The best available science is of little use if it gathers dust on the shelves of library stacks or is deeply embedded on an obscure website. A key part of the Joint Fire Science Program (JFSP) mission is to ensure research on wildland fire science is readily available to practitioners in a useful format so it can help support sound management decisions. The JFSP has made great inroads in this arena on a national level, but managers short on time often have to sift through an overload of information that may not be specific to their region. In the next few years, the JFSP wants to break the conventional mold of science delivery by creating ecologically coherent, regionally based consortia and encourage practitioners to take part in driving the research agenda. The key to the program’s success is establishing mutual trust between scientists and managers and opening pathways of communications that run both ways.
Image Source: Joint Fire Science Program