Projects

Fuels reduction treatments are a common type of forest management in Utah. Whether in the wildland urban interface to protect valuable structures, or in wildlands to protect our forest resources, the efficacy, cost, and effectiveness of these treatments is largely variable and sometimes unknown. Fuel treatment projects will address questions such as: Where, when and in what forest types are fuel reduction treatments effective? How expensive are fuel reduction treatments? What are the social costs and consideration? Will treatments meet land management objectives? Do fuels reduction treatments actually decrease fire risk?

Larger and more severe wildfires are occurring around the western United States. Utah has been largely spared from these very large destructive fires, but is our time coming? The Utah Fire Atlas is an ongoing project that is documenting and digitizing all fires in the state in an effort to better understand what drives the occurrence, size, and severity of Utah's fires. Complex topography, large elevation gradients, and a mix of both deciduous and coniferous forest types all contribute to Utah's diverse landscape. Better understanding these factors and how they shaped historical wildfire patterns will help us plan for the future.

Forest and woodland management in Utah have historically used artificial and natural regeneration to maintain desired species and forest types. In the face of rapid environmental change and potential large disturbances, such as bark beetle outbreaks and wildfire, cutting-edge planting approaches and paradigms are needed. Silvicultural approaches to maintaining natural regeneration in desirable forest types will be more important than ever. In addition, the use of assisted migration for species that are deemed at risk will need to be guided by up-to-date climate modeling and defensible and reliable approaches to ensuring the survival of artificially planted growing stock.