NAFSE was privileged to host the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) Governing Board (the folks that decide whether to fund our Exchange activities) for a science and management field trip on Oct 19th, 2016 in the New Jersey Pinelands. The warmer than normal fall day began at Stockton Seaview Inn as we gathered to explain how the day would proceed, focusing on JFSP funded projects in the morning and management applications in the afternoon. We then boarded shuttle buses for our excellent field tour of areas in the pinelands used for fire science research and management activities. NAFSE leadership would like to thank all of the scientists, managers, and community representatives who spoke to the Governing Board about their important work in New Jersey and beyond. Each speaker’s handouts are linked in the agenda below along with a few videos of take home messages recorded during the wrap-up session. Also, don’t forget to check out the virtual field trip with contributed photos for each stop (thanks to Karen Prentice, Maris Gabliks, Amanda Mahaffey and Inga La Puma for photos).
Overall, the trip went well and although the NAFSE leadership team came home with a few chigger bites, we hope our guests did not!
New Jersey Field Trip Agenda – 10/19/16
8:00 Field trip overview: Stockton Seaview – Fire History Map of Field Trip Area > Introduction – Dr. Nick Skowronski, USDA Forest Service, NRS, NAFSE Welcome Stockton University – Dr. George Zimmermann, Stockton University Field trip logistics- Dr. Nick Skowronski
8:30 Depart for Stop 1 – Mini-buses 9:00 Field Stop 1: Penn State Forest 9:05 Walking Stop A: Pinelands Fire Ecology – Dr. George Zimmermann, Stockton University – Handout.pdf> Historical Perspectives – Tom Gerber, Section Firewarden NJFFS and private landowner Penn State Forest and 2016 RxB – Shawn Judy, Assistant Division Firewarden, NJFFS
9:50 Walking Stops B and C: Evaluation and Optimization of Fuel Treatment Effectiveness with an Integrated Experimental/Modeling Approach. JFSP Project: 12-1-03-11
Overview and three-dimensional fuel consumption – Skowronski – Handout.pdf>
New measurement tools – Bob Kremens, Rochester Institute of Technology – Handout.pdf>
Fire Environment and WFDS modeling – Eric Mueller, University of Edinburgh – Handout.pdf>
Measurement of firebrands generated during fires in pine-dominated ecosystems in relation to fire behavior and intensity. JFSP Project: 15-1-04-55
Overview and preliminary results – Dr. Rory Hadden, PI, University of Edinburgh – Handout.pdf>
SERDP project integration – Dr. Albert Simeoni – Handout.pdf>
10:45 Walk back to bus 10:55 Depart for Stop 2 (30 min.) 11:25 Field stop 2: Cedar Bridge (Flux tower)
Station 1 Flux Tower USFS Fire Weather Research – Flux tower
Tower Network – Dr. Kenneth Clark, USFS NRS – Handout.pdf>
Meso-scale modeling – Dr. Jay Charney
Station 2 Plow Line Development of Modeling Tools for Predicting Smoke Dispersion from Low-Intensity Fires. JFSP Project: 09-1-04-1
Field Component – Dr. John Hom, USFS NRS – Handout.pdf>
ARPS modeling – Dr. Warren Heilman, PI, USFS NRS – Handout.pdf>
Station 3 Fire Tower
12:25 Depart for Coyle 12:30 Lunch: Coyle field 12:30-12:50 Eat (BOY)
NJFFS Welcome –Bill Edwards, NJFFS NAFSE overview and partnerships – Dr. Inga La Puma, NAFSE – Notes.pdf> 1:30 Depart for Stop 3 1:50 Stop 3: Whiting WUI Issues and community response – Greg McLaughlin,
Firescapes in the mid-Atlantic: Mismatches between social perceptions and prescribed fire use. JFSP Project 16-1-02-05
Overview Dr. Erica Smithwick, PI, Penn State University – Handout.pdf>
The Whiting community fuels project – Bill Zipse, Regional Forester, NJ Forest Service – Handout.pdf>
2:45 Wrap-up Field trip report out and discussion – Amanda Mahaffey, Forest Stewards Guild NE Regional Director
Videos of take home messages: