Wildfire: States of Emergency (PODCAST)
The podcast from our Wildfire: States of Emergency event is now available. Recorded on October 15, 2018 in Kelowna, BC. (LISTEN HERE)
UBC Faculty of Forestry in partnership with alumni UBC invited you to attend ‘Wildfire: States or Emergency’ to events in Kelowna and Vancouver to hear from experts at the forefront of wildfire research, fire risk identification and mitigation, and wildfire policy. To learn why British Columbia experienced two record-setting fire seasons in a row, how climate change is influencing the likelihood of wildfires, and how our province can learn from California’s past decade of fighting megafires.
Panelists:
Bruce Blackwell, BSF’84, MSc’89, President/Senior Consultant, B.A. Blackwell & Associates Ltd.
Bruce completed his Bachelor of Science in Forestry and his Master of Science in Forestry from UBC. Since completing his education Bruce has built a thriving consulting business with a focus on integrated forestry and environmental consulting services. Some of the key projects that Bruce’s firm has been involved with include strategic planning for Vancouver’s urban forests, restoration of Stanley Park following the 2006 blowdown, a provincial government review of the 2003 wildfires, a watershed strategic plan for the Capital Regional District, and they have provided advice during First Nations treaty negotiations. In addition, Bruce and his team have developed numerous wildfire protection plans and wildfire risk management systems across British Columbia and Alberta.
Lori Daniels MSc’94, Professor, UBC Faculty of Forestry
Lori, a UBC alumna is a Professor of Forest Ecology in the Forest and Conservation Sciences Department at the UBC Faculty of Forestry, where she directs the Tree-Ring Lab. Her research, applies tree-ring analyses to investigate disturbance regimes and the impacts of climate and humans on forest dynamics. With her graduate students, Lori is actively researching fire regimes, forest dynamics, forest and community resilience to climate change in coastal and interior British Columbia, the Rocky Mountain National Parks and foothills of Alberta. To contribute to effective wildfire science and management, she serves on the Canadian Wildfire Strategy Implementation Team.
Jeff Eustache, Manager, Forestry Fuel Management Department, First Nations’ Emergency Services Society
Jeff, A member of the Simpcw First Nation is a Registered Forest Technologist within the Association of BC Forest Professionals and has completed a Natural Resources Forestry Diploma from the Nicola Institute of Technology. Jeff is the current manager of the Forest Fuel Management Department, with the First Nations Emergency Services Society. Jeff is an active member of the Fire Smart Canada Board of Directors.
Rob Schweitzer, Acting Director – Wildfire Operations, BC Wildfire Services
Rob joined the BC Wildfire Service as the Kamloops Fire Centre Manager in 2016 and is currently the acting Director, Wildfire Operations with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. Rob is a Registered Forest Technologist and has worked in a number of roles and locations throughout the province with the BC Public Service since 1991 mainly focused on natural resource management.
Scott Stephens, Professor of Fire Science, UC Berkeley
Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from California State University and completed his PhD in Wildland Resource Science at UC Berkley where he is currently a Profession of Fire Science. Scott’s research expertise and interests include fire management, fire ecology, fire behavior, and forest policy. He is interested in the interactions of wildland fire and ecosystems, which includes how prehistoric fires once interacted with ecosystems, how current wildland fires are affecting ecosystems, and how future fires, changing climates, and management may change this interaction. Scott also is interested in forest and fire policy and how it can be improved to meet the challenges of the next decades, both in the US and internationally.
Questions? Contact Michelle Lindsay at michelle.lindsay@ubc.ca or 604-827-0297.