those problems.

 

The conference includes three concurrent mini-conferences.  Over 40 invited speakers will discuss research updates and management experiences.  Researchers will discuss plant and wildlife ecology, fire history, invasives, season of burning, and other topics.  Managers will share experiences on how to apply fire to the landscape, how to work with media and the general public, and updates to fire management tools such as smoke prediction models, LANDFIRE, FRCC, and IFT-DSS.  A highlight will be success stories for programs such as the Fire Learning Network, state Prescribed Fire Councils, and interagency cooperation.  A field trip on the third day will share managers' experiences applying research results on the ground.

 

Early Bird Registration will open MAY 1.  We anticipate a capacity audience at the Roanoke Conference Center and look forward to seeing you there.

Over 40 invited speakers will discuss topics of concern to managers and researchers dealing with wildland fire in the Appalachian Mountains.  Speakers will engage problems and solutions of manager/researcher communication and expectations. There will be no open call for oral presentations.

 

The program committee is requesting abstracts for posters on any topic related to wildland fire in the Appalachian region.  Poster topics can be based on completed or ongoing research or they can describe management experiences.  Abstract submissions will be judged by the Program Committee and notification of acceptance will be in mid-July.  Space for posters is limited.  Authors will have the opportunity to present at their poster at a specified time for audience questions.  

 

SUBMIT ABSTRACTS HERE for both Invited Speakers and Poster Proposals.  Submission deadline is June 21, 2013.  Please carefully follow the instructions on the web page.  A full length paper or extended abstract will be printed in the conference proceedings. 

This conference will have two full days of plenary and concurrent sessions.  Plenary sessions include: Sharing Experience and Knowledge for Everyone to Benefit, with Tom Waldrop, Tim Swedberg, and Helen Mohr, and You See it Your Way, I See it My Way, with Tom Waldrop, Pat Brose, Dean Simon, Susan Stout, and E.J. Bunzendahl.

Join us for a special day of in-the-field learning as our local guides take us to some great areas to illustrate the lessons learned at the conference.

  

The field trip will be open only to conference participants; sign up when registering.  More details coming soon.