Skip to main content

Wildland fire management faces unprecedented challenges in the 21st century: the growing costs of fire management, growing populations, urban sprawl, and the rise of high-impact fires are causing great concern among wildfire experts. These issues, coupled with the increasingly apparent effects of climate change, are making many question whether conventional approaches will be effective in the future. Now, more than ever, innovative and forward-thinking approaches to wildland fire management are needed. But where to start?

In this webinar hosted by the Conference Board of Canada is presented by  Dr. David Bengston, social scientist and environmental futurist with the United States Forest Service. Bengston will discuss the findings from a recent study that was conducted by a foresight panel consisting of leading academic and professional futurists outside of the wildfire community and two wildfire professionals.

During this webinar, Dr. Bengston will explore:

  • The context for wildland fire management as a whole
  • The uncertainty about future fire conditions and why it is significantly greater than is recognized in current planning
  • Why the traditional fire prevention and suppression approach to wildfire management will prove unsustainable as our climate and weather conditions change
  • A new emerging fire resilience approach that can be an alternative to traditional practices
  • The strong short-term barriers to adopting the fire resilience approach, and why its adoption is nearly inevitable between now and mid-century

Event Details

Aug 6 2015, 12 - 1pm