The December Driptorch Digest is Now Available

The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the USDA maintains a list of conservation activities that are particularly important for addressing climate change. For FY2024, prescribed fire is now included on that list, particularly for its role in promoting carbon storage through forest management. One benefit of this formal recognition of prescribed fire is that it will increase the competitiveness of funding proposals for NRCS programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) (see the Funding Opportunities section further down in this newsletter).

EPA Requests 2022 Fire Activity for National Emissions Collaborative
The EPA is seeking 2022 data on wildland fire (wild and prescribed fires) and crop residue burns from state and local forestry and environmental agencies. The use of state and local data greatly improves the accuracy of the national wildland fire inventory. Some states have already submitted their fire activity data (NC, GA, FL, CA, KS/Flint Hills) so these states do not need to respond to this request. Data should be submitted no later than December 8. More information can be found in this information sheet.

Prescribed fire has seen a substantial increase in support over the past several years. Prescribed fire is a critical piece of the US Forest Service's 10 year strategy for confronting the wildfire crisis and there is an unprecedented level of funding available for prescribed fire through initiatives like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. We may already be seeing the returns of this increased support as the US Forest Service conducted a record number of prescribed fires in 2023, as described in a recent piece from NPR.

One of the most pressing challenges for the future of prescribed fire is the issue of smoke management. The EPA has been working with air quality and fire management partners to develop strategies for continuing to implement prescribed fire at the levels necessary while managing the public health impacts of the resulting smoke. One such strategy is the use of Exceptional Events Demonstrations for fire events, and the EPA recently conducted its first one with the state of California and the Tahoe National Forest. That demonstration is available for review and open for public comments regarding the technical merits of the demonstration itself. Stay tuned for information about more demonstrations like these and other work currently being done by the EPA to address wildfire and prescribed fire smoke issues.

There have been several recent stories about the current and future states of the wildland fire workforce. A piece in Teen Vogue provides a unique perspective by focusing on the experiences of young, early-career fire practitioners, including one person from the South. "The profession is at an inflection point. It’s evolving to be more inclusive, Rudolf says, as the threat posed by uncontrolled wildfires becomes increasingly urgent and the need for more firefighters escalates." The growth of the fire workforce to be more inclusive was also reflected in a recent USFS story about the journey of the South's first woman incident commander. This month, the Fire Adapted Networks Blog is also highlighting stories from folks on the fireline, including a recent blog by Elliot Nauert, one of the editors of the Driptorch Digest.

Multiple NRCS Funding Programs

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offers several funding programs that may be used to support prescribed burning. Many private landowners in the South have already taken advantage of these programs but this year there may be more funding available than in previous years. Programs vary by area, so check out the information pages listed below.
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)
Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP)

The Driptorch Digest is distributed by NC State University as a project of the Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability (SERPPAS) Prescribed Fire Working Group.

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