Best available scientific information for wildfire in the U.S. Southwest: current needs, barriers, and opportunities

Haarmann, Noah (2023) Best available scientific information for wildfire in the U.S. Southwest: current needs, barriers, and opportunities. Masters thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

Best available scientific information (BASI) – science that is identified as the most accurate, reliable, and relevant to the issues being considered – is increasingly sought after in wildfire and forest management contexts. Many land management policies now require the identification and use of BASI to make decisions, but little is known about how fire professionals access and exchange BASI to progress these efforts. This research aims to understand the most prominent scientific needs of fire professionals and the barriers that prevent their use of BASI in Arizona and New Mexico. I utilized a mixed-method approach to gather insights via semi-structured interviews and an online survey of fire professionals engaged in the Southwest Fire Science Consortium. Findings included the identification of four critical research areas where BASI can be expanded in the Southwest: (1) firefighter health, safety, and well-being, (2) planning strategies for fuels treatments, (3) post-fire ecological effects, and (4) strategies or factors related to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in fire science. Several barriers to current access of BASI emerged among participants, including difficulty keeping up with emerging science and conflict about what constitutes BASI in specific contexts. Barriers varied depending on respondent’s job position and employer, allowing the development of recommendations for reducing barriers to BASI across the Southwest fire workforce. This research improves understandings of fire professionals' interactions with BASI and provides recommendations that science-exchange partnerships, research entities, and management organizations can use to improve the use of BASI on the ground.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	BASI; Wildfire management; Fire forecasting;
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SD Forestry
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of the Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences > School of Forestry
Date Deposited:	05 May 2025 16:43
Last Modified:	05 May 2025 16:43
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6121

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