V International Symposium on Fire Economics, Planning and Policy: Wilfire and Ecosystem Services
V International Symposium on Fire Economics, Planning and Policy:
Wildfires and Ecosystem Services
14 – 18 November 2016, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
The costs of wildfire management have escalated in the first two decades of the 21st century, largely due to increased expenditures for suppressing large wildfires, most recently called mega fires. Frequent siege-like fire incidents have enormous costs in loss of life, property, natural resources and welfare. Additionally, there is growing recognition of the futility of fighting fires in ecosystems where, the now considered obsolete, fire exclusion policies have led to dangerous fuel accumulations. This is also true in countries like Australia, Canada, Italy, Portugal, and Spain, and Latin American countries like Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama, with significant wildland fire problems. In the Caribbean basin countries like Cuba and the Dominican Republic are also experiencing similar situations.
Political and social pressures, such as those encountered in the wildland-urban interface and multiple-use areas complicate recent shifts in agency philosophies toward managing sustainable ecosystems. The economic consequences of alternative management strategies are poorly understood. Expenditures on large fires may bear little relation to values at risk. Current analysis tools for justifying budgets and displaying tradeoffs rarely incorporate consideration of all relevant contributors to fire management costs and net value changes. Many countries have recently recognized the need for the economic analysis of their wildland fire management investments; and the impact of wildfires on ecosystem services. However, few have developed the necessary tools to perform this work. On the other hand, the increasing uncertainty in fire suppression operational strategies impact the inefficient use of fire suppression resources. It is important to incorporate knowledge of the fire suppression resources productivity to the operational suppression difficulties when searching for efficient wildfire management solutions.
Not only the USA have recognized the importance of optimizing fire management costs, yet progress toward this end has been slow, uncertain and elusive. Recommendations contained in several fire policy reviews following the disastrous 2000 and 2003 fire seasons, and most recently in 2013, 2014 and 2015, suggest a clear need for a forum in which policy makers, natural resource managers, and fire managers and practitioners can exchange ideas and learn from mutual concerns and experiences. The harsh realities of the most recent fire seasons from 2011 to 2015 have made painfully clear the urgency to retake discussion of the topic and search for integrated solutions to the problem.
In the spring of 2012, the Fourth International Symposium on Fire Economics, Planning, and Policy to address the issues outlined here. The advances in the field presented in the previous four editions of the symposium has highlighted that decision making for fire suppression and protection management cannot be done without consideration of the economic dimension. Since then, disastrous events in the 2010 to 2015 fire seasons, in Australia, China, Mexico, Russia, Spain, and United States, among others, have exacerbated the problem. Many changes in policy have taken place in response to the new challenges. There is the need again to bring together the community of wildland fire agencies managers and practitioners, natural resource managers, researchers, foresters, economists, students and policy makers to discuss and share recent problems, experiences and responses to the wildland fire challenges. The purpose of the proposed symposium is 1) to bring together individuals interested in exchanging ideas regarding the economics, planning and policies of wildland fire management, 2) sharing the most recent developments and technologies for optimizing fire management expenditures, 3) analyze and evaluate the potential relationship between wildland fires and ecosystem services at the national and international level, including the economic valuation of wildfire impacts on ecosystem services; 4) public policies and forest management; 5) evaluate the role of international relations in reducing wildfire impacts on ecosystem services; and 6) sharing recent developments in strategic fire planning models.
Who should attend?
The symposium will be of interest to wildland fire managers and practitioners, natural resource managers, researchers and educators, foresters, economists, public policy makers and students in fire, forestry and economic sciences.
The symposium is organized around the following themes:
– Local, regional, national and international perspectives on wildland fires and ecosystem services
– Theory and models for strategic fire planning
– Economic analysis and modeling integrated wildland fire management
– Public policies and the wildland fire management problem
– Wildland fires and ecosystem services
– Poster session: Examples of fire management plans; strategic fire resource allocation, etc.
– Round table: Ecosystem services, wildland fires and international cooperation: What the future holds?
Plenary and poster sessions will seek to:
– Provide a forum where professionals and practitioners come together to discuss the relevance of strategic wildland fire management planning, economic analysis, and public policies of wildland fire management
– Sharing the most recent developments and technologies for optimizing fire management expenditures
– Analyze and evaluate the potential relationship between ecosystem services and wildland fires at the local, regional, national, and international levels; including the economic valuation of wildfires impact on ecosystem services
Organizing Committee
– Dr. Armando González-Cabán (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Riverside, California)
– Dr. Emilio Eisbeith (Universidad ESNACIFOR, Siguatepeque, Honduras)
– Dr. Francisco Rodríguez y Silva (Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Córdoba, España)
– Dr. Dante Arturo Rodríguez Trejo (Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Chapingo, Estado de Mėxico, Mėxico)
Scientific Committee
– Dr. Armando González-Cabán (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Riverside, California)
– Dr. Emilio Eisbeith (Universidad ESNACIFOR, Siguatepeque, Honduras)
– Dr. Francisco Rodríguez y Silva (Universidad de Córdoba, Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Córdoba, España)
– Dr. Ernesto Alvarado Celestino (University of Washington, School of Forest Resources,Seattle, Washington)
– Dr. Guillermo Julio Alvear (Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales, Santiago de Chile, Chile)
– Dr. Dante Arturo Rodríguez Trejo (Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Chapingo, Estado de Mėxico, Mėxico)
Abstracts and Posters
We invite interested participants to submit abstracts for consideration by the Scientific Committee. Abstracts should be no longer than 350 words. When submitting a proposal please indicate the general theme area in which you want to participate, and also whether you prefer an oral or poster presentation. The final determination as to whether it will be an oral or poster presentation will be made by the Scientific Committee. All abstracts, posters, final papers and presentations will be submitted through the symposium website at:
– http://www.simpoeconomicsforestfires.org./
Accepted abstracts will be posted on the conference website; submitted papers will be included in a CD-ROM to be distributed at registration.
Deadline for Abstract Submission: 30 June 2016
Contacts
Dr. Armando González-Cabán
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Southwest Research Station
4955 Canyon Crest Drive
Riverside, California 92507
U.S.A.
Tel: +1-951.680.1525
Fax: +1-951-680-1501
e-mail:agonzalezcaban@fs.fed.us
Dr. Emilio Esbeih
Chancellor
Universidad ESNACIFOR
Colonia Las Américas, Apartado Postal #2
Siguatepeque, Comayagua
Honduras 12111-0002
Tel: +504-2773-0011
Fax: +504-2773-0300
e-mail: e.esbeih@esnacifor.edu.hn
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