Joint Fire Science Program Webinar

Fire and Fire Surrogate Studies and SageSTEP: The Benefits of Long-Term Fire Research Webinar

Date: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 PM EDT
Register: CLICK HERE

Details: The goal of this webinar is to take an in‑depth look at two of the most influential long‑term fire research efforts supported by the Joint Fire Science Program: the Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) Study and the Sagebrush Steppe Treatment Evaluation Project (SageSTEP). These landmark studies provide rare, decades‑long insights into how different fuel treatments and fire management strategies shape ecosystem resilience, fuel dynamics, vegetation structure, and wildlife habitat.

In this webinar, we will highlight why long-term research sites are integral in understanding ecosystem response and for informing management decisions today.

We will explore key findings from several FFS locations—including Blodgett Forest Research Station (CA), Lubrecht Experimental Forest (MT), Green River Game Land (NC), and Ohio Hills (OH)—as well as the network of SageSTEP sites across the sagebrush biome.

Webinar Agenda

1:00-1:10 PM - Introduction to JFSP, FSEN, the Fire and Fire Surrogate Study, and the SageSTEP Project
Molly Hunter, Joint Fire Science Program

1:10-1:20 PM - Green River Game Land Study Site
Don Hagan, Clemson University

1:20-1:30 PM - Ohio Hills Study Site

Bryce Adams, Northern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

1:30-1:40 PM - Lubrecht Experimental Forest Study Site

Sharon Hood, Rocky Mountain Research Station, USDA Forest Service

1:40-1:50 PM - Blodgett Forest Research Station Study Site
Scott Stephens, University of California – Berkeley

1:50-2:00 PM - SageSTEP Project

Lisa Ellsworth, Oregon State University and Beth Newingham, Agricultural Research Service

2:00-2:10 PM - Overarching Lessons from Long-Term Fuel Treatment Studies and Looking Ahead
Alexis Bernal, University of California – Berkeley

2:10-2:30 PM - Q/A and Moderated Discussion with the Speakers

Speaker Bios

Sharon Hood

Sharon Hood is a Research Ecologist at the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fire Sciences Lab in Missoula, MT. She studies tree mortality from fire, fire and bark beetle interactions, pine defenses, and treatment effectiveness to improve forest resilience to disturbances and stress. She received a BS in Forestry from Mississippi State University, a MS in Forestry from Virginia Tech, and a PhD in Organismal Biology and Ecology from the University of Montana.

Scott Stephens

Scott Stephens is interested in the interactions of wildland fire and ecosystems. This includes how prehistoric fires once interacted with ecosystems, how current wildland fires are affecting ecosystems, and how future fires and management will influence people and ecosystems. He is also interested in wildland fire and forest policy and how it can be improved to meet the challenges of the coming decades, both nationally and internationally. Working with Indigenous partners to learn how to steward ecosystems into the future with climate change is a key area of research.

Stephens has given testimony on fire and forest policy at the US House of Representatives, the White House, California Assembly and Senate, California Governor’s office, and severed on the 2024 US Wildfire Commission. He is on the Board of Directors of the Climate Wildfire Institute and is one of the leaders of The Stewardship Project which is a partnership of Indigenous people and western science to improve federal fire policy. He was selected in the Top 1% of Researchers Worldwide in 2024 and 2025 (https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/)

Molly Hunter

Molly Hunter is the Science Advisor for the Joint Fire Science Program, responsible for providing strategic guidance on program initiatives and evaluation of program investments. She brings to the program her prior experience in teaching and research in fuel treatments, invasive species, fire ecology, and science application. She received her BS in Plant Biology from the University of California at Davis and PhD in Forest Science from Colorado State University.

Bryce Adams

Bryce Adams is a Research Forester within the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station. He has a BS in Environment and Natural Resources from The Ohio State University, a MS in Biology from Bowling Green State University, and a PhD in Environment and Natural Resources from The Ohio State University. Bryce’s work includes examining silvicultural strategies designed to enable forests to respond to changing environmental and climatic conditions. Some of his recent work includes the development of tools informing the selection of seed sources for future adaptation potential.

Publications and Resources

The National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study: Effects of Fuel Treatments in the Western and Eastern United States after 20 Years (LINK)
Review of Fuel Treatment Effects on Fuels, Fire Behavior and Ecological Resilience in Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) Ecosystems in the Western U.S. (LINK)

Long-term Efficacy of Fuel Reduction and Restoration Treatments in Northern Rockies Dry Forests (LINK)

SageSTEP.org (LINK)

Joint Fire Science Program (LINK)