The global wildland fire crisis is straining our ecosystems, people, and economies. Recent federal actions are affecting many of our members and the broader wildland fire community, including disruptions to research and land management projects and people's livelihoods. The Association for Fire Ecology (AFE), representing more than 550 fire scientists and practitioners, stands up to remind policymakers in the United States that now is the time to
pursue and apply the best available science to forest and fire management,
support our world-class science and practitioner workforce,
grow federal research and management funding that pay dividends across our fire-prone landscapes,
listen to the Indigenous Peoples whose voices have been quieted for centuries despite their expertise and connection to stewarding fire-prone lands, and
learn from those who have been previously underrepresented in discussions around forest and fire management.
AFE is committed to solving the fire crisis and protecting biological diversity and human communities. Our work to improve fire ecology research, education, and management throughout the last 25 years has been guided by and benefited from including multiple perspectives. We remain committed to equitable and inclusive education, training, and employment opportunities for current and future generations of scientists and managers. We are dedicated to the development and co-production of the best available science that embraces Indigenous [Traditional Ecological] Knowledge and Western Science. We remain devoted to open and free access to the best available science and databases, as evidenced by our international journal Fire Ecology. We will continue to support all fire community members; advocate for increases in research funding; press to hire and retain the best federal scientists and practitioners of fire, forestry, and fuels management (including those who have been fired during their probationary period); provide a platform for Indigenous voices; and ensure that ingenuity and key knowledge sources from all Americans are brought to bear on the wildland fire crisis that we all face.
We encourage you to
Share your perspectives and the impacts of recent policy changes with your Congressmen and women. You can find contact information for your state’s senators and district representatives, and ask to speak to the science staffer or staffer focusing on natural resources, wildfire, policy, and other environmental issues.
Let us know how we can better serve you during this time. Our policy group is determining new ways to strengthen the wildland fire community’s voice in shaping US policy, and we are happy for your feedback on this effort. Please fill out this form (anonymously if you wish).
