Balancing Fire Hazard Reduction and Resource Protection in California's Fire Prone Ecosystems

Jon Keeley, Research Ecologist, USGS; Adjunct Prof., Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCLA

Monday, April 07, 2008
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
110 La Kretz Hall

Large wildfires are a major threat to communities in southern California. Reducing community vulnerability requires an understanding of the history of fire in this region and the factors leading to massive fires. Complicating this problem is the fact that humans share this landscape with a rich biota of immense importance to conservation. Fire management that balances both needs must take a new coarse that downplays traditional fuel treatments and emphasizes community planning and changes in human infrastructure.